I'm taking a tip from Jim's crossword blog and using a title for this entry that is sure to increase my hits on Google! It's not all a ruse. Read on...

I've been a little concerned about my weight lately, so in addition to working out, I added a long walk to my routine every Saturday morning. It's great to get out and hike the local trails with my dogs. On the weekends that my son is with me, he is always enthusiastic to join me. Our conversations seem to be more meaningful when we're outside with fewer distractions. It's the perfect time to get to know him even more deeply and reflect back what I learn. We laugh a lot. We pause often to listen to the relative silence of nature together: a stream, a bird or nothing at all.

I always bring my camera. I really think cameras should be required equipment for Zen practitioners. Forget mediation pillows, nothing keeps me in the moment more than having my camera slung over my shoulder. It heightens my awareness of my surroundings, fine tunes my eyes and engages that place in my brain that is wired to seek and find.

Without my camera (and especially on walks when I am alone) I have a hard time not plotting, planning, worrying, regretting, yearning and dreaming. That last one is probably okay but the others can really bring me down. When I find myself being drawn into those dark places, it's such an uplifting feeling to snap myself out of it and start the visual hunt again.

For me this is the perfect weight loss plan: long walks in search of beauty. I could call it the "Best Weight Loss Plan in Many Easy Steps."