How many times have you been ready to go outside when you look out of the window or step out of the door and notice it raining and your heart sinks? Suddenly you’re stopped in your tracks and reluctantly turn around, take your coat and boots off and sit down inside instead? I know it’s something I’ve been guilty of on more than one occasion.
Yesterday I was guiding a forest bathing session and offered an invitation to “be with a being”. Just as my participants wandered out into the woodland so the rain began, and my heart sank. There wasn’t much tree cover (the joy of it being autumn and the leaves falling!) and I could feel large drops of rain hit my body. With a knee injury and limited mobility, I couldn’t run to find shelter elsewhere. What was I to do? I stopped for a moment and felt a call to sit back against a nearby tree and just be with the rain. That the rain was the being who wanted me to be with them today. So that’s what I did.
We tend to shy away from the rain – but why? Rain is just water – one of the elements and one of things that we need to survive if this life. As humans we’re mainly water (on average, an adult human is around 60% water) – and yet we, for whatever reason, hide away from getting wet. It’s like that old adage – there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes.
Yesterday I sat with the rain, and I let the drops fall on me. I wasn’t wearing waterproofs; I didn’t put the hood up on my hoodie. I just let the rain fall. As it fell, the rain spoke to me – it’s ok to fall sometimes. It’s ok to cry. It’s ok to have moments of grey. It all helps you grow. It makes your stronger. It’s all about life and living. I suddenly saw the rain in a different light. My heart and my spirits lifted, and I was glad for the rain. Thankful for the space and the permission that she had granted me. It is ok to fall down and fall apart, to let go and cry, to release what is held within. Only then can you really start to grow.
Invitation: The next time it rains, I invite you to go outside and allow the raindrops to fall on you. I wonder what you’ll notice?
If you feel inspired to take this invitation – you are welcome to share in the comments what you are noticing.
The Eco Monkey 