Episode 14: Encounters in Nature
In episode 14 of the ecotherapy podcast, I record outdoors for the first time! I offer exercises and ideas for being truly open to encounters with nature, rather than simply walking about lost in thought. Click on the slim black player above to listen.
I recently bought myself a little outdoors mic which easily clips onto my jacket. It’s funny that I reached episode 14 before thinking about recording the podcast outdoors. Isn’t it interesting how we organise our lives indoors so much that even I, an ecotherapist recording a nature podcast, have (so far) embraced the cultural safety net of the ‘indoor studio’?
Those of you interested in forest bathing (otherwise known as Shinrin-Yoku), may be particularly interested in this episode. Today we go for a walk together in the South Esk Valley in Midlothian, Scotland. It’s a very green Scottish ecotherapy experience—I instantly started getting attacked by falling Autumnal pine cones! I encounter the calming sound of the running river, noisy crows, a worm-like pine tree and a little insect making its’ way through a world of moss. These kind of encounters are the most ordinary experiences that we can have as human beings. They also happen to be some of the most beautiful things we could possibly experience while we are alive.
This episode is all about encounter. It’s about clearing our minds of chatter and simply walking, being open to what we find. It’s about stopping and exploring when we find things we are drawn to, instead of moving on quickly in distraction. In each moment, nature has something magical to show us. We may need to look a little harder for it in urban environments, but it’s there, even in the weeds growing through the pavement and the pigeons flying across the skies.
I do hope that this week’s ecotherapy podcast is helpful for you. Please do comment below or get in touch to let me know how you are finding the podcast. It really does help people to discover nature therapy/ecotherapy!
Green mossy wishes,
Stephen x
