Stimseed’s Nature Connection — Garden Fountain Journey
Forest Bathing brought to life: Join Stimseed on the path to healing, wellness, and awakening.
Meet Stimseed, a curious adventurer who stumbled upon a mysterious garden fountain. As she approached the water’s edge, it whispered, “Join me where creativity and emotions meet.” What secrets lie beneath the surface? Dive in to discover…
Part 1: A Leaf-Boat to Nowhere
Stimseed wandered through the garden easily, but something didn’t feel right. Yes, the filtered light softened the intensity of the summer sun, and the cool shaded areas provided a welcome refuge from the midday heat. And although there wasn’t an obvious problem, she felt a dull sensation from within.
As the filtered sun danced on the edges of the rhododendron and the purple grasses swayed in the light wind, the fountain’s quiet power drew her curiosity. It seemed authentic in its peace.
The water beckoned, “Join me where creativity and emotions meet.” She was intrigued by the simplicity of the scene. The other parts of the garden were easy distractions, often more shallow than the few inches of still water in the stone circle.
Stimseed’s reluctance was evidenced by her slow creep onto the branch drooping into the liquid. It felt like a bridge from stagnant to dynamic. And when her inner self aligned with a “yes,” it seemed easier to balance on the steep decline into the water world.
You see, the leaf pointed to the water at a precise place. Stimseed was guided and supported by a remarkable intelligence. “I feel funny,” she remarked. And the water replied, “How does this funny feeling compare to the dullness you experienced before spotting us?”
While the dullness was more predictable, she was curious about the possibilities. Like the shifting beam of sunshine, now flooding her with light from above, the funny feeling was her internal systems heating up.
At this moment, a dried Tetrapanax leaf floated in the water. It was shriveled and dusty and resembled the foot of a prehistoric behemoth. “Get in!” it motioned. Taught to be wary of strangers, but following her intuition, she barked, “But where are we going?” There was a gentle reply, “Have faith in this magical journey, and trust by joining me. We have an entire pool of possibilities to discover.”
Part 2: Farewell Synaptasia
Stimseed was often on a hamster wheel in her mind, and this adventure in the dusty, shriveled leaf felt exhilarating. But the uncertainty within her made her feel uneasy. “Ask your heart what it wants,” Tetrapanex softly suggested. But I don’t know how to do this?” Stimseed started sobbing and felt a tense withdrawal.
Although the vessel seemed twisted and prickly at first glance, the dust within the leaf offered a comfortable place to land. Tetrapanex motioned to Stimseed, “We will go at your own pace. After all, this is your Nature story. Allow the power of the water to guide you.”
The sun felt like a helpful ally in this exchange, and a warm beam of light powerfully protruded through the vine maple above, creating a path of light across the placid water.
Stimseed said yes to her own wild Nature and jumped into Tetrapanax, who suggested she leave her brilliant mind, Synaptasia, on the drooping leaf “just for a little while…” Being without Synaptasia felt a little naked at first, but once they started to drift slowly into the light, a sense of relief came over her.
Although Stimseed spent much time in the garden, this felt deeper, more vulnerable, and magical. Tetrapanax was weird with steadfast kindness, yet simple to understand and, therefore, easier to trust.
As they drifted further away, she glanced back at Synaptasia, sitting in a miniature lawn chair on the leaf near the boundary of the fountain. “I’ve never been this far from you,” she lamented. “Yet, you seem content to take a break.”
Part 3: One Heart, Two Worlds
A friendly wind blew through the garden, breathing energy into the calm and pushing Tetrapanax further into the sunbeam. Without the intensity of Synaptasia, Stimseed began to decelerate. “I feel sleepy. I feel funny. I feel reality shifting.” “Your heart and soul are waking up,” Tetrapanax confidently shared. Could it be you’re beginning to experience the reality of your inner self?”
Stimseed wasn’t convinced. She still felt wobbly–like getting up quickly from a seated position. But her unsightly chariot was solidly on course.
The water was warm and clear, revealing the magic of branches above the fountain. Yet, the shapes and colors seemed distorted from the versions alive in the garden’s canopy. “Which version is real?” Stimseed questioned. Tetrapanex volleyed back, “Why can’t they both be real?” “But I want to be certain, and there has to be one reality.” Tetrapanax pushed, “What does your heart say about reality? Which version does your soul choose?”
She considered this for a few minutes. Contacting her inner self felt alien. “It’s simple. Is your inner self drawn to the shifting flow of the images in the water, or the clear and literal versions high above us?”
This is where she yearned for Synaptasia (her brain) to jump onto the raft and take charge. Synaptasia would surely choose the tangible version. But a tingly sensation started to flow within her, matching the fascination of the dancing reflections in the water.
“They’re the same, but also so different!”
Tetrapanax patiently added, “While Synaptasia is taking a break on the edge, let’s play with the loosely flowing version of this garden?”
Part 4: Trust Dust
Stimseed rolled around in the dust lining the interior of the shriveled leaf. It resembled cocoa powder: silky smooth, subtle hints of chocolate, and a curiously familiar taste. Rubbing it on her skin brought alive a slow and steady beat in a peculiar way that made time warp. The altered state felt like heaven.
Playfully, she clumsily tried to rock the boat. But the vessel was steady. Tetrapanax seemed unfazed, but a sly smile developed. “You are held securely. The only rocking is within your own wild Nature. Speaking of which, are you ready to feel the water?”
As if the silky dust gave her confidence, she harped, “Why not?”
“Remember, this boat will support you as you lean into the water. You are safe with me.” Tetrapanax’s voice created a flow of dust around the leaf like a gentle but powerful tornado. “There are no rules, but try accepting the truth of your inner self.”
Stimseed wanted to stay in the comfort of the silky vessel, but something within her–she couldn’t quite tell where–yearned for her to continue pushing. “Keep going!” “There is nothing to fear.”
Part 5: Three, Two, One, Contact
Although this seemed to be the dream, a life within every cell of Stimseed called out, “You’ve been lulled by the promise of certainty. Now is a chance to see yourself more clearly. Keep going! There is nothing to fear here.”
While it might seem easy to simply place a hand in the water of possibility, this becomes a clumsy endeavor when out of practice. Stimseed tried to align her feelings and instincts, but her hand wouldn’t oblige. And then, when her hand was ready to join the surface, her heart was fearful. And so this practice of alignment took a frustrating path.
“I can’t do it! It’s too painful.”
Tetrapanax was patient, yet assertive. “This is at your own pace. Why don’t you rub more dust over you?”
Stimseed took a huge handful of the magic powder and threw it about her. Anger emerged, and for the first time in a while, she allowed it to swirl about in the cloud of dust. “I’ve held all this inside for too long. I’m scared to see myself clearly but want it more than anything, and this strife makes me furious.” Fear of the unknown was now a single thread in the fabric of alignment to dive in.
And when she snapped that thread, a wave of empowerment flowed. Heart was a go. Soul said Yes! And hand extended.
There is a moment that seems forever and too fast on the path to realize the alignment yearning to emerge.
Stimseed was in awe. “Is this really happening?” Tetrapanax, still steady, reassured her, “Keep close to your heart on this journey.”
Contact with the water was anything but peaceful. Even with the first drop on the edge of the tip of the finger, Stimseed felt a rush of energy.
Part 6: Oh…SNAP!
The shriveled leaf-turned-boat slowly guided in a circular path around the fountain. The rest of the garden remained beautiful, but oblivious to Stimseed’s dramatic journey.
She waved her hands in the water and felt the warm wake of their vessel. In all the movement, she felt more stable than ever.
“Jump In!” Tetrapanax encouraged.
The splash acted like the snap of a finger in a hypnotist’s act. A crisp and deliberate “Let it begin!”
Stimseed entered the flowing reality of the canopy above. Through the water, the trees danced, morphing into new shapes by the second. No longer hesitant, her heart opened up to the music. She swam with warm joy, love, faith, and more trust.
In this version of the garden reality, she had agency in movement and rest. Stimseed felt empowered for healing, wellness, and awakening. Although she wasn’t conscious of how to engage these things, she twisted and turned in the warm water of possibility.
Where the cells of her body once harbored yearning to move through strife, Stimseed began to feel optimism bubbling like the water in her wake.
Lying on the floor of the stone fountain, she peered up through self-clarity. Slowly, the shadow of the boat obscured the dancing of the trees above. Tetrapanax gargled, “It’s time to return to the garden.”
Part 7: Why Did I Ever?
Stimseed tensed up as the water changed from warm to cold with Tetrapanax’s gargled words, “It’s time to return to (the other) reality.”
She bobbed her head above the water and shouted, “Noooooo. I just got here!”
“Time is abstract. You’ve enjoyed the medicine of self-clarity for a while now. Your friends in the garden might begin to worry about you.”
Stimseed released a soft whimper as she rolled back into the shriveled leaf. She was more authentic with her feelings and didn’t hold back with her frustration.
“Why did you lure me here, only to force me to return to the other reality? It isn’t fair! Why can’t I stay? What do I do now?”
Tetrapanax, who is always consistent, kind, and truthful, applied compassion to the response, “You are needed in the garden. But now you’ve experienced the opportunity to choose the warm waters of possibility in each moment.”
She pouted. “The false certainty in the garden is stifling. Why did I ever settle for that? How will I ever enjoy the garden with this new awareness?”
“The warm waters that empower the dancing trees live within you.”
Part 8: Reunited and it Feels So Good?
The silence on the leaf-raft had a razor’s edge to it as the vessel floated the fountain’s remaining semi-circle back to the dangling greenery.
Stimseed knew she was forever changed.
Her experience was a simultaneous liberation and responsibility.
In the distance, Stimseed could see Synaptasia sprawled out, asleep in the miniature lawn chair. Under her breath, she said, “Ugh, what do I do with that?”
Tetrapanax chuckled, “You’ll need that. Remember, Synaptasia has guided and protected you so you could navigate through the garden. Allow your experience in the water to empower your inner self so you can work in concert with Synaptasia. After all, the devotion runs deep.”
“But how do I empower my inner self in the garden? Won’t Synaptasia just take charge?”
Tetrapanax pushed back, “Come back to the water and look at the reflection to remind your heart and soul of the possibilities. Introduce Synaptasia to the magic of the trees swaying above, and practice working together.”
“How do I practice?”
As if swallowing a huge bite, Tetrapanax paused, took a deep breath, and replied, “Give Synaptasia love, respect, a break from control… and a simple job. Count the leaves. Follow a line up a tree. Feel the texture of the water. It’ll feel uncomfortable at first, but keep at it.”
“When Synaptasia feels like resting in the miniature lawn chair, on a leaf drooping into the water, let your inner self take the wheel.”
“And when you do… you’ll be back in the warm waters of magic and possibility.”
Part 9: A Spell Later
Stimseed reluctantly crawled from the dusty leaf-boat onto the droopy green surface, touching the water at only one precise point. “C’mon Synaptasia, let’s hop back to the garden.”
Without any restraint, Synaptasia blurted, “What was that all about?”
Stimseed took a deep breath and, holding gratitude, replied, “Synaptasia, my dear friend, let’s make some changes that will allow you to rest more often.”
Although Tetrapanax quietly drifted beneath the large green leaf, Stimseed could still feel the powerful presence. She vowed to always remember the warm waters with dancing trees.
Garden life is busy because there are so many amazing things to explore. And while Stimseed folded back into the usual, the dull feeling was gone. Synaptasia agreed to inch toward creativity and possibility each day, supported by a growing self-clarity.
A spell later, the dull feeling began to creep into parts of Stimseed. “Ugh…it’s back. Were the warm waters just a dream? I don’t know what to do!”
But other parts of Stimseed, forever changed by Tetrapanax’s wisdom, refused to succumb to the numb. Her intuition perked up and guided her to reunite with an old friend. As she peered back into the still waters of the garden fountain, all the cells of her existence danced with the reflection of the canopy.
And, although still grounded in the garden’s atmosphere, she swore she saw the outline of a crumpled leaf-boat disappear into the ether, beckoning her to follow.
Do you want to find your own Nature Connection adventure like Stimseed? It’s closer than you imagine.
Let me help you break free from the status quo.
Can you relate to Stimseed? Perhaps things feel okay, but is there a part of you yearning for more? Are you curious about the benefits of self-clarity and how they apply to healing, wellness, and awakening?
I’m Matthew Kessi, a passionate spiritual coach who harnesses the transformative power of nature to help you achieve a deeper sense of belonging, resilience, and purpose.
For years, I have dedicated my life to guiding others into the Natural World, facilitating immersive nature retreats, leading forest bathing therapy sessions, and teaching mindfulness practices. Additionally, I bring 25 years of experience as an airline leader, where I nurtured new talent and empowered colleagues to unlock their potential.
Amid life’s hustle, a powerful call for transformation awaits. Together, we will uncover the wild nature within you and explore the profound possibilities that lie ahead.
Reconnect with Nature, Reconnect with Yourself: Transform your life through Spiritual Coaching.
Experience holistic, nature-based practices that relieve stress, foster deeper purpose, and spark lasting personal growth. My Spiritual Coaching process combines my lifelong mystic gifts with proven nature connection techniques, allowing individuals to explore their deepest selves. This holistic approach will enable you to tap into your fullest potential.
