The creek is not necessarily a place to relax, nor is it a place for big thrills. You can walk along a creek because the water remains at, or slightly above, the ankles. You can see the organisms that live beneath the water because the water is clear and transparent. You can sit on a rock in the middle of a creek without fear of being swept away. And since the creek is made up of fresh water, you can even nourish yourself with it.
The creek provides the right amount of stimuli and variety. There is movement and flow of water but it never overpowers, like a waterfall, or rages, like the ocean at night. When visiting an ocean or a waterfall, the main attraction are precisely those bodies of water—the ocean and the waterfall. But when visiting a creek, there is no main attraction. There are rocks, there are trees, there are fish, there is grass, there are mountains. And there is a soft trickling flow of water in the background.
At the ocean, especially at night, the waves are so loud that you cannot hear your own thoughts. At a lake, life is too quiet, too still, so that your thoughts seem to be louder. But at the creek, you find a perfect balance between your physical body and your wandering mind. It is the place to bring your curious self, your pondering self, your somatic self, your full and centered self.
ROOT OF ROOTS 