Checking Out to Check In

I did a thing a couple of days ago, a very good thing, a thing I think we should all do more of. I sat in the woods for 3 hours, then spent another 2 hours chatting about sitting in the woods for 3 hours. And I truly think that we should all do it. Especially you, the one who read that and thought ‘I don’t have time to do that’…the less time you think you have the more you need to do the thing I just did.

I was guided through a Nature Therapy session by a wonderfully connected soul named Patti Phillips. Patti is a Life Coach with a business called Explore Life Coaching and she has a beautiful retreat space in Pinawa called Nurtured by Nature. Check out her info here.

WELCOME | Nurtured by Nature (nurturedbynatureretreat.ca)

When we first journeyed into the forest, which is conveniently located right off the deck, we were invited to get close to the earth and our surroundings. We were surrounded by trees, all types and sizes, the wind was blowing through the branches and leaves, it was a lovely symphony of breeze and birds. I could smell the ground, still wet with morning moisture and could feel the softness of the moss as I ran my hand along many of the fallen trees. As the day went on she encouraged us to deepen our awareness of all of our senses, through invitations to take a slow walk, to get close to a tree, to sit in a spot that was calling us and just be still. We were encouraged to bring only ourselves, no journals for documentation, no phones to snap pictures along the way. Sometimes we were asked to share about our own experiences with the whole group and other times we were asked to partner up and share what our partner had shared with us about an invitation.

The weather was perfect. A nice cool breeze and warm sun while we were exploring and darker clouds that opened up to a constant, gentle rain after we gathered in the screen porch for our afternoon. She joked about planning it that way, but I think she may have a stronger connection than some of us give her credit for.

This quote was written on the wall of our gathering space;

“In partnership with the other than human world, guides help someone to find their truest self for their journey through life”

We talked about the importance and roles of guides throughout our life. Patti asked us to identify other guides in our lives. I realize that I have had many mentors on this journey, if I want to change something or do better I know how to seek the people out that I want to learn from.

But another quote rose to my attention during this conversation;

“When the student is ready the teacher will appear”

For this adventure I’d like to change that up a bit...

“When the human is ready the guide will appear”

Two of my greatest guides right now are Lucas & Abigail. I love the changes that they have brought into our lives. I think that to be successful as a parent you must be willing to be changed by your children, by the adventure they take you on every day. My guides have an expertise of reminding me of the awe and magic in nature every single day. There is no teaching children how to be in nature, there is only following them in to the magic.

Natural spaces; forests, paths, lakes, wide open fields have always been magical places to me. I am nowhere as educated as I could be on the ways of the natural world. There are many scientific explanations as to why certain plants grow together, what makes what holes and hollows in what trees and logs and why specific trees may grow in arches. I don’t know why, and I frankly don’t want to. In my time in the other than human world I see fairy doors and gnome houses, I see mushrooms as toad stools from fairy tales and believe that at night, or even during the day right under our feet, there is a mystical world playing out that we aren’t meant to actually see. And I do not think I will ever stop believing in that magic. Ok, laugh at that if you must, but NO I didn’t eat those toadstool mushrooms….not this time. There is a magic out there, if we are still enough to let it be.

Today that magic really stood out to me and I started to wonder ‘What if there is more magic in our days that we are missing?’ And we are missing it because we are too busy living, or stomping/rushing/plowing/doing through our days because that’s what we are told we are supposed to do. Instead of just sitting in our moments and noticing the magic, why are we in such a rush to explain everything and have all the answers, or worse yet, pretend we have all the answers. Why can’t we fight busy, and embrace more magic?

We chatted about the importance of time spent in Nature like this; slow, intentional, quiet, with like minded people. We chatted about the consensus reality we are living in today; what messages have we received and believed about what is good. Some of the things that made our list were;

·         Busy is successful

·         You must hustle to make it

·         Consumerism is key

·         Individualization should be achieved as early in life as possible

·         Trust the Hierarchy

·         Nature is a resource to be used

It is not until you start questioning reality that you realize there are other options. We have been told that there is an expert out there for everything, that we must consult, consult, consult before we make a decision. I fear we have lost the ability to make our choices, we ask Facebook groups, live chat rooms, buy books to teach us, seek advice…what we really need to do is to get quiet enough to hear our own answers.

I was invited into a circle with these women many times throughout the day, and they were a group of women filled with answers. I didn’t have to know them like best friends, I didn’t have to hear their back stories, hell I was barely with them long enough to remember all their names but I thank each and everyone of them for the sharing, the smiles and laughs, the nods and quiet ‘uh uh’s of support for what I shared with them.

I know it’s not easy to get away, the hard work isn’t supposed to be easy. I know it takes planning and resources, but I bet you’d try to make it work for your kids, your best friend, your sister…well chances are they’d try to make it work for you too.

The busier you are the more you need this, I promise. And let me know when you’re heading off into the woods, I’ll be your like-minded, quiet explorer.