In praise of stillness

Had a go sitting in the middle of your allotment (garden, park, countryside...) to just listen and see? Try it. Not only therapeutic, it will surprise you.

Healing
Life is just too too busy. Rushing to work. Rushing at work. Rushing home. No longer work? Those constant demands on time still mean there's little time to relax.

And by relax, I mean relax. No mobile 'phone. No thinking about what you've got to do later or what happened yesterday. Find a comfortable spot. Just fill your mind with what you see and hear. Concentrate on the area immediately around you.

It's hard to do, especially if there's the sound of traffic in the background. But with concentration, what is happening just a few feet away will take precedence.

Surprise
You'll notice things that have always escaped your attention. The symphony of birdsong. Colourful spiders hanging below a leaves. Ants on safari. A solitary bee, it's home a hole in the soil. A paintbox of flowers. Acrobatic dragonflies.

I've been nose to nose with a field vole, feeding on discarded beetroot. They're nearly blind, so a bit of careful creeping gets you really close. Watched a wolf spider patrolling beside my pond. If you have chickens, they're a source of constant amusement.

When to observe
Early morning or at dusk during spring, summer or autumn are the best times. Lots of wildlife needing to feed. But any time of day is beneficial.

Try it in winter? Are you crazy? Most wildlife is tucked up warm and cosy... just as you should be!

2 comments:

  1. Totally agree. I often see joggers when i'm out walking the dog along a country lane and think how they miss so much going on around them especially as a lot of them have headphones on as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comment Phyllis. You're right about joggers... another case of rushing around. I love walking SLOWLY. You notice so much more. Regards, John

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