Photo taken by contributor Leya, a single mother working in the mental health field. Leya has a child with multiple barriers, including severe anxiety. She also grew up in a highly anxious household with a family that experienced significant historical trauma. Leya believes that the key to our collective functioning is finding ways to calm our overactive minds. For her, that includes walks in nature, photography, poetry, painting, cooking, dance and yoga. She primarily photographs nature and historic sites that grab her and convey a story of emotion or sheer beauty.

About this photo: “I come to the brook when I need a quiet place to relax, meditate and ground myself. The stones, the smell of earth, the sound of the water and the trees calm my spirit, and I feel deeply connected to the land and nature. It is a solace from the bombardment of sights, sounds and too much to do.”

Find more from Leya at her blog.

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