The Attention of a Bike Ride
Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao

The Attention of a Bike Ride

A quiet bike ride through Camden, Maine became an unexpected meditation. Passing gardens, stone walls, sailboats, and the shifting shoreline, I was reminded that mindfulness doesn't always happen in stillness. Sometimes the practice is simply moving slowly enough to notice what is already unfolding around you.

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The next bend in the road
Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao

The next bend in the road

A reflective journey through Las Flores Canyon exploring uncertainty, freedom, mindfulness, and meditation. Discover how embracing the unknown can create space for growth, resilience, and trust in life's unfolding path.

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Starting Over: Rebuilding the Pond
Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao

Starting Over: Rebuilding the Pond

For weeks, the pond felt unfinished. Every walk past it brought the same awareness: something wasn’t working. Draining it meant dismantling a living ecosystem I had carefully built, but it also revealed an unexpected lesson. Sometimes growth doesn’t come from adding more. Sometimes it comes from having the courage to take apart what no longer serves its purpose and trusting that a better version can emerge.

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Watching the moon
Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao

Watching the moon

At 4:30 a.m., a walk to the yoga room paused halfway up the hill under a full moon. Instead of continuing, I sat and watched as night slowly turned into morning.

Nothing to do, nothing to achieve—just attention resting on what was already there.

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The goats on the hillside
Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao

The goats on the hillside

On an evening walk in Tuna Canyon, I came across more than 500 goats moving through dry hillside brush, guided by temporary fences and watched over by a resting Great Pyrenees.

They weren’t reacting to a fire—they were preventing one. Slowly clearing what could become fuel later.

It became a quiet reminder that much of life works the same way. What we tend to early rarely becomes a crisis later.

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Before the first birds
Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao

Before the first birds

Waking at 4:30 each morning, the day begins in quiet darkness on a hillside path. Between yoga and meditation, nothing is forced—just breath, attention, and presence.

As fog settles over the canyon and the first birds begin to sing, the practice stays simple: returning to stillness before the world begins to ask for anything.

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Walking with someone
Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao

Walking with someone

A simple hike with a friend became a reminder that the same path can feel completely different depending on who you're walking with. Through conversations about direction, purpose, and life, familiar surroundings took on new meaning. Sometimes clarity doesn't come from finding answers—it comes from sharing the journey and seeing through someone else's perspective.

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Letting things take their shape
Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao Field Notes Louise Catrina Palattao

Letting things take their shape

This weekend, I took a pottery class and was reminded of something simple: not everything needs to be rushed. Working with clay required patience, presence, and a willingness to let things unfold naturally. My piece wasn't perfect, but it felt complete. Sometimes growth, creativity, and even our daily work take shape best when we stop forcing outcomes and allow space for the process. A small pause can make all the difference.

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Resetting the ground
Field Notes Henry Bond Field Notes Henry Bond

Resetting the ground

Some things don’t shift all at once. In this reflection from Topanga Canyon, a simple repair becomes a reminder to look beneath the surface before trying to fix what’s visible.

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