Back to nature


I'm just back from my daily walk with Alfie and Fidget.

I managed to stay dry right until the end when the heavens opened; Alfie didn't mind; Fidget looked like she'd had enough.

For me, the daily walk isn't just a way of raising my heart rate and enjoying the fresh air -- both very important -- it's a way to connect, deeply.

In fact, I'd say it was in the same vein as meditation.

There's always a temptation to get it over with, but these days I nearly always take a moment to stop, breathe in and out with a strong sense of purpose and listen to my environs. It grounds me.

I don't take this for granted. I realise how fortunate I am to have Dartmoor on my doorstep and to have the time to walk this way.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that even if I didn't live here, I'd find a way to connect with nature, even if I had to do it in some other way, e.g. gardening.

Think about your own experience with nature. I'd be very surprised if it hasn't and still does touch you. Without getting too Woo Woo on you, the reason possibly that you feel a deeper connection with life is because your thinking drops away to nothing. In that space (which I call presence) you feel one with your surroundings.

(Imagine being able to hold that state of presence through the travails of life without having to seek out nature.)

As we all start to think about what we'd like to do for 2018, if I must make a plea it's to go back to basics and look at nature as part of your life beyond an attractive place to hang out.

I know I will.

Blessings,

Julian


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