Bull Crag Peninsular

It is nearly 3 months since I have moved to Kielder Forest and the momentum of time is speeding up once again after a very slow and quite stressful beginning of the year. It was the lovely lady who lived opposite me in my previous home whom said that sometimes you have to go through a storm to get to a good place. It was a horrid storm and the wreckage is now slowly fading away. Brene Brown stated that moving on with your life is the best antidote to awful situations and people. Taking action into moving your life forward doesn’t mean hiding the pain behind action. We have to heal like any wound.

We often cover up our innate joy with thoughts about the past and future and forget about right now. July is a time to re connect to our right now. To go out into nature and just experience what’s there in the moment. It is not about clearing your mind but connecting to what’s there and learning to let be whatever comes up and re connecting back to right now.

Let nature inspire you by just taking time letting be everything in your life and making room for breathing and silence. Be the flowers and grasses. Quite often many people say that in summer you should be flourishing but that cannot always be the truth of your life , it certainly has not been for myself. Sometimes , you have to adapt and say this summer I am just being with silence , this summer I am finding inspiration , this summer I am taking my time , this summer I am just going to cope, this summer I will just enjoy the light and this summer I will remain hopeful.

We often try and seek what is wrong with us rather than realising we have everything within us and we just have to stop trying and let be.

Let be what has happened , Let be right now , Let be what’s to pass .

Bakethin Nature Reserve

If you get yourself close to the forest floor you can see that there are changes , there are new plants emerging. If you cast your eye it just looks green but when you take time to connect and be involved with, you can see a myriad of greens in different tones and textures. Think of it like a symphony of violins and beginning to discern the nuances of its sounds. This is a place where i place my intention to connect as it’s calming and the moss is forgiving. My first year is more about discovery of the cadence of life here. It is seeing what emerges and when it retreats back. Each time I return I start seeing different things and more areas seem to open up to me.

The enchantment and magic lies within us and we often place that responsibility to the external world entertaining us. The beauty we see is what we perceive from how our brains are wired. Change the wiring and open up a whole new world of magic. Reclaim the innate magic by changing how you see. The choice is your responsibility.

Being in nature helped re wire my mind and learning to see life differently. Plants are teachers and if we revere them as our friends and family then they have gifts which changes our perception of life and frees us from beliefs that limit us. Next time you look upon a plant like a beautiful summer wild flower or an unseen grass , change your outlook from thinking you are superior human to being equal to. Equanimity changes and re wires your brain in a radical way opening up so much more to experience.

Our indigenous people know that the plants have been here so much longer than us and have many lessons to teach us , if we humble ourselves and allow.

Falstone Forest

The ferns have un-furled and their primal selves fill the forest and if you blink the place goes from nothing to vast fields of fern leaves. I wonder what it would have been like hundreds of millions of years ago when these planets were gigantic.

This week hasn’t been the best. For no apparent reason I sometimes find myself in a dark mood. After so many years of mindfulness and meditation I have learnt to notice this and be aware of being angry at something or mostly at myself for ridiculous reasons. I have learnt that whatever I do will need to be repeated so even if I had plans its best let this, whatever this is, pass. They have reduced much more since I started to follow instructions to just sit with it and do not judge yourself. I thought I was alone until I was studying to coach Resilience and my training lesson delivery partner whilst chatting and practicing mentioned the same. It is weird feeling to be comforted that you are not alone with something you wouldn’t wish on anyone.

I am planning to visit Fal;stone Forest for each season and add a small feature. It is all from my home but there is a lot more walking than picture taking and some being on Forestry roads which isn’t so pleasant.

Natures Abstract Art for Sale

I have been attracted to tree bark for years. I know , I know it sounds very nerdy when I admit I have printed them onto instax and glued them into sketch books. It is about the feeling , the same feeling I get when I look at abstract art. There is something so mystical about how even two of the same trees produce something so different , the colours , shapes and textures. They are great for an office as you can look at them during your work which just momentarily escape you into a woodland. There are a some more in my shop. I am building up others to share and looking at other ways for people to experience them but be patient , I am not the most commercially minded person and if it doesn’t connect to the soul I tend to dismiss it.