06/15/2026
Yesterday Eye brought my singing bowls to the water with one intention: to sit with nature and offer sound. Something in me desired stillness, peace, and connection. Eye wanted to be by the ducks, turtles, fish, trees, and wind. It felt like an offering back to a space that has brought me so much peace, and something in me felt called to return there with my bowls.
When Eye first arrived, there were only a few ducks far off in the distance near the pond. Eye found a shaded space beneath the trees, laid out my mat, settled in, and began to play. As the bowls began singing through the air, something beautiful unfolded that Eye never could have planned.
At first, one Black Vulture arrived. Then another. Over time, more and more began gathering until there were around 20 to 25 vultures surrounding the area. Some stood quietly in the grass nearby while others perched in the trees around me. Eventually, Eye began hearing the sound of wings above me as vultures landed in the trees directly overhead. Eye could hear the movement of their wings through the branches while the bowls echoed beneath them, and it felt like nature had gathered into the experience with me.
One vulture in particular stayed very close behind me for almost the entire time. It kept turning its head and watching me play as though we were quietly sharing the moment together. At one point, it felt like we settled into a peaceful rhythm together. Its energy felt gentle, loving, and deeply present. There was a moment where it genuinely felt like we were communicating through stillness.
As Eye continued playing, the ducks eventually made their way closer and settled into the water nearby. Even more meaningful, the turtle Eye once rescued and released into this same pond surfaced near the bank and stayed close with his head above the water as if he, too, had joined the experience. Watching him there while the bowls played touched something deep in me because it felt like life had come full circle in such a beautiful way.
The entire experience felt sacred. It was nearly 95 degrees outside, yet beneath those trees the wind moved continuously. The trees swayed above me, the air felt soft, and Eye barely noticed the heat until Eye returned to my car afterward. While Eye sat there playing, everything felt peaceful, connected, and fully alive in the moment.
Afterward, Eye learned that these birds were Black Vultures, and learning more about them made the experience feel even more meaningful. Black Vultures are highly social and intelligent birds that often gather together, observe, and follow one another when something feels safe or interesting. They are also nature’s transformers, helping restore balance to the ecosystem by clearing and renewing what remains behind.
Many people overlook the beauty of vultures, yet yesterday Eye experienced something completely different. Eye experienced presence, gentleness, curiosity, and connection. Maybe they arrived because they were curious about the sound. Maybe they felt the vibration moving through the air, trees, or earth beneath us. Maybe one arrived, settled into the experience, and the others followed.
What Eye know for certain is that yesterday Eye intentionally went to the water to sit with nature and offer sound, and nature responded. Experiences like this remind me how healing it feels to slow down and become fully present with the world around us. Sometimes peace arrives beside water, beneath moving trees, surrounded by unexpected companions, and leaves behind a reminder that beauty lives everywhere when Eye become still enough to witness it.
Yesterday, my audience included a gathering of Black Vultures, ducks, wind, water, trees, and one very special turtle, and it was one of the most peaceful experiences Eye have had in a very long time.
