It’s a bad day.

However, the march of time is endless, and to help get you through the next day or two, here are 5 of our posts dedicated to dialing down the stress. Taking slow breaths.

In this extraordinarily stressful time, this post seemed more needed than ever.

Music can be invigorating. It can be joyous. But it can also be deeply relaxing, and even stress relieving.

Don’t believe us?

We just sat through eight minutes of Marconi Union’s “Weightless“, and we can say, it leaves you feeling………. substantially calmed.

Like a peaceful hour of quiet alone time, in music form. Listen to the video below.

Ellen Jantzen is a skilled visual artist with a superb portfolio showcasing her photo montage and manipulation work.

We were struck by her series called Disturbing the Spirits, where we see forests and trees turned into ghostlike forces. The stretched and smoothed effect makes an ordinary stand of trees look like something much more ethereal and haunting.

There’s also a sublime peacefulness to the images, we can imagine walking through these ghostlike forests on a zen-like journey. We especially love the way some of the elements remain in focus, like the curved dock, and the pink flowering tree.

See more of her work on her portfolio website and Patreon page.

Images used with artist’s permission.

Nicholas Steinberg has captured the dynamic beauty of the San Francisco Bay Area, and the way the ocean interacts with the nearby land, creating dramatic mountains and valleys of fog that roll over the hillsides of Marin county.

Many of them captured from the vantage point of Mount Tamalpais State Park, the rolling clouds and fog create effects that resemble ocean waves and streaming currents, pouring over hillsides and treetops.

With the addition of vibrant sunrises and sunsets, Steinberg’s photographs become iconic, peaceful visions of nature in this scenic part of Northern California.

Images © Copyright Nicholas Steinberg. See more of his work on his website.

Self-taught photographer Samir Belhamra show his skill in these beautiful and inspiring photos of lavender fields at night. Taken in Valensole in Southern France, we see beautifully even rows of lavender, richly purple against a starry night sky. A fading sunset and distant tree give the impressive scene scale. A peaceful, zen place if we’ve ever seen one. Via DesignYouTrust:

If you’re here wondering where the posts about moss and or fog are, we won’t hold you up any longer.

We often find a walk in the peaceful woods will do wonders to clear your mind, lower your blood pressure, and generally improve your wellbeing.

The woods we love best are the ones that feel sturdy and wise, ones left to their own devices, able to slowly evolve into places of zen peacefulness.

Moss is a great indicator of this, in the way it slowly envelops fallen trees and boulders in a furry blanket.

Below are a collection of lovely forest photographs, many of them featuring delightful mushrooms sprouting from the mossy floor. Thanks to the photographers at Unsplash for sharing their images. See more here.

The post 5 of Our Most Zen Posts to Get You Through This Stressful Week appeared first on Moss and Fog.