Whilst many of us associate the colour green with the natural world, the truth is that all of the colours of the rainbow and more are contained within it. Those colours change through the seasons and each evoke a different feeling, emotion or perhaps memory in us.
In forest therapy we have an invitation called Sit Spot. It’s one I do on a regular basis and across a number of different places. For it you are invited to find a spot somewhere amongst nature and just sit with a clear mind and open heart for at least 20 minutes, and just notice what happens around you and in you. The majority of the blogs on here will be my musings after a sit spot. I encourage you to try it for yourself.
My regular sit spot is in a quiet corner of Mewsbrook Park in Littlehampton. There’s a bench under a willow tree, close to some field oaks and just off the main path. Although you can see and hear the comings and goings of other park users – whether they’re joggers, dog walkers or parents chasing after kids on scooters – it feels isolated enough for the more than human world to continue about their business.
It’s amazing what comes up in a sit spot – today is was colour. The corner of the park I sit in, despite it being mid-November is still very green. To my right though was a plant in flower. The yellow of the flowers stood out from everything else that was around me.
It was a colour that brought me joy. It reminded me that, no matter how dark days may seem (and let’s face it – in 2020 there have been some really dark days), there is always something to be happy about. There is brightness and happiness – often there in plain sight should you just look.
A few years ago I worked with a wildlife photographer who produced a calendar each year of their work. One year the decision was taken to turn all of the photographs into black and white – to have an arty calendar. I can recall getting a complaint by a regular customer – they were disappointed in it being a black and white calendar as “we see the world in colour – that’s how it should be”. That comment came back to me in this moment – I suddenly understood exactly what they were saying. Mother Nature uses every colour at her disposal as she creates her unfolding masterpiece in front of us. Take a moment to appreciate those colours.
Invitation: Take a moment to absorb the colours of nature that are all around you. I wonder if any are speaking to you?
If you feel moved to take this invitation – I invite you to share what you are noticing below.
The Eco Monkey 