Another Monday. Rather damp and gloomy but it is January, after all. My snowdrops are just, finally, beginning to poke through the grass in the garden. By the way here’s a link to a snowdrop festival which, like so many things is now going online. Who knew that there were such things as snowdrop festivals. They’ll be having a “day” before we know it.
In Dobcross snowdrops have been blooming for weeks but they must be a different species to mine, bigger, possibly not native to the area. And maybe that bit of Dobcross has its own microclimate.
Oh, and the bluebell leaves are already there in the garden. Things are getting ready for spring!
Various well known environmentally-friendly, nature-loving people such as Chris Packham are writing articles reminding us of the benefits of going for walks even in dull days.
I love this bit of Chris Packham’s article:
“Every day, I look on to the grass beyond my window and see 150 wood pigeons. Fat grey birds picking their way across the lawn, scoffing acorns. It’s joyous. When I returned from my walk this morning, there was this enormous blast of applause as all these pigeons took to the sky with their wings clapping. Wow. That’s a real winter experience.”
He must have a big garden, that’s all I can say. If there were 150 fat wood pigeons all at the same time in my garden you wouldn’t be able to see the grass!
Another lets-get-people-walking-outdoors article gives us a bit of zen-and-the-art-of-walking advice:-
“Mindful walking.
Being mindful, says Strauss, “just means to be present, focused and aware of your internal and external landscapes in any given moment. When we bring mindfulness into the equation, we take everything up a notch in terms of benefits. We know that mindfulness can slow our heart rate and reduce anxiety and depression.” When we are mindful during exercise, our workout is more effective. One of the easiest ways to “drop into mindfulness” while walking, she says, is to listen to your footsteps. “I like to do a little activity where I breathe in for four steps, hold my breath for about four steps – whatever feels comfortable – and then exhale for four steps,” she says. This takes a little concentration, but it allows you to release the extraneous thoughts in your head and live in the present.”
Personally I might be afraid of tripping over my feet as I count but maybe that’s just me. The advice goes on:-
“Give yourself a mission
Winter is a surprisingly good time of year to practise mindfulness outside, says Strauss: “The fact that the natural world is partly dormant can prompt us to turn our attention inward more. Things tend to come into sharper focus in the outdoors.” It is the perfect season, therefore, to try a “mindful mission”. Once you are “quiet inside” from the breathing exercise outlined earlier, “notice five things in nature you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can feel, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste, although I don’t recommend licking trees or anything. It’s just a way to bring all of your senses into sharp focus.””
Okay! I am not licking any trees or, indeed, tasting anything I collect while out and about. I’m not really mocking these ideas. In fact, I need little encouragement to go out and about and I photograph and collect interesting things en route. My collecting has been much reduced in the wet winter months. At other times of the year I have regularly returned home with wild flowers, which often became the subject of my painted covid chronicle. No doubt this will happen again. It’s mostly photos at present.
Some people, however, seem to need something more stimulating than a bit of zen walking. I read that police in Swansea came across eight people having party in a shed, complete with bar and issued them with fines. That shed must be in much better nick than ours. Even if there was space for eight people among all the stuff stored in there it’s hardly an inviting place to hang out with friends. My guess is that it’s a bit more like David Cameron’s shed or the one the Guardian columnist Tim Dowling writes from at the weekend.
Another group of people, about 50 this time, face fines after they got together on Saturday night to race cars round a roundabout in Romford, East London. Those who weren’t actually driving were watching and, horror of horrors, mingling! Such an activity wouldn’t appeal to me even if there were no threat of Coronavirus - I mean racing cars round roundabouts - mingling I can cope with in normal times!
Mingling will have to wait. I’ll make do with the zen walking for the time being.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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