When was the last time that you sat and observed nature? Find a great spot and sit or stand there for 10-12 minutes. While you are there, write down everything you see, hear, and feel.
Why I do it:
Life slows down. I start seeing things I didn’t know were there. My mind clears. The simple beauty of nature can be overwhelming. I can feel the wonder of the earth inside me, as well as outside of me. When I leave, I fill complete and ready for the challenges of my day.
Sitting under a tree is a form of self-medication. It is simple, low budget, and a conscious activity in which I am interacting with the earth.
I started doing this activity with kids a few decades ago and I didn’t call it “sit under a tree”, but “Solo hike”. The word “solo” got the attention of some kids, but scared kids who had never actually been out in the woods. Their main connection with nature and the word “solo” might have been from the reality TV show “Survivor”. I can only imagine what was going through those kid’s minds.
To do a “Solo Hike” you need to have a minimum of two adults, but five adults works the best. Before the hike, I check the area, and locate poison ivy patches, hornet nests or anything that might be a problem.
I take off with the group and randomly place kids about 30 yards apart along the trail. The last adult is the “dragon’s tail”. He will start slowly walking after 12 minutes and pick up the students that are sitting along the trail. The other parents will spread out along the trail. The class is usually strung out over a distance of 1/4 to 1/2 miles.
The rules of the hike are:
- Absolutely no talking (even after you are picked up by the “dragon’s tail”.)
- Write down everything you see, feel, or hear (it might be a list or a narrative of the experience).
- You must stay at your assigned spot.
Below are some excerpts from student notes written during the first week of October:
Josh: “Ants are scurrying along the trail, looking for food. The tangle of branches, wrap around each other. The yellow and red trees sway to the beat of the wind. The water dances across the lake.”
Lillian: “I see millions of multicolored trees all around. I feel the cool crisp autumn wind. The falling leaves are landing on and beside me. I smell the autumn leaves on the ground and hear them rustling in the wind.”
Take ten minutes and sit under a tree, you won’t be sorry.
