LAURA
ZIRINO
THE HEALING JOURNEY
The healing journey started with an e-mail: a photographer myself departing from the monkey mind. I was so much more
friend of mine, the very talented Valerie Millett, sent me a relaxed! We got up and left in the dark, awaiting what would
message about an upcoming workshop she was taking, telling be revealed. I walked back down Aravaipa Creek, noticing
me I might be interested in it as well. I’ve admired Valerie’s where the light was, the shapes of the trees. I saw deer and
work for years, and if she was interested in something, it was many different kinds of birds. I noticed so many details that
going to be good. It turned out to be a camping workshop in I normally would have missed. I was completely present,
a remote cany something I hardly ever was in my normal mental state when
on in Arizona called Aravaipa Canyon. The
workshop was led by Shane McDermott, who I knew nothing
I was at work.
about at the time. But the pictures of the area we were going
to be camping in were beautiful, so I signed up. I hadn’t been Another night of campfire discussions ensued, and it was
camping in years, I didn’t know how I was going to get time amazing the change I felt from the first day when I got here.
off my incredibly busy job, but something just told me to go. I was no longer impatient for anything, I was content to just
be. The energy in this beautiful canyon was palpable. In my
I had to drive 7 1/2 hours to get to the group meeting tent at night, I listened to the wind blow leaves off the trees,
place, and I arrived in a completely amped up state. I was heard javelina crossing behind my tent, and slept deeply.
there to get things done! And now! After all, that was the Being immersed in this natural state, where my only concerns
atmosphere that I worked in-constant demands, constant were my shelter, my food, and just being, had returned me to
pressure, and I brought it all to Aravaipa with me. Shane what should always be my natural state of mind. The toxicity
immediately shot that down, telling me the way to get to of the constant pressure and demands of work became
where I wanted to be was to turn vividly apparent, as did the damage it does to us mentally
all that off. We would be
doing meditation exercises, and learning to be present so we and physically. Over the course of the next few weeks,
could receive whatever the canyon had to offer. Instantly I vivid dreams of Aravaipa would come to me. Not willing
was intrigued. to let them go, I made changes to my own life to keep the
connection going, including a determination to retire early
We reached our camp, and the first exercise was to open and leave behind the chaotic pressures that high demand
ourselves up to receive. We were to engage all our senses- jobs force upon us. Nature is calling me back to her, and I
listening to the sounds of the canyon, feeling leaves under must go.
our feet, watching the light change. We were to become
aware of how nature affects us mentally and physically.
Laura Zirino is currently a part-time landscape photographer
We camped by a fire that night, and had great discussions
about getting out of the “monkey mind”, the linear, goal-
who frequently escapes into nature to refresh, re-energize,
and restore. She looks forward to being a full time pho-
tographer someday. Until then, her images can be seen in
oriented, driven state of mind that most of us live in during Outdoor Photographer magazine, Shutterbug magazine, and
our day to day lives (I certainly did). The next day I could feel in calendars throughout the Southwestern United States.
All images in this article are of A Aravaipa Canyon
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