30 Days
A friend once asked me to design a mindfulness retreat for climate leaders. Until then, my brand of mindfulness was mostly about managing my own wayward emotions.
Putting the climate leaders proposal together inspired me to look more deeply at the nature that was already all around me: mostly trees and leaves. Simply put, I decided to look deeper and look longer.
The more I looked, the more interesting everything became - until it felt like every tree had its own personality and each leaf was on a journey.
One afternoon, I spent a long time with one leaf, inspecting and examining it closely. Funny, even as I write this now, I can recall that leaf in my mind. It inspired me to write the poem below.
And for all the climate leaders (i.e.; all of us) we can remember that anything we pay close attention to, we can grow to love, and anything we grow to love, we will care for….
I Take My Leaf For a Walk
I take my leaf for a walk
To see it with fresh eyes
Like the preschool child pressing
Multicolored foliate between laminated paper
We become acquainted for the first time
Yellow flecks adorn an emerald palette
Thin, eager veins stretch
Toward pointy spire-like tips
Now detached from home base,
An elongated stem waves free
I take my leaf for a walk
Marveling at how easy it is
To acclimate to the miraculous
To casually overlook mother earth's
Magnificent blend of science and poetry
I take my leaf for a walk
So that I may learn how to look deeply
To behold the gifts in front of me
To fall in love with them gently
To care for them properly
I take my leaf for a walk to understand
That the only place
I ever need to be is
Right here
Right now
-Abigail SommaOur natural world is so fascinating. But Like everything in the human experience, we can habituate to it, i.e.; take it for granted.
Later in the 30 Days, we look at the experience of awe and wonder - those big and breathtaking moments, often when confronted with the vastness of nature.
But when we take a mindful approach to nature - we can find the magnificent in the seemingly ordinary…. perhaps some of you are well acquainted with the gifts of the natural world through hobbies, like gardening or outdoor sports, or through your work.
But likely, we can all benefit from slowing down and bringing a more mindful quality to our interactions with nature. Sometimes something as seemingly simple as watching a group of ants get to work can inspire its own kind of awe and wonder.
Today, or sometime soon, consider going for a “mindful walk” - find something in nature and look deeply at it, inspect and discover it. It can be as simple as a leaf; the closer you look, the more you’ll likely begin to feel that everything has a story…
Optional
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1) 3 Minute Wonderful World Meditation
2) 8 Minute General Gratitude Buddies Meditation
OR
If you are short on time, this 3 breath practice can be done after you write your list:
With eyes closed or lowered gaze:
Inhale for 5 counts
Hold for 5 counts
On the exhale, call to mind the 1st item on your list.
Repeat with the second and third items
You can also try to add a smile or hand on chest to this practice
Gratitude Message for your Buddy
After writing, scroll down to the GREEN button: ‘SEND TODAY’S MESSAGE.’
DO NOT click on the PINK button at the bottom right or you will lose what you have written.
Optional prompt
Day 13: Everyday Nature
Today you’re invited to reflect on the natural world all around you.