Mindful Bluebell Walks

What a wonderful experience to walk in English woodlands surrounded by bluebells.  This week I took two of my mindfulness groups to this quiet spot where we spent time really appreciating the nature around us as well as checking into sensations within us.  It was a real chance to savour the beauty of this ancient, native flower with its heavenly scent.

We all noticed so many small details such as the colourful lichen, the softness of the moss, the funghi, holes made by a woodpecker...

 

We spent sometime in silence exploring the woods at our own speed, listening to the wonderful bird song, people working nearby, the hum of the motorway traffic, the unmistakeable sound of a Spitfire flying overhead, ponies neighing.  We allowed all these sounds to come and go just as the sensations within us were raising and fading.  Trees, leaves, twigs, stones, bluebells were touched - allowing us to truly  connect with nature.   We noticed feelings of pleasantness when observing the bluebells, bright green leaves, birds and unpleasantness when spotting rubbish or the barbed wire fence with brambles growing through it.

We tuned into the process of walking, feeling our feet on the ground, the air on our skin, practised some mindful stretches and developed our balance by standing in tree pose.  

Undoubtedly on each occasion the ponies and their foals took centre-stage providing entertainment and really bringing home how animals do live in the present moment. 

We contemplated Einstein's quote: "Look deep into nature and then you will learn everything better".  I always end my sessions with a poem and on this occasion two poems - The Bluebell Wood, by Felix Dennis and Bluebells by David Wood.

Here are some of the words and phrases from these sessions: 

"I feel brilliant"

"Freedom"

"Relaxed"

"My mind didn't wander at all"

"Wonderful"

We have so much to thank nature for and so much to learn from it.  How about spending more time in our amazing countryside, observing and allowing the experiences to happen without expectations or judgements.