I found heaven on Vancouver Island

Notes #5:  July 16, 2026

I have spent the last five days in a place I could only describe as the threshold between “reality” and “heaven”.  MY reality and MY sense of heaven, of course.  That liminal space where my familiar left-brained self interacts with a more porous spiritual self.  That place, for me, is found in Tofino BC, where nature is king and I am, so clearly, but a reverent visitor in its kingdom.  

The wide beach with its waves and tides rule life here.  Surfers and beach walkers arrive early and stay late, rain or shine.  When I walk along it, spatial boundaries disappear.  My heart and lungs expand and stretch to embrace its infinite openness, filling with emergent happiness.  Refreshing cool breezes, and alternating droplets of rain with the gentle warmth of the sun tickle the senses. The air is filled with the joy emanating from all — human and canine — who frolic about, sharing the magic.

The rainforest, with its cool, moist textures, its myriad hues of green, magical complexity of life, and intoxicating scent pulls me to it, as if lulling me back home to my origin.  I feel the boundaries that separate me from the natural world aching to melt away.  Something in me yearns deeply to become one with the forest.  I take one cautious step toward it, hugging a tree, caressing the moss -- then a step back, to the safety of my familiar, separate self.  And again.

A perfectly comfortable bed in a beautiful, cozy lodge, and a fire at the beach’s edge to warm up in the evenings, round up this beguiling experience.  This intimate connection with water, earth, trees, sky, and fire, a blue-green-softness and the lush display of natural beauty help my thinking brain to quiet down, enabling me to feel my presence in each moment through my senses.   

Visiting my “heaven” left me deeply relaxed and at peace.  It seems everyone here was spirited by the proximity to water and forest and the abundance of natural beauty.  I am reminded of how important it is for our wholeness and wellbeing that we let ourselves be surrounded by nature and nurtured by it with regular frequency.  To give our thinking brains an occasional break and experience the world through our senses for a bit.    

Yet most people I speak with express a lack of, and a craving for, this type of connection with nature.  It’s curious that we so commonly discount that core need we have as humans, call it spiritual or not, to connect with and be nourished by the place we are part of.   Perhaps we are taught to dismiss the intangible, or to de-prioritize that which isn’t overtly “productive”. Or perhaps, like me, we hesitate to touch that place that reminds us that our familiar boundaries of self are but an illusion.  

Do you make time to be in nature regularly?  If not, what is it that makes you give everything else priority over what your heart needs to feel whole and rested? 

Tofino is pretty perfect, but we can get our heart’s needs met much closer to home.  And summer makes it so easy!  My friend Jennifer leads Forest Bathing walks.  Laying on the grass staring up at trees in a local park would do the trick.  Sitting on a beach listening to the waves will do it.  Hiking a nearby forest would too.  We (I) just need to remember that it isn’t a waste of time nor a frivolous activity, but something we need to sustain us, like food, water and air.

What part of this resonated with you?

If you are in the Seattle area, let me know if you’d like to listen to the waves at Golden Gardens beach, picnic at Seward Park, or walk one of our local parks together.  

Have a great summer,
Orna

Email: ornalock@gmail.com