Category: Nature + Moon + Tea

Shinrin- yoku and The Hope of Wild Geese

Last night I fell into a long and deep dreamless sleep. Almost 10 hours long to be exact, which is unusual for me. It was the strangest thing, because it’s not as if I was exhausted or anything. I woke up wondering if my body and soul were recalibrating in some way. Perhaps attuning to a new rhythm of sorts? Who knows where my soul was wandering in my unconsciousness, for I have no recollection thereof.

Yesterday was one of those spectacular summer days. The African sun scorched the earth and the heat hung heavily in the air. There was no rain to speak of, only endless blue skies. So we (my husband and I) went walking in the morning before it got too hot. We walked through fields of overgrown grass with clover, plantain, milkweeds and other wild flowers hidden in their midst and then along the river course, trying to stick to the tree shaded paths.

plantain fields

We stopped a while and sat for a long time on a bench next to one of the ponds, chatting, enjoying the coolness of the shade and just breathing in the tall mature trees besides us. Absorbing the soothing energy of the willows, aspens, pines and white sinkwoods at the water’s edge. There is a Japanese word for this – Shinrin yoku – which means the art of taking in the forest atmosphere or forest breathing. Shinrin yoku suggests that spending time in forests or among trees is a form of therapy, a medicine for the soul. Studies done on Shinrin yoku have credited this activity with numerous health and emotional well-being benefits. And I can see why, because I feel the peaceful healing of trees and forests first hand whenever I spend time walking, sitting and meditating among them.

shaded path

Something very special touched my heart while we were on our walk. I spotted a family of wild Egyptian geese. Mom, dad and their six little goslings. The sight of them straddling towards the water together – the parents content and alert, the goslings gleaming with a sense of excitement and adventure – just melted my heart. And it gave me hope. Hope that I’ll have my own children to walk these paths with too someday soon. Sometimes, in the face of an uncertain future, that tiny glimmer of hope is all one needs to trust that the blessings will come in due time. Mother Nature always finds a way to offer that hope to us. I love that about the her. I am grateful for the small ways that the Earth heals and renews me over and over again.

wild geese

Saturday Soulful Reading (link shares)

Happy Saturday!

I haven’t shared any links in a while, so I  thought I’d do so today. Here some blog/sites that have been a source of soul soothing nourishment for me lately:  

Knitting the Wind. Doesn’t that conjure up an image of feral beauty? Sarah Elwell’s words are nothing short of that. I discovered the Knitting the Wind blog just a couple of months ago and instantly connected with Sarah’s writing and her gift for story crafting. I particularly love the beautiful collection of wild stories she’s strung together in her Driftways e-book.

This week, kindred spirit, Anne, shared a precious post about the heart healing medicine of roses. Reading this inspired me to write about the evening primroses in yesterday’s post.

Annapurna Living, which was found by Carrie-Anne Moss, is another well that has been quenching my thirsty soul with gentle and enriching insights.  Carrie-Anne’s vision is to create a space “to support and celebrate heart-centered, soulful women—artists, healers, entrepreneurs, mothers, Yogis, and any woman who nourishes, uplifts, and inspires through intentional living.” It is wonderful to see that this dream is coming into fruition.

Writer and storyweaver, Sharon Blackie, shares some fascinating content on the Re-enchanting the Earth blogsite. Her rich tales and mythlines, imbued with much spirit and wild Earth whispers are always an adventure to read.

Wishing you a restful and gentle weekend of happy reading.

Night Flowers and Owls

When the sun starts sinking on the horizon and the first stars of night slowly begin to emerge, there are whispers outside my writing window that call me out to play. The evening primroses in their buttery yellow splendour open up and fill the air with fragrant beauty.

Did you know that some flowers only open at night?

I’d almost forgotten until these mysterious evening primroses began to charm me with their magic. Like elusive little creatures, they spread their petals to greet the dark starry sky, coming out to dance in the moonlight. They take me by surprise every time, because I keep forgetting that they are there, until I see them when I’m take my evening tea and watch the last light of day fade away.

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The nights have been alive with an enigmatic sense of sacredness lately. I feel the unseen world creeping mischievously, lurking in the shadows, stringing together charms from the moonlight and writing spirit poems amongst the stars. A few nights ago, for the first time in years, I saw an owl. It flew right over us while we were enjoying a lovely supper outdoors at a friend’ place. It felt so special, this feathered symbol of wisdom and Divine feminine intuition gracing me with its presence. And then yesterday evening, I discovered a little friend in my bedroom – a frog. He too brings special messages, ones of transition, transformation and cleansing.

So, I’m left with the feeling that something is happening behind the scenes, though I don’t fully understand what as yet. I’ll thus do what I’ve learning to do best in recent times. I will remain open to what is coming my way and until then I will surrender, trust and flow with the grace of Goddess.

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