This was originally a post from 2021…how time flies. I’ve reposted it here, and included a nature connection practice from ‘Being in Nature’ that seemed very relevant.
I walked up into the woods behind my house this week, and found some early cherry blossom. Whilst the Japanese are putting some curbs on this year’s ‘Hanami’ due to Coronavirus, the activity of enjoying spring tree blossom is spreading.
Here in the UK, for example, The National Trust has set up a blossom watching campaign to encourage people to connect with nature, and will be planting new blossom-bearing trees in locations including East London and Plymouth.
There are some signs that nature-connectedness in England is fading. Numbers of people feeling part of nature have dropped from 61% in April to 56% in January, and those taking more time to notice nature falling from 74% to 65% in the same period. With weather warming, and landscapes coming alive, now is the ideal time to get outside, and campaigns like the National Trust’s will help. We also know that trees enhance mood, improve self esteem and lower blood pressure – and that planting more ‘diverse’ tree species in cities brings big mental health benefits especially for people on lower incomes.
Coaching can also be part of building our relationships with the world around us. For example through exploring our senses outdoors, or working with metaphor, coaching with nature can involve considering how our leadership and the work we do benefits the planet. Nature coaching can inspire contact, meaning, beauty, emotion, compassion – five activities that have been shown to significantly increase happiness, life satisfaction, happiness and positive outlook, and lead to action that benefits the environment.
Farmers in Japan didn’t need all this evidence to know that spring connected rice planting season with cherry flowering. The word for cherry blossom – ‘sakura’ literally means ‘a sacred place for the rice paddy god to dwell’, and farmers would celebrate the arrival of the blossoms as a sign of good harvest.
In the Nara period (770-790 BCE) these celebrations grew into a festival for enjoying the blossoms – including wisteria and other plants – and nowadays Hanami is a major annual event with picnics and parties both day and night.
These traditions are all about transience of course, and how life is lost even as it continues. Basho put it beautifully in reverse – a night vanishing whilst blossom viewing progresses.
A cloud of cherry blossoms;
The temple bell,
Is it Ueno, is it Asakusa?How many, many things
They call to mind
These cherry-blossoms!Very brief –
Gleam of blossoms in the treetops
On a moonlit night.A lovely spring night
Basho
suddenly vanished while we
viewed cherry blossoms
Either way, we can all find something here to reflect on this spring. How many, many things they call to mind!
Get out there and see what you can find!
One of my favourite practices from ‘Being in Nature’ is ‘Awesome’. I recommend you adapt it by finding a tree in bloom, gaze up (lying on your back if you can!) and try these steps.
Awesome!
What to do
Take a walk in nature to activate your sense of awe. 25 minutes is a good length of time. Turn off from all distractions and imagine you are looking at things for the first time. As you walk, observe and gaze around you, reflecting on a world bigger than you.
Look for physical vastness and something newly noticed. A particularly tall tree or a path lined with them, a hill with panoramic views, a beach, riverbank, or lake shore. A sunrise, sunset, or night sky. Allow yourself to connect with a sense of vulnerability and wonder.
What are you noticing about the environment? How does your relationship with your environment change? What does it mean to feel part of something so much larger than yourself?
How it works
Awe has a way of bringing you out of yourself and aware of the bigger world around you. People in a state of awe are likely to feel happier and act more generously towards others.
Being in nature for just 2 hours a week leads to improved health and wellbeing, with more biodiverse places producing bigger benefits.
Excerpt From ‘Being in Nature: 20 Practices to Help you Flourish in a Busy World’, James Farrell and Lee Evans, Nature Connection Books 2021. This material is protected by copyright.