…or when you’re too busy

We all know the benefits of spending time in nature. But our immediate environment and our busy schedules are not always supportive of this practice.  Yet, ironically, it is when we are busiest and feeling the most pressured, that time in nature is most important.  Finding nature in the city is deeply nourishing, and finding it when we are busy is essential.

Since I arrived in Australia just over a week ago, these questions have been much on my mind: how to make space in a busy schedule to connect with nature, and how to find a place do that when I am surrounded by buildings and pavements.

Australia and the UK are not only geographically miles apart, but my home environments are polar opposites.  In the UK I’m on a farm with fields and woods literally on my doorstep. There are many places that I can go to sit quietly in nature. In Australia I’m in an apartment next to one of the busiest roads in Sydney, with no immediate access to green spaces. Nowhere that I can get away from the noise of traffic and leaf blowers, and put my bare feet on the Earth.

Also, because I am here to support a sick friend, the combination of half a day in hospital and half a day of work, leaves little time for the ‘luxury’ of finding and enjoying time to sit in nature.

I imagine that I’m not the only one who has these challenges. 

So how do we find time to connect with nature when we are busy?  And how do we find a place to do that when it feels impossible to escape human activity?

Finding the time

First and foremost it’s important to remember that setting aside time in the day to connect with nature is not a luxury – it’s essential.  Instead of fitting in nature-time when we have enough time (which is usually after all the other jobs are complete), we need to make it one of the big rocks in our schedule.

When we take care of ourselves by giving ourselves restorative time in nature, we have much more energy to give to the rest of our life.  All of those other duties become easier to accomplish when we have topped up our own batteries with a few minutes spent connecting with nature.

When and how long

Experiment. Try different times of the day and different durations.  Morning, lunchtime, evening.  Fifteen minutes, ten minutes, five minutes. 

It really doesn’t matter when you do it or for how long, the most important thing is to that you do it.  As you experiment, pay attention to the time of day that works best for you. And allow yourself to be flexible with the duration. 

I have always thought that I needed to go to my ‘sit spot’ first thing in the morning or it just wouldn’t happen.   The problem with that mindset is that when it didn’t happen, I abandoned the whole idea of it until the next morning. Because “the morning is when I go to my sit spot”.

A moment of realisation

However, that got turned on its head about a week after arriving in Sydney. It was 5.30pm and I’d just finished a task on the computer when the sun came out.  I thought “I’m not going to miss being out in the sun for one more day”.  So I went out for a short walk. 

As I walked I noticed my body relaxing as the feeling of the day’s tension fell away.  Quite soon I was absorbed by the trees and plants that I walked past and listening to the chatter of the birds coming in to roost.  There was still rush hour traffic swooshing by, but I didn’t care.  I was lost in the beauty of the natural world.  In reality it was just the occasional tree and a few plants lining the pavement between me and the road. But it was enough.

Since then I have a new routine of ‘downing tools’ at 5.30pm and going for a walk.  It works really well for me. It feels like a transition from the working day to whatever my evening holds.  My muscles relax, my whole body takes an out-breath, and pretty soon my busy mind is no longer filled with ‘to do lists’ – but absorbed in the natural world.

For you it might work best to go outside first thing in the morning. Watch the sunrise and listen to the birdsong. Or after you have got the kids off to school, take a few minutes with a cuppa to sit outside. Step outside after a long phone call or video call, feel the air or the sun on your skin and listen to the birds for a moment. As I said… play with it.

How to find a place to connect in an urban environment

Finding a quiet place to connect with nature when it feels like we are surrounded by buildings and traffic can feel really hard.  Have you ever noticed that the more you try to ignore something, the more it makes its presence felt?

Rather than looking for the ‘ideal’ place, or even a ‘good’ place, try connecting with whatever aspect of nature you can see near you. A tree. A plant. A bird. The sky. Your superpower here is focus and intention.

Focus all of your senses on the aspect/s of nature that are nearby. Notice as much detail as possible in a plant or a tree. Listen and count how many nature sounds you can hear – you might be surprised. Ask yourself what direction the sounds are coming from, how far away do you think they are? Sniff the air and feel the breeze or sun on your skin.

The more we can focus on these details using all of our senses, the more those details fill our awareness. The rest of the sights and sounds around us naturally fade into the background.

Enjoy the small moments

Some evenings instead of walking, I sit on the balcony.  Fortunately it looks onto a huge pepper tree. I enjoy its beauty as it sways in the breeze, and listen to the birds playing in the tree.  The more I give my attention to the activity of nature – the tree, the birds, the sky – the more I lose myself in that world.  I feel myself becoming part of that tree canopy world.  I can sit there for about 20 minutes, and don’t notice a single bus or lorry or car driving past. 

Of course they are still there, and just as loud as ever, but I’ve retuned my focus and tuned them out.

In any moment we can pause to notice nature around us, and even tune out the rest of the world for that moment. As I walk from the bus to the hospital, I spot dainty lily-like flowers alongside the path. I stop for a moment and notice the drops of dew still on their surface. A moment of beauty in an otherwise busy environment.

Let your ‘body radar’ lead the way

Body radar is the idea that our body can pick up information that we are not aware of. Taking time to notice which way our body (not our mind) wants to go, can lead us to places we wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.

That first ‘short’ walk, for example, turned into a much longer wander. I let my body lead the way and found myself in a small park on the Sydney Harbour foreshore.  Native trees and shrubs fringe the park, and strange flowers whose name I don’t know.  But the evening runners that filled the path were unavoidable.  Just beyond the trees was the sparkling blue harbour – but yachts littered the view and there was a backdrop of apartments on the other side of the water.

Retune your focus

I found a place to sit just a few feet off the footpath, where I could nestle in among the trees and plants. Taking off my shoes and socks, I placed my bare feet on the earth. I focused on the native bottle brush next to me, appreciating its beautiful red spider-like flowers. The scent of honeysuckle filled my nose and I had a chat with the ants into whose domain I was intruding.  Asking them to guide me to where I could sit without disturbing them too much, and humbly requesting “please don’t bite me”.

I felt myself sinking into a deep connection with the place. I felt connected to the lineage of the trees and plants there, and the ones that came before them.  Eventually I forgot all about the busy world of runners and picnickers around me, and was able to ignore the lure of the view across the harbour.  I was lost in connection with the flora and fauna around me.

We are always surrounded by nature

When we prioritise time in nature, it restores us, recharges us. Helps us relax and de-stress.
When we focus our eyes and ears on the details of nature, the human sounds can fade into the background.

As we turn our focus away from the distraction of the human world and give our attention instead to the plants and shrubs around us, to the water or rocks nearby; that’s when we can feel deeply connected to a place no matter how urban the surroundings. And always capable of finding nature in the city.

We become part of that place, and we remember that we are always surrounded by nature. We are always home.  Wherever we are in the world.

Images: sunrise viewed from the balcony; sulphur-crested cockatoo on a banana palm in the car park; wild iris outside Royal North Shore Hospital

If you’d like to learn more about connecting with nature and listening to animals, we have a number of online and onsite courses coming up. Please check our workshops and retreats pages for details. Or sign up to our email list for regular updates. Or you can follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

Retreats in 2026:
Communicating with Nature & Animals, Findhorn, Scotland
Healing with Animals, Gleniffer, NSW, Australia
Listening to Oceans, Lembongan, Bali

In this blog post, I delve into the fascinating realm of emotions and the profound impact that our emotions have on our pets.  Humans can experience a wide array of emotions, and our animal friends are not immune to the subtle nuances of our feelings.  Join me as I consider how our emotional states can influence the well-being of our beloved pets.

At the heart of every connection lies a subtle yet powerful force – energy.   Animals possess an innate ability to sense and respond to the energy that surrounds them. Whether it’s a domesticated pet or a wild creature, the vibes we emit play a crucial role in shaping the dynamics of our interactions.   Understanding and managing our energy can be the key to creating harmonious connections and fostering mutual respect between species.  

The Language of Emotions:

Our pets may not use the same spoken words as us, but we know that they naturally communicate telepathically.   Telepathy is the exchange of emotions or feelings over distance (‘tele’ = distance; ‘pathy/pathos’ = emotions).  When we consider this, it’s not surprising that our pets respond so quickly to human behaviour and emotional cues.

Dogs and horses especially have a remarkable ability to discern human emotions through our body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions. This unique sensitivity is beneficial when we want to train them.  However, because they so readily pick up on our joy, sadness, stress, or anxiety, we can also shape their responses and behaviours in unintended ways.

Respecting boundaries:

Just as humans appreciate personal space and boundaries, animals do too.  Pay attention to their cues and body language. If an animal appears uneasy or stressed, it may be signalling discomfort with the energy in the environment.  Maybe someone is too close physically, or perhaps they are simply picking up on a desire to connect which feels overwhelming to them.  

Respect their boundaries, and allow them the space they need. This includes being aware of their energetic boundaries.   If we have a strong desire to connect, a dog or horse will feel our energy ‘reaching out’ just as strongly as if we had physically approached them. 

This is also true when we are walking in a forest, woods or fields. All of the beings in that place will pick up on our energy long before we even physically arrive in their space.  If we are distracted, our thoughts and emotions are just like a loudspeaker, broadcasting to all the living things in that place.  Next time you go to a wood or a forest, I invite you to use this mantra from my teacher, Jon Young.  “Right now, is my field of disturbance greater than my field of awareness; or is my field of awareness greater than my field of disturbance?”

Recognising the Signs:

If your domesticated pets exhibit changes in behaviour, appetite, or energy levels, it is possible that your emotional state may be influencing them. Dogs especially are known to exhibit signs of stress such as pacing, whining or excessive barking when they sense their owners are under a great deal of pressure.  Also if you are anxious about their behaviour you will inadvertently increase their anxiety. Now they are picking up your feelings of anxiety and that makes them even more anxious.  To them it seems that you have just confirmed to them that there is a reason to feel anxious.   

The more that you become aware of and familiar with your own emotional landscape, especially recognising old trauma responses, the more you might start to notice these responses being mirrored back to us by your animal companions.   As you notice these patterns emerging more and more, stop and ask yourself whether there is some emotion within you that could be affecting them.  

If the answer is ‘yes’, please don’t feel guilty. Insta see it as an opportunity to make things better for your animal.  Now that you have brought consciousness to your own emotions, you are in the driving seat. You now have the power to create a calm environment for your pet.

This simple yet profound shift can transform your interactions from mundane to magical.

Empathy and Companionship:

This exchange of emotions between us and our pets works both ways. Because they are so attuned to our emotions, pets also display remarkable empathy.  How often have you noticed that when you’re feeling jubilant or low-spirited, your furry friend responds with affection, or provides a comforting presence?  This empathetic exchange fosters a sense of companionship that transcends words. Creating a unique bond that contributes to the overall well-being of both humans and animals.

Emotional awareness and animal communication:

When communicating telepathically with the animals in your life, it is vital to be aware of this emotional interconnectedness.  If you are feeling sad, stressed or you’ve just had a difficult conversation with another human, rather than sit down to have a chat with them take some time out and reset your emotions before attempting to communicate telepathically.  This ensures that the emotions you’re feeling do not cloud the communication.  When we are filled with emotion ourselves, whether that is anger or love, the telepathic communication with them will either be their response to our emotions or be ‘coloured’ by those feelings.  Either way we are not providing a clear space for them to express exactly how they feel, or what they are thinking.

Supportive practices:

You might recognise the truth in much of what I’ve said and you could be thinking, “it’s all very well saying ‘just manage your emotions’ but how do you do that?”

There are a number of practices and daily rituals that can support greater emotional awareness and that help to bring our emotions back to a more neutral place.

Mindfulness:

Practising mindfulness is a powerful tool in managing our energy around animals. Whether it’s through meditation, deep breathing, or simply being present in the moment, mindfulness helps us regulate our emotional states. By cultivating mindfulness, we can create spaces of tranquillity that benefit both us and our animal companions.

Sit Spot:

Spending time sitting quietly in nature, even your humble backyard or balcony, is enormously supportive of being emotionally peaceful.  Connecting with nature is shown to have a wide range of health benefits. It reduces our blood pressure, lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) and raises our oxytocin levels.  You could even introduce this to your daily dog walk. Your pet will love sitting quietly with you simply observing nature doing its thing.

Yoga or meditation:

Both of these two practices often include a breathing technique that helps to quieten the mind and bring our emotions (and our pulse rate) back to a relaxed state.

Equine facilitated therapy:

Working face-to-face with horses helps us to become aware of our emotional state, even when it’s not obvious to us.  Horses are extremely emotionally sensitive.  They are the most accurate barometer of whether we are emotionally calm and aligned, or not.  It is no wonder that EFT (equine facilitated therapy) is becoming increasingly popular.

I will be offering a course on 8-10 March in Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia called ‘Healing with Horses’.  This workshop provides the opportunity to explore your own emotional wounds and unconscious reactions. You will be guided by a herd of horses (and their human co-facilitator).  We will also be weaving animal communication into the weekend, so that we can see immediately the positive impact that emotional healing has on our animal communication abilities.  

If you have an animal that is showing signs of stress or separation anxiety, please email me or book a free discovery call and we can explore how animal communication could help them.

Conclusion:

In the intricate tapestry of the animal kingdom, energy is the thread that binds us all. By consciously managing our energy around animals, we open doors to richer connections, deeper understanding, and a world where humans and animals coexist in harmony. Let us embark on this journey of awareness, mindfulness, and compassion, as we strive to create a more empathetic and interconnected world for ourselves and our animal companions. Together, we can unlock the true potential of the incredible bond between humans and animals.

Photos: ahancoo.at Pixabay; Barbara Olsen at Pixabay; Helena Lopes at Pexels; Richard Savickas at unsplash

As my time in Australia draws to a close and I contemplate exchanging a Sydney summer for a UK winter, I’m wondering how to embrace the rainy season. How to adjust to a dark, cold and wet autumn that’s rapidly moving into winter without simply longing to be back in the warm sunshine.

It’s not the rain itself that I’m resisting. Give me torrential rain in a tropical climate and I’m quite happy, because I know I’ll soon be dry and warm again.  But weeks of rain when it’s also cold and dark is another matter. This has led me to think about rain in more detail. How we feel about it, how we respond to it and whether we see it as a blessing or a nuisance. Also what happens when we communicate with rain – will it respond, and if not why not?

Communicating with the elements

Rain is of course the element of water, and we can communicate with all elements: rain, wind, sun, fire, air, rock, water, earth. However it seems that we most often try to communicate with the weather when we want it to change. We call forth sun when we have a picnic planned and rain when the garden is getting dry, or we ask it to go away. But the weather does not only impact us and our plans – it impacts all the lifeforms around us. It can be helpful to hold in mind these questions when when we make requests of the weather:

1. Why am I asking for this change – at the personal, community and global levels?
2. Is what I am asking for beneficial to the other lifeforms in this area? How will they be affected by my request?

When we ask these questions, we become clearer about our motivation. Are we asking for the good of all, or is our intention to meet our own personal needs or desires? If we are motivated for the greater good, we can include this greater need in our communication with the element of rain. We can also communicate with other elements to support our request. We might ask the wind to blow the rain clouds to a new location; or the wind to change the direction of fire.

If the latter we could shift from needing the weather to change for us, and instead we might ask…
“Can I find a way to embrace the gifts of this element and be grateful for what it provides?”.

A blessing or a nuisance?

Last weekend I was in Orange, in the central west of NSW, leading a Level Two training.  On Saturday our outdoor activities didn’t even get going before we were chased indoors by a thunderstorm.  Next day the ground was still too wet to sit on. However this group were very happy about that!  For them it was proof that the rain had given the land a good soaking, delivering it’s much-needed life giving blessing down into the earth.

At the same time the northern hemisphere has had a very wet start to the winter season.  There has been so much rain that the ground can no longer carry it away and everything gets waterlogged or flooded.  The farm can’t be worked, the roads are often impassable and as a result everyone is ‘over it’.

Same rain, different responses, depending upon the need.  So it’s not the rain that’s the problem.  It is how we perceive the rain and its impact. The rain is simply being rain, doing its rainy thing.

“The rain began again.  It fell heavily, easily, with no meaning or intention but the fulfillment of its own nature, which was to fall and fall.”

Helen Garner

The joy and beauty of rain

In contemplating how to embrace ALL types of weather, especially those that can be challenging, I came across a blog celebrating the beauty of rain.   The author writes…

“When I was little, if it was raining, I would get a big coat and an umbrella and find somewhere dry to sit. I would sit for hours listening to the dripping on my umbrella, almost like your own private roof. It was such a relaxing feeling. I don’t know but there is something quite magical about the rain and I love it.” 

This blog reminds me that I used to love the rain when I lived in London.  It felt like a blessing as it washed the city clean.  Great rivers of water pouring down the drains, taking the city grime with it.  It would chase most people indoors, so rainy days meant fewer people on the streets. I often felt like I had the whole city to myself. 

As I write this I find myself looking forward to finding a big umbrella or wrapping up in waterproofs, and sitting outside as I embrace the sound of the rain on my own private roof.  I may communicate with it while I sit, and if I do it will be to thank it for blessing us and the land with the gift of water.

If you’re curious to learn more about how to communicate with the elements, we cover this in our Level Two programme and also in the Immersion Weekend. Contact us for more information about the next dates of these courses.

Images from top:
wet pine tree: anders mellerup at unsplash; frog on a leaf: ilham hadi prayoga at unsplash; girl and dog in the rain: yao yao van as
two women sheltering under banana leaf, sasint at pixabay

This ‘Roots Meditation’ is a different way to connect with animals. We can use this method to pick up on their experience of the world and how they are feeling. All living things are connected to the earth, and you can connect with any living thing this way. 

When you connect to the earth through your ‘roots’ you can connect with the microbes, worms and insects in the soil, to the roots of plants and trees nearby, to the imaginary roots of animals.  Even birds and other flying things spend some of their time on the ground or in trees and shrubs, so you can connect with them too.

How this supports animal communication

Connecting through your ‘roots’ supports your animal communication practice in several ways.

• It helps to ground you, moving your energy away from your head, your busy mind and thought projections and brings you into your body. 

• Once you are in your body you can more easily get in touch with your own feelings.  When you are aware of your own feelings, you can more easily distinguish them from another’s. You can feel what animals are feeling as distinct from your own feeling.  Instead of trying to mentally figure it out or mixing their feelings with your own thoughts and feelings.

• Connecting through your roots is especially helpful when you are trying to communicate with wild animals. Also with plants and trees, or with any aspect of wild nature.

• Through this roots connection you will become connected to your whole animal body. Through your own body you can feel your connection to the animal.

Roots meditation:

Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the ground.  (If you prefer to meditate sitting cross-legged, you can follow the same process. Simply imagine making the connection from your root chakra, rather than from the soles of your feet.)

Sit quietly and follow your breath for a couple of minutes, consciously drawing the breath into your belly.  Become aware of your breath getting slower and deeper, and feel yourself relax.

Become aware of your feet planted firmly on the ground.  Feel the Earth caressing your feet and your feet caressing the Earth.  Even when you are in a building you can make a connection with the earth beneath.

Now imagine ‘roots’ coming out of the soles of your feet (or your root chakra) going down into the earth.  If you are indoors see these roots going through the floor of the building and down into the earth.

Imagine yours roots spreading out and connecting with the microbes and insects in the soil. With the roots of the plants and grasses nearby. Finding the roots of nearby trees.  You might greet these beings as you encounter them.

Next bring to mind an animal that you would like to connect with.  Imagine your roots exploring and finding their roots.

As your roots meet, imagine them connecting and intertwining. As you make the connection send them a greeting.  Take a moment to feel this connection to their energy. See if you can sense how they are feeling in this moment through this root-to-root connection.

Once you have made the connection you can communicate with them in the same way as with the heart meditation. Ask them questions and listen for their answers coming back to you through your roots and into your body.

When you are complete, simply imagine your roots releasing and untangling from theirs. Draw your own roots back through the earth and back to your own body.  Now take a couple of breaths, and then slowly open your eyes as you return to this present moment.

Support your own wellbeing

You can use this practice to support your own wellbeing. Use it to quieten your mind.  It’s especially valuable when you’ve been busy at the computer, or have just rushed in from full day’s work. The roots meditation can help to settle and re-centre you.  It literally grounds you.

This meditation helps to consciously bring your energy down into your body, away from your head and busy thoughts and ‘to do’ lists. It helps you become calm, centred and connected to the earth. It can provide a beautiful transition at the end of a day’s work.

I hope you enjoy exploring this way of connecting with other beings. You could play with connecting with domesticated and wild animals, as well as with plants and trees. Let me know in the comments what you experience.

Autumn and Spring are the best seasons for communicating with nature. These are the times of greatest change in nature’s cycles, and this year we have also seen some unusual weather patterns all over the world.  This is having an impact on the animals, birds, insects, plants and trees. 

Whether you are in the northern or the southern hemisphere, this is an especially good time of year to ask the nature beings around us how they are experiencing these changes.  The change of season and the change to the global climate.

We can simply ask “how are you doing?” and “what do you need?”, or we can ask “is there some way I can help you?”  Here are some ideas about questions you can ask, followed by a step-by-step on how to communicate with trees, birds and insects.

During the Autumn harvest

In the UK we have had an abundance of fruit this year.  The apple trees are laden, the blackberries came thick and fast!  Now the the forest floor is covered with acorns and sweet chestnuts.  On the surface this appears to be a good thing.  However, there is a traditional saying that an abundance of berries forecasts a hard winter.  Is there any truth in that?

Statistics show that abundant harvests are often followed by severe winters.  Meanwhile others will say that the amount of fruit is relative only to the weather that preceded it, and cannot be a forecast of what’s to come.

So which is true?  Are the trees producing more fruit to ensure their progeny survive a harsh winter?  Or have they simply had ideal conditions for a bumper harvest?

What do the trees have to say about it?

How about the birds, insects and animals?

The berries and nuts came much earlier than usual, which can play havoc with the rhythms of the birds, animals and insects that rely upon the autumn harvest to see them through the winter.  Unless they change their routine and begin gathering stores earlier, by the time they start their harvesting activity many of those resources can be gone.

We can also ask the animals and birds how they are coping with this abundant but much-earlier-than-usual harvest.  Has it affected them in any way, and if so, how? 

Enjoy playing with this as you sit with the berry bush or the apple tree in your garden, or with the oak and sweet chestnut on your walk through the woods.  Ask the birds that come to the feeder or pond, or the bees that are still harvesting nectar.

At the Emergence of Spring

Across much of the southern hemisphere the winter months have been very wet, compounding the effect of a very wet summer.  That heavy rainfall is continuing now into spring in some places.  As a result, the ground has not been able to dry out and is so water-logged that the rain is simply running off.

You might be curious about how the trees manage when their roots are in wet soil for so long.  How were they able to survive the excessively wet winter? In Spring the trees and plants draw on their winter reserves of energy so they can put forth leaves again.  Do they have enough reserves to do that and grow strong and healthy in the summer?

What do the trees have to tell us about how they are coping with the changes to our climate?

We can also ask the animals, insects and birds how they are coping with so much water around.  You might ask “have you had to adapt your spring behaviours?”. You can ask the burrowing animals, “do you have enough places to raise your young?”. “Is there anything you need from us?” 

What about the insects? Are they finding it harder to gather pollen? We can ask “how is the weather affecting you in the spring?”. Most of all we can ask them “how can we help you?”. “What do you need from humans?” “How can we help you to thrive?”

Enjoy playing with this as you sit with the bottle brush or wattle in your garden, or with the trees on your walk through the forest.  Ask the birds that come to the feeder or pond, or the bees and butterflies harvesting nectar.

To have a conversation with a tree, plant, bird or insect… or an animal, follow the steps below. And have fun!

How to communicate with a tree or insect

To communicate with a tree or plant, the basic approach is the same as you would to communicate with an animal…

• Centre and settle yourself, and become fully present to this moment
• Imagine projecting heart energy or loving energy to the tree, plant, bird or insect
• Notice if you can feel the connection – it might feel warm or ‘buzzy’
• Now simply ask them using words or picture, out loud or silently in your mind – “How are you doing?” or “What can I do to help you?”  
• Ask the question and then quietly listen for their response.  It may come as words, pictures, thoughts, ideas or physical sensations  
• You could ask more questions and listen for answers, or you could simply have a conversation with them just as you would with another human… or with an animal

This is co-creation with nature and it’s one of the gifts of being able to communicate with all species.  The ability to check in with them and ask what they need and then to be able to support those needs.  It is a beautiful co-operative dance between humans and the natural world, and it’s a joy to be part of it.

I’d love to know how you got on with this activity and what you learned from them.  Please post in the comments section below or email me. 

If you’d like to find out more about how to communicate with animals, plants or tree, there is one more course taking place in 2022.  There will also be more introductory trainings and refresher courses in 2023.  Details of some of those are in this email.

Featured image: james_givens_unsplash. Other images courtesy of Pixabay and unsplash

We have reached the end of this series and today I will be talking about how the power of gratitude, and how to bring your experience to a mindful close.

When we visit our Sit Spot we can begin by giving thanks for the living things that share our Sit Spot and even asking them for permission for being there.  At the end of our time we can also gave thanks for being there.

There is a variation of this practice that we can introduce into our life in every moment. It is something that we would do every day, several times a day, in the Findhorn spiritual community where I lived for seven years. We would pause at the start of each new activity, take a moment to connect with ourself, with the activity and with the others who we will be participating with. Then at the end of the activity, we would pause again, take a moment to reflect and give thanks – what went well, what could have gone better, what did we learn – before moving on to the next task or the next meeting.

This moment of pausing at the start and end of activities has many benefits.  It brings us into the present moment.  It also brings us immediately into direct relationship with the activity and those others beings that we are going to be engaging with.  When we do this before a group activity, such as a work shift or a meeting, it brings us into synchronicity with the others in the group and things flow more gracefully.

Last but not least it is a very simple and easy way to bring ritual into our daily life – and ritual makes the mundane magical.

If you have 20 or 30 minutes (or more)…

When you arrive at your Sit Spot, take a moment to greet this place and all the beings that use it.  Ask again for permission to be in this space and to share and enjoy it with them. Turn your attention to your breath and observe the air moving in and out of your body.  Feel yourself becoming relaxed and peaceful.

Now sit for a while and simply enjoy being in this place.  Look at the things that you saw on day one and notice if you see them differently today.  Can you see any of the things that you mapped from your Sit Spot position?  Even if you cannot see them, you may remember where they are – you may even have marked them on your map.  Try connecting with those tracks now, as a way of coming into relationship with the animals that left those marks.

Notice the direction of the wind on your face, or the sun on your skin.  Sniff the air.  Listen for the different sounds – are they more familiar to you now?  Engage all of your senses, one at a time and all together, as you recall those activities from day two.

Now pay attention to the bird song – noticing the direction of the sounds.  Are you at your Sit Spot at the same time of day as you were on day three?  If so, are those songs coming from the same location as they did before?  (You can check your map). 

If you are there at a different time, is the quality or quantity of bird song different than previously?

Now become aware of your connection to this place, in whatever way that makes sense for you.  Does this place feel more familiar to you than it did on day one?  Do you feel a deeper sense of connection with this place?   Do you get a sense of this place welcoming you differently than it did on day one?

Finally focus on your heart centre and imagine radiating love and appreciation to everything that you can see and hear.   Give thanks to this place for welcoming you and letting you be here in this way.  If you don’t plan to return to this place regularly (or at all), take a moment to say goodbye.

Only got ten minutes?

Take a moment to greet this place and all the beings that use it.  Ask again for permission to be in this space and to share and enjoy it with them.

Turn your attention to your breath and observe the air moving in and out of your body.  Feel yourself becoming relaxed and peaceful.

Now sit for a while and simply enjoy being in this place.  Look at the things that you saw on day one and notice if you see them differently today. 

Notice the direction of the wind on your face, or the sun on your skin.  Sniff the air.  Listen for the different sounds – are they more familiar to you now?  Engage all of your senses, one at a time and all together, as you recall those activities from day two.

Become aware of your connection to this place, in whatever way that makes sense for you. Do you feel a deeper sense of connection with this place?  

Finally imagine radiating love and appreciation to everything that you can see and hear.   Give thanks to this place for welcoming you and letting you be here in this way.  If you don’t plan to return to this place regularly (or at all), take a moment to say goodbye.

The power of gratitude or thanksgiving

Gratitude calls our attention to the multitude of things going right with the world, reinforcing our sense of the interdependence of all living things and reminding us of our kinship with nature. 

Gratitude also provides a place of strength from which we are more easily able to deal with life’s challenges, and is a simple way to bring balance into our daily lives.

Gratitude forms a core routine of many indigenous cultures – as part of their daily lives they offer thanks to the Spirit that moves through all things, the ancestors, the four directions and the elements. They also regularly give thanks for the abundance of the natural world before eating, before hunting, before going to sleep. 

Thank you for taking part in this challenge.  I hope you have enjoyed it.  I plan to offer more challenges over the next months, so please keep an eye open for those. Some will be nature-based and others will be animal communication based.

If you’d like to find out more about connecting with nature and communicating with animals, please check out my website.  You will also find details of upcoming courses and events on my Facebook and Instagram pages.

Meanwhile I hope that you continue to enjoying getting outside and enjoying nature and feeling gratitude that we can choose to spend our days in this way. 

With love, Jacqueline x

I love learning about bird language.  I find it a fascinating topic.  Did you know that birds have five primary languages?  All that beautiful tweeting and singing is actually a pretty sophisticated communication system.

Today I would like to introduce you to bird language and mapping. These two activities complement one another beautifully.  You will want to take a notebook and pencil with you to your Sit Spot today.

Bird Language

I am new to bird language, having only recently been part of a weekend workshop where my co-facilitator introduced this topic. I learned that there are two primary ways that birds communicate: through behaviour and through sound.

There are five primary forms of sound that birds use: Song – which needs no explanation! Companion Calls – when birds call and respond to one another. Territorial Aggression – used to stake their claim to their space. Juvenile Begging – you may have heard this clamour when the chicks are vying for the food that the parents have just brought to the nest; and then they will go silent when the parents leave to look for more food. Finally Alarm Calls – which is one that we probably hear quite a lot, especially after we have just arrived in their environment. 

Explore Bird Language at your Sit Spot:

Once you’ve arrived at your Sit Spot and greeted all the beings that are there, make yourself comfortable and focus on your breath for a while.  Observe your breath moving in and out of your lungs.  As you do so notice your breathing becoming more relaxed, deeper and longer.  As your breath slows your mind frees up as your thoughts become quieter.

Now turn your attention to the bird song that you can hear.  Begin to identify how many different bird songs you can hear.  It doesn’t matter if you know which bird is making that song or not, simply listen for the different types of song. 

How many can you count?  Keep listening and tallying up all the new songs you hear.

Now begin to notice which direction the sounds are coming from.  Are there two birds with the same song in different directions?  Do they appear to be calling to one another – taking it in turns to sing?  Are they companion calling or just singing?  Try guessing which of these categories the bird songs that you hear fall into.

I was out ‘wandering’ recently and stopped to listen to the bird songs all around me, identifying some, wondering about others, noticing their directions.  I recorded a video, which you can watch here.

Mapping:

In your notebook draw a rough sketch of your Sit Spot and an area of about 100m in either direction. You may want to mark north on the map. Now begin by sketching the main features – the trees and shrubs, water features, any structures (man made or natural). 

Try not to be concerned if it is accurate or not, or looks ‘pretty’ or not – the purpose of this activity is to act as a memory-jogger for you and also to help orientate you and place yourself within the landscape.

Now mark on your map the locations of the different birds that you heard.  If you don’t know which bird made the sound you can simply number them 1, 2, 3… If you heard the same song from two different directions, give them both the same number, to help you remember that it was the same species of bird.

You can go into as much detail as you wish with this activity, depending upon how much time you have.  Get as creative as you wish with coloured pens, or use a pencil and keep it simple and sketchy. The main thing is that you have fun with it.

You can bring it with you next time you visit your Sit Spot and keep adding to it. Be playful. Be childlike. Be curious.

If you have 20 minutes, or 30 minutes (or more) available:

Take your time and really indulge in these two activities for as long as you like.

Only got ten minutes?

Either focus on the different birds that you can hear nearby, noticing where they are and how many you can hear; or sketch something you see in nature.

I hope that you enjoy this activity.  Please write about it in the comments section or share your experience on our Facebook page.   – it would be lovely to hear about your experiences.  Meanwhile have a wonderful day and I look forward to sharing more with you tomorrow.