Find Stillness in the Depths of Nature
We’ve all experienced moments of wonder and awe in nature. You might be walking along and something beautiful or astonishing catches your eye. The light on a golden autumn tree, the clarity of the stars in the night sky, or a bat darting between treetops at twilight. They can be small – the pattern of dew drops forming on a cobweb, or massive – a solar eclipse. The fact is, they brighten up our day. They make us feel part of something bigger. And perhaps, most importantly, they connect us with the natural world and bring us into the present moment, just fleetingly.
Whatever you were doing or thinking no longer matters. For that second or two, you are entirely in the now. You connect with the life in front of you – plants, animals, trees, insects – whatever it is that you’ve stumbled upon, and the busyness of thought drops away revealing a moment of calm, of clarity. A gift to take with you into the rest of your day.
Mindful living embraces this fully. To bring our attention and awareness fully into the present moment. Not to fall into the traps of the mind that can so easily divert us elsewhere – dwelling on things beyond our control or negative thoughts about ourselves for example - none of which help us. Whilst thinking is phenomenally useful when applied in the right way, we can also end up down rabbit holes. Being fully in the present moment halts this. It allows us to see things as they really are, relax into ourselves and feel at peace.
And this is where the natural world comes in. A glimpse of wonder or a moment of ‘just being’ in nature breaks the cycle of thought and brings you back into the now. Connecting with the aliveness of nature brings a sense of calm and stillness to our day. All it takes is a moment to pause and notice it.
