Simply engaging with Nature

Welcome, spring!

Here, in the British Isles, after an unexpected cold snap and snow in March, we’re looking towards all the glorious ‘B’s of springtime; buds, blossom, bees, butterflies, and of course babies, both furry and feathery!

Spring's an optimistic time, full of expectations; so it’s a great season to start changing habits. Why not begin the journey to slow down,  live in the moment, and find beauty and wonder in the ordinary, through connecting with nature?

There’s a sense of excitement and anticipation  now that's unique. After a long winter, nature's waking up;  giving tantalising little peeks of what’s to come. The excitement of  those first buds breaking, or seeing tiny green shoots appearing out of the ground like magic, is quite unlike anything else. Spring's also a great time to boost your creativity. (As is autumn, for those of you in the southern hemisphere – another time of unique changes!)

If you want to begin a creative journey through nature, but feel you’re not quite sure how to start, you need to feel it's achievable. To do that you first need to get comfortable in the natural world.

Find somewhere you feel safe – maybe your garden or a local park. Make sure you’re warm and cosy with enough layers on! Sit down, and just for five minutes, spend time really looking around you and using your senses. Don’t worry if you start thinking about what to cook for dinner, or that you need to finish that piece of work by Tuesday, or you forgot to get Great Aunt Lottie’s’s birthday card….  Just let that go. This is your time. Five minutes for you to connect with the natural world around you. If you’ve got longer, that’s great, but remember you only need to take baby steps to begin to feel less stressed and more connected.

Don't make it complicated. Just gaze at the view in front of you; 

look at the sky, see what the clouds are doing

feel the breeze on your cheeks

sniff the air

listen for birdsong

 If you can, afterwards, note down what you experienced, and think about how you feel now, compared to when you began.  Did you feel different? Better? Then see if you can do it again the next day!

Can't make even 5 minutes? How about 2?

 Do it for you.

I’m challenging myself to find three things I never noticed before this week, if you already engage with nature or keep a journal, why not join me? Let me now what you found!