Cooperating fetching water from the river with a pulley system
Making Pewter trinkets
Evan helps make a stool
Using the Bill hook and a mallet to split the wood
Blob making
Tree adorning
Sparkly potion making in the mud kitchen
Just the most idyllic way to spend 30-40 minutes I can imagine. This wasn't my actual view, but it was a view from the camp as I looked up. I was excited at the prospect when it was introduced to me... especially the fact that the woodland camp leaders wood take charge of the children, so I could have uninterupted time just me and the woods. So I lay there without a book, phone or even my camera to distract me. A beautiful little spot had been set up on a warm sunny afternoon next to a small stream out of earshot of the main camp. My first thought was, what am I going to do to make the most of my time and really fill myself full of the forest as much as possible?
I decided to start with looking, really looking at what I could see above me. I looked at the branches, the twigs, the buds and the tiny little thread holding a small bit on. I meditated on these for some time. then I focused on the shape of the branches;of the differences in the branches, and the Y sections that are created at each junction. I've seen them before of course, but I don't think I really saw them before this moment.
I moved on to what I could hear at this point so to concentrate this sense I closed my eyes. I noticed how comfortable I was at this point, that there was a beautiful stillness in the air meaning that I could fully relax my body onto the soft grass beneath the blankets. Then I began to notice the birds around me. I listened out for more, they came. After a while I began to notice a conversation between two birds. My questioning mind, now thinks how nice it would be to study the different birdsong so I could differentiate further. At the time though, I was simply noting the sounds for what they were, without need for labels. I think you can really truly say, I was in my element.
After a while I decided to draw my attention to other sounds in the space, the first of which I noted was the stream. It was small and close-by, so I heard a lovely gentle babble and glugging. An immense feeling of joy welling up inside of me. I really felt like I might cry. During this period of having my eyes closed I was in deep relaxation and found it immensely peaceful and powerful at the same time.
After a while I drew my attention back to my sight, and this time, when I opened my eyes I decided to look back to where I was looking previously, and noticed that the tiny thread holding something onto the tree that I saw before was still there. I wonder what that thread was made of. I turn to one side and looked from a bugs eye view at the luscious grass, my attention was taken by a flying creature which seemed like a dragonfly, though I was sure it was too early in the year for dragon flies. Then I noticed little midges in a clump. I watched their movement, to see if they moved off, and gradually they did. Even with my concentrated attention I didn't notice the subtle shifting they must have done to move away from their first spot.
I began noticing outside things at this point I believe, a few shouts from the camp made me think of the children. I thought how wonderful it would be for Evan to enjoy this space, but perhaps he is still a little young, to manage this activity. Perhaps with support... My mind began to get back to the day to day of educational experiences and children, I drew it back to the environment again. The sky gained my attention this time. The subtlty of the wispy clouds, again I was filled with gratitude for this overwhelming and simply magical experience. Not easy to capture when I have 24h responsibility for children, or am working. I wonder how I could capture some of this magic in my life on a regular basis. Better for relaxing than a massage most definitely, but I have to say I would have found forest bathing a little more tricky had the weather conditions been a little less perfect.
I emerged later,I must have been bathing for about 45 minutes to an hour, though I didn't time it. I felt at peace and found it a bit weird dropping back into camp and interacting with it rather than passively experiencing it. Thank you, thank you to Emma Conder and her team for introducing me to, and facilitating me in this amazing experience.
Exploring pipes in the river
Do you think the hen wood like to see my stone in a jar of river water?
My mini stool
"I'm under here!"
We've been on a bug hunt
Autumn's bug
HUGE thank you to all the wonderful Woodland campers and leaders. We had a wonderful homely time and felt very welcome.
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