Saturday 13 April 2013

Finding stillness in nature


As the weather cools down here, I feel more and more drawn to the outdoors.

Normally the cold would draw me indoors, but I've been tuning in to this calling and heading outside more than ever this past fortnight.

Mornings see me stop for a minute {or three} of stillness as I step outside and look with wonder to the sky. This morning ritual {a mini-meditation} is steeped in gratitude - giving thanks and welcoming a new day before it has truly begun.

Weekends have seen our little family explore nature together, as we live and love our way through the list.

Miss three and I walked through bush on our adventure yesterday. At first she held my hand tight, looking up at glimpses of the sky through the tall trees. Then she began to run ahead and twist and turn in excitement: "It's a real forest mummy, and so many ways we can go!"

Earlier in the week {on a rare solo outing} I stopped my car at the edge of a tree plantation and stood among the trees alone, witnessing the sunlight dancing through the branches and noticing the stillness and gentle breeze brushing through the leaves.

In the stillness, I gave thanks that I allowed myself ten minutes to just be. In the silence, I was reminded how stepping into nature can nurture us, bring much-needed clarity and invite us to relax, recharge and reconnect.

xx

{This week I'm grateful for nature, and the abundance that is close by. For clarity, dreams and taking chances. I've been posting weekly on gratitude for more than 52 weeks now - somehow that little milestone passed a few weeks back without me noticing til now. What an amazing journey it's been! Elisa x}

~ Linking with Maxabella's 52 Weeks of Grateful and Rachel's Finding Joy x

14 comments:

  1. I'm like you too - drawn to the outdoors when its cooler.. lovely picture! x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great perspective! A lot of life lessons there too. The cool weather is really good for a good walk and it takes your mind off the housework as well as keeping the kids occupied.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Elisa. Joy is jumping from the page from "it's a real forest mummy, to you standing in stillness alone taking time to revel in the moment. Lovely to know you had a week touched with nature x

    ReplyDelete
  4. The cooler weather has been drawing me outside too! The summer height, especially while pregnant, was just too much this year.
    I love how excited your girl was about the forest! Such joy found in the simple things xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. We are always outside... but yes, hen it's cool it does make it nicer. How great to have that time in nature all to yourself. Never ,ind it's only 10 min, time works differently in stillness.

    ReplyDelete
  6. There is something for me about being near to the tress that instantly calms me. I am lucky that we have those in our own gardens so I can get that feeling whenever I want to.

    Sarah @ A Cat-Like Curiosity

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think you're the first person that has put 'cooling down' and 'getting out' in the same sentence, lol. I'm a lover of the summer, that said, it's been a lovely Autumn so far. Enjoy your time with nature and your family, such a beautiful combination.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The change in season from summer to autumn is my favourite. Beautiful picture.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Elisa, I love how we're lucky enough to be so close to beautiful nature. It's so gorgeous how your littlie appreciates the trees. xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy 1 year of gratitude! What a beautiful way to spend the weekend. Erin x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yes! So true. Ten minutes seems short, but it makes such a difference. It's seems nature nurtures us in a way that man made goods don't know how doesn't it :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nature always brings me calmness as well as the feeling of being in awe of it's beauty. I think it's wonderful that your little one appreciates it so much, that you have encouraged and nurtured these types of activities and moments of togetherness. x

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have to admit that I'm the same with regards to now going outdoors more even though it's getting colder! My daughter absolutely loves the rain so we've been spending a lot more time in the backyard jumping in puddles or just standing on the lawn feeling the rain...ok, that's just R (mumma sits on the patio with a cup of tea of wine haha!)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your words and support. I'm so glad you stopped by xx