Go Among Trees and Sit Still - Wendell Berry I go among trees and sit still All my stirring becomes quiet Around me like circles on water. My tasks lie in their places Where I left them, asleep like cattle. Then what I am afraid of comes. I live for a while in its sight. When I fear in it leaves it, And the fear of it leaves me. It sings, and I hear its song.
I’ve just returned from a week-long road trip – camping among the trees, beneath starry skies, beside crystal-clear rivers and lakes. Spending time in nature is healing on every level for me, even more so when I’m exploring somewhere new. As I let go of my daily routines and commitments, I feel lighter, freer, more connected to my deeper self and to the present moment. My busy mind becomes quieter and more spacious. Days seem to move at a leisurely pace and I welcome what each moment brings. I release the need to always be doing and allow myself to simply be. When I can relax into being, when I can bask in stillness, I’m able to experience the world around me and the world within me with curiosity and open awareness.
In our busy lives today, we are always moving, mentally and/or physically. A common belief seems to be that if we’re not moving, we’re not productive; if we’re not achieving or succeeding or earning or accumulating anything, it’s wasted time. Yet with all that ‘movement’, with all our focus on meeting external demands and expectations, we neglect to maintain the very framework that supports our movement – our mind and body. Without health and well-being in our mind and body, this constant movement will eventually come screeching to a halt whether we want it to or not.
If you follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed a few posts recently about September being self-care month (sidebar: you can also access my Instagram posts here on my website on the Photos page). Self-care has always been a topic that’s close to my heart as a yoga and meditation teacher: I believe that through our practices we cultivate strength, resilience, compassion, and equanimity within us, and we can then share those qualities with our loved ones, our colleagues, our community. As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup; if we are running on empty, we have nothing to support ourselves and nothing to give to others. Self-care isn’t a selfish act; it’s a vital component of healthy living.
Self-care can take myriad forms but, for me, a good place to start is in stillness. When we spend time in stillness we allow our mind and body to rest. When we spend time in stillness our awareness opens, our senses come alive, and we can engage with the world around and within us in a way that releases expectation and judgment, in a way that lets us be curious about ourselves and our moment-to-moment experience. When we make time for stillness, we’re able to reflect within and determine what it is we truly need to nourish our mind and body.
We can invite stillness into our everyday life in many ways, and one of my favourites is to find stillness in nature – sitting lakeside listening to the loons calling, on a beach serenaded by ocean waves, in a forest surrounded by towering trees, their canopies swaying in the breeze. A growing body of research shows that spending time in nature has significant benefits for our mental and physical health. In Japan, the practice of shinrin-yoku or forest bathing became popular in the 1980s as a way to unplug from the busyness of daily life and find healing in nature through mindful forest walking. Researchers have even found that evergreen trees release a high concentration of phytoncides, airborne essential oils that provide a natural immunity boost. As is so often the case with mindful practices, Western science is now proving what we practitioners have known for some time: that spending time in nature just feels good on every level, and that sense of healing and nourishment we experience has long-lasting benefits for our mental, physical and emotional well-being.
In honour of Self-Care September, what new habits can you invite into your daily routine that will nourish and restore you? In what ways can you fill your own cup – with self-love, compassion, acceptance, equanimity – replenishing your inner reserves so that you can care for yourself and for those around you? Make time for stillness. Make time for reflection on what your mind and body need to remain strong and resilient. Make time to spend in nature, whether far from the city streets or in your neighbourhood park. As Wendell Berry wisely advises, let’s go among trees and sit still.
The present moment is a gift. Unfortunately, it is one we often neglect as our thoughts rush headlong into the future, planning and worrying, or they get mired in the past, reliving and regretting. When we allow ourselves to connect fully to the present moment, something magical happens – we open ourselves to its possibilities. Our kind attention gives us new eyes through which to experience the world around us and we awaken to all that moment has to offer.
mushrooms of all shapes and sizes were peering out from fallen limbs and leaves. The forest floor was alive with these little gems, and had I been hurrying along lost in thought, I would have missed their marvelous show.
This was the sublime view from my meditation cushion this morning. I am on holiday, so my ‘cushion’ was a rolled towel set upon the rocks by the lake. Meditation doesn’t require any special tools or circumstances – all that is required is a willingness to show up and explore the present moment, with an open mind and a compassionate heart. I was serenaded by birdsong, felt the cool morning air on my skin and the texture of the rocks beneath my seat – such a simple yet beautiful way to begin the day with mindful awareness.