Maybe it’s the warmer weather this week, or the flutter of bird activity in the trees, or the rising sap in the trees that I can feel as rising spring energy in my own being, but this week I’ve become even more grateful for the energy of the earth around me.
I’ve always loved being outdoors. I grew up on a farm and cherish wandering in the fields and through the woods. It’s when I feel most free, and more like myself.
A few years ago, *perhaps not coincidentally*, with the start of the pandemic, I found myself with the opportunity to spend more time outside. I was out of work and my nephews were out of daycare and school, so I was providing child care for them 40 hours per week so my brother and sister-in-law could still work from home. With so few options outside of the home for activities, every day we would head out to the fields, the woods, or a favorite hiking trail for “an adventure.” Meaning, luscious, uninterrupted time outside to just BE.
Being with kids in nature is an even greater opportunity and invitation into pure presence, delight and noticing. After weeks of spending 2 -3 hours/day outdoors on the farm, I started to notice a difference in myself.
I was calmer. I felt more at peace and more connected to the world around me. I still had the usual worries, anxieties, doubts and fears – but somehow, they seemed less important.
The lazy river, the snails, the playing mink, the rushing streams, the blossoming spring fields and woods bursting with life reminded me:
- How connected everything is - How seemingly small and insignificant my worries are in the grand scheme of the universe - How much I’d been missing out on by NOT noticing the opportunity for connection around me
That spring of 2020, full of necessary and beautiful hours spent outdoors, truly changed me. I don’t spend as much time outside right now, unfortunately. I started my own business and my nephews are back in school and daycare as time has continued to pass and the pandemic continues to shift and change the social landscape we exist within.
However, I’m still so called into connection. I have such a deeper understanding of my place as a human within the natural world, not separate from it. I’m continually honored and amazed and blessed by the connection to life that exists all around me.
I never regret time spent outdoors, even if it’s just five minutes.
And my life is truly enriched when I can maximize my connection to the natural world.
Which is why I’m co-leading this retreat at the amazing Stony Creek Farmstead in May!
Take your time, move and breathe in the incredible landscape of the northwestern Catskills. All inclusive, gourmet meals, plush accommodations and nurturing attention for YOU as you experience: Nourishing Earth, Nourishing Women. May 9 – 11. Early bird pricing through April 1! Come experience the magic of a group women's retreat in the Catskills.
Learn more at https://www.chelseafrisbee.com/group-retreats