The Japanese call it Shinrin Yoku - forest bathing - self care
Taking myself for a walk
“Walking sets the mind adrift, clarifying and organising thoughts. Life need not be lived at a hectic, breakneck speed” - Kathryn Aalto
I agree with Kathryn Aalto and whenever I can, I grab the opportunity and do something my soul thanks me for. So, because time was on my side and I had a full day in front of me today without anything planned I … took myself for a walk, in the woods.
Waking up at 6.30 is a habit and it looks like it is here to stay. All good no complains. What I noticed is that a pattern is in the process of being formed during these holiday days. The first thing I do is to make myself a cup of tea, feed the cats (well the other way round) and sit on the sofa for an hour or more scrolling .. YouTube, Facebook and the lot.
Happy about this? Nope! Definitely a mini project in the making here … replacing this habit with something more meaningful.
Given the intermittent fasting system, 9.30am was the time for my meal and I cannot tell you the pleasure I feel now when I am eating. I notice the colours of the food, smell, textures… I am present 100%! What a difference!
So, pleased with my progress it was time to ask myself…what is next! Guess what .. seconds after I asked myself the question … what would you like to do next …the answer came … walk in Abbots Wood. This is a place I recently discovered and loved the energy of the place.
As always my rucksack was ready to accompany me in my next adventure together with a book, a journal, juicy pens, a flask of tea and my enthusiasm 😂
20 minutes later I was already in the woods … smelling the raw smell of the earth, listening to the wind, walking and being present.
The word being present keeps coming to my mind and it is a consequence of wanting … to notice and of course not having trauma triggering elements around me.
The woods in this part of the world are quite well signposted and the potential for getting lost if one misses the signs is pretty low so I never worry! Yes one can miss a turn and end up in new places but if one keeps walking, one finds the next sign and eventually finds the path back to the car park. Keeping calm is key! Well you could tell that this is exactly what happened to me today 😀 I had a tiny moment of panic as I had no clue which turn I missed but I have to say the area I ended up discovering was charming …completely different trees, open spaces, definitely would love to find those alleys again. And the lesson is asks a part of myself? Getting lost, changing direction is a good thing … embrace what is.
“Imagination alone is not enough; the reality of nature is far more wondrous than anything we can imagine.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson
What I miss when I walk on my own is the company of a dog! Some years ago I was privileged to have the friendship of a four legged friend called Winter! I was his auntie, loved him with all my heart and I wish he was with me nowadays as he would have loved these forest walks! Who knows, maybe a part of him was with me today as at times I felt his presence … the veil between this world and the other one is almost transparent at certain moments.
Back to walking and … noticing. I don t know about you but I usually walk fast … it is a habit and most of the time I don t even remember where I ve been, what happened in between the beginning of a walk and the end of it! This was my pattern year in, year out, it took me a while to understand why but in the end I did!
Nowadays I make an effort, a deliberate effort to slow down, to notice, to remember, to make connections, to be in the moment, to be present.
One outcome of my new approach to walking is … the joy of discovering and eating 😂😂😂 lots of blackberries. Well, well it is foraging here I come again time and I love it!
Have you noticed that when you pick the wild berries yourself, you are less likely to overindulge 😀 that you simply eat enough to feel full but not more?
While doing my mindful, slow walking I remembered that sometime ago a client asked our agency to organise a forest bathing experience session as part of a team building. At the time this felt bizarre. An organised, orderly walk in the forest? It feels as if people keep being infantilised and little by little personal initiative is erased, people will only react if told what to do, how, where. What can I say .. it is a different world to the one I grew up in! A very different one!
Moving on swiftly!
When things are too much I draw. When I want to rest, to get control over the panic attacks I draw. When I am in a balanced state, I draw!
This is exactly what I did today as well … a drawing infused with … forest air!
Until next time, be well!
INSPIRATION CORNER
SHINRIN YOKU watch and enjoy
LISTEN AND EXPLORE - an interview with Gabor Mate about feelings, reactions, explanations.
HEALING MUSIC - just what you need at the end of a long day.