Welcome to the July Mindful Mama Carnival: Mindfulness and Nature
This post was written for inclusion in the Mindful Mama Carnival hosted by Becoming Crunchy and TouchstoneZ. This month our participants have shared their experiences of mindfulness and the natural world. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
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I’ve had a long-time love affair with the natural world. I grew up in a small town in rural England. I was a child of the 1970’s & 80’s when we could walk to school by ourselves and play out freely until dark. I roamed rolling mud hills and large parks that have now mostly been replaced by parking lots and housing developments. When I moved to the city to study and work but I still looked for nature in clouds and puddles and even dug up a concrete patio to be transformed into a thriving vegetable garden. When I first arrived in Dominica, my paternal family homeland, I knew I had found home. I am a now a Child of the Nature Isle.
We are completely surrounded and embedded in the natural world. This is where we live:
Even though rich views of the natural world stream in through our windows and the sounds of bird songs by day and crickets by night are an ongoing soundtrack, it is vital that we step outside and immerse ourselves in it. Our house may be filled with activities, games, fun and chores but the energy of 3 beings under one roof can get crazy – we were not meant to be contained inside for too long.
Being outside in nature is where we all come alive more fully, participating in the cosmic dance of life. We chase butterflies, dive into hot water pools, splash in the river, dig in sand, walk, shout and sing. Outside I am more focused in the present moment without distractions of the household, where there is always just one more task to be done. I am more attentive to my children, able to embrace their wholeness whilst also expressing mine. We share aspects of the natural world with excitement and enthusiasm such as the sight of a rainbow, creaking bamboo, bird-song, the lush forest, a ripe cocoa pod on the tree or an old one breaking down into soil. Seeing the world through the eyes of my children makes it all fresh and new and I love that they are so receptive to my enthusiasm about nature.
Happy Nature Trio!
The natural world environment puts us on more of an equal playing field – we are all exploring and experiencing our separate needs in togetherness. For instance my daughter likes details – plants whose seed pods go ‘pop’, little berries to pick, grass that looks like feathers and sensitive plants whose leaves close to the touch. As she seeks out these things, my son is enjoying ‘big movements’ such as throwing stones in puddles, hitting bushes with sticks and digging in the mud. I delight in feeling a warm breeze on my skin and the sun on my back, to get some exercise, dance among the trees, sing new songs and to communion with Source. In nature our unique threads and are woven together in a way that supports and nurtures all of us. In nature I feel fulfilled nurtured and cared for by the Great Mother. I am recharged to be a better parent. It’s a continual learning and appreciation that just doesn’t happen indoors.
In a recent article for the Mother magazine, Starr Meneely writes ‘Time spent outside gifts our children with experiences that cannot be easily reconstructed anywhere else. The first of these gifts is simple childhood happiness.’ And happy they are. Always reluctant to end their outdoor play and come indoors again, they too are children of the Nature Isle and for that I give thanks.
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Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
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Oh Terri…I often feel you live my dream life. Someday I will make it out there for a visit!
I find it is very obvious that nature brings children that happiness – I see it in my daughter the moment we step outdoors. It is truly a gift for both of us.
Kelly recently posted..A Sense of Awe and Wonder
I often feel as if I live my dream life too which is a very good feeling! Thanks for such a great blog carnival.
What can I say? A part of me wants to be you! What a beautiful setting you live in. And, although I consider my own home (Canada) equally beautiful, the trails are not always quite as accessible. (Darn winter!) Still, we all find our own ways. Thanks for sharing yours.
Andrea at Tales of Goodness recently posted..A Gardener’s Meditation
Thanks Andrea. Our trails are not always accessible either (Darn rainy season!) but we have fun outside as often as we can.
“the first of these gifts is simple childhood happiness”, but they forgot about the simple motherhood happiness as well.
What a beautiful place to experience the power of nature! Thank you for the post and slide show – I felt transported to your wonderful home
Alinka @ Baby Web recently posted..Meditation For Mindful Mama
So good to see where you live, Terri, embraced in the beautiful wilderness – long may it live!
Lucy @ dreamingaloudnet recently posted..Lessons from the wise women of the web
I am really enjoying the posts from this carnival. I always love reading about and seeing how your family lives in the tropics. Sounds like a beautiful life.
I was a kid in the ’70′s too when I could also go outside freely and stay out ’til dark. I often feel sad that I can’t say to my daughter, “go outside and play” without having to escort her. But I am grateful for your description of ‘coming more fully alive’, and the reminder that once outdoors, that list of chores seems to get erased. Beautiful post, beautiful island, beautiful family.
Playful Karen recently posted..The Healing Power of Sunshine