Mindfulness in Nature - slow works

Great how the changing seasons makes things stand out

Yesterday having spent too long staring at a computer screen reviewing research findings, took the opportunity to visit a local nature reserve late in the afternoon.

There were many visitors, walking briskly along the paths, swapping from one hide, one viewing space to another. If only they'd taken the time to pause. Why make an effort to visit somewhere, to do something, if you don't give it your full attention?

The people who overtook me on the path missed the vole that ran across my feet. The ones  visiting each hide for 5 minutes missed the marsh harrier that landed in the reeds while his more attractive and larger mate sat on a branch a short distance away, or the egrets flying overhead, the red deer sat in the trees and the shoveller sifting the water for food.

In order to be mindful we need to pay attention. To what is going on in our minds and bodies as well as what is happening around us. When we go outside, with the intention of appreciating the natural environment we are all part of, do we give ourselves the time to stop, to engage, to notice?

What about everyday life? Does the quest for faster download speeds, fibre optic broadband, wi-fi this and 4G that really mean we'll get more out of life? How about slowing down and noticing? Do gadgets really save time or just fill space with something else? 

Try just pausing, breathing, looking out of the window, spotting something you haven't noticed. Try living instead of distracting!