Natural wonders remind us of the deep nature of our ownexistence. While it’s great if we can experience these wonders personally, theycan also inspire us from afar – affecting our perceptions of daily life and thesearch for wholeness in our surroundings.
1. Marble Caves (GeneralCarrera, Chile)
Saltwater waves continually crash against these marblewalls, leaving beautiful patterns thousands of years in the making. Their deepbeauty reflects our own evolution through personal journeys – life experienceschange us in different ways, creating wholly unique patterns that shape the wayothers perceive us.
2. Salar de Uyuni(Potosi, Bolivia)
These salt flats and their shallow lakes create powerfulreflections that beautifully mirror natural surroundings. These reflectionssignify how our actions ripple through the people and places that surround useveryday. All we do and say is echoed in our relationships with one another:love reflects love; and peace reflects peace.
3. SvartifossWaterfall (Skaftafell National Park, Iceland)
The striking beauty of this volcanic waterfall resonateswith many because it represents the powers of change and impermanence in ourlives. We only get so many days, and we are meant to fill these days withenergy and life, not in hesitation. We are meant to flow through the presentmoment, rushing towards challenge with confidence and determination.
4. Puerto PrincesaUnderground River (Palawan, Philippines)
This ancient river runs beneath a series of caves leading tothe ocean. The caves are many millions of years old, showing how beautifulthings can always be happening deep beneath the surface of our own existence,even if we are unaware of them at the time. One moment at a time, moving withsteady determination, we may build up wells of great potential withinourselves.
5. Pamukkale ThermalPools (Turkey)
Volcanic energy has kept these pools warm for centuries,inspiring awe and wonder in the world’s natural beauty and power. Water alsoreminds us of the elemental force residing within all of us. Water fascinatesand gives life regardless of culture, returning us to a form of existence thatunites us at the most basic human level.
Perhaps most of all, we find wonder in the natural worldbecause we all want to be wondrous ourselves. And this desire creates pressurein our lives – the kind of pressure that carves canyons and breaks mountains.However we can learn to exist as natural beings without a need to impress andovershadow anyone else, simply by living happily in the present moment andfinding joy in the simple things that surround us here and now.
