Cars honking, dogs barking, phones ringing, babies crying, children screaming, people talking…feel overwhelmed yet? Noise envelops us, work consumes our lives, discord dominates society. All of this heightens stress, anxiety, depression, panic, and grief. What to do? How do we ground ourselves? Where do we find healing and quiet and peace?

I’m not going to answer these questions directly…but take a minute to complete this quick mental exercise, and you’ll find some answers yourself. Block out all background noise. Ignore your coworker or your child or your phone for just a minute. (I would tell you to close your eyes, but then you couldn’t continue reading.) Step out of reality and step into your car. Drive out of town; leave all the depressing sites of the city behind. After a ten minute drive, you’ll find yourself in the country. A few minutes longer, and you’ve arrived at your destination. Turn into our winding driveway. As you pull up, two horses in a pasture to your left will take a pause from their grazing and stare inquisitively at you. Step out of your car. Let the birds and flowers and trees and horses and sky and stillness surround you. Take a deep breath. Hold it. Don’t exhale too quickly. Forget about the over-sweet air freshener of your office or the savory aromas wafting through your kitchen. Think of truly fresh smell - a smell of dew and grass and animals mixed with a slight hint of manure. Think of a smell that is earthy, authentic, alive. There, now you’ve got it! Hold on to that smell. Bottle it up so that you’ll always have it with you. Now take a look around. Look beyond the pasture with the horses, you’ll see a big red barn. Start heading in that direction. When you get there, you’re in for a real surprise. But what you are going to encounter is so special and unique, I can’t even describe it. (I’ll give you a hint, though: it has to do with horses.) You’ve almost reached the barn…but now I have to call you back to reality. Reality means you’re still in your office or your kitchen or wherever you are. But guess what, that farm you just saw and smelled in your imagination is a reality too. We’re waiting for you 10 minutes south of South Bend! Come pay us a visit! We’re just waiting to share with you a revitalizing, life-giving, peace-filled experience like none other! Come to Oak Top Hill to have a one of a kind mindfulness experience!