It was full nighttime darkness when I began the drive. My headlights carved cones of light into the night and I had to blink in the glare of approaching headlights. Then, suddenly, surprisingly, as I crested a steep hill I spotted the first faint layer of daylight lifting above the eastern horizon. Glancing at the dashboard clock I was relieved to see that there was still more than 40 minutes until sunrise. I would have enough time to arrive at…
I am pleased and excited to offer information on my new book, Nature’s Pathways to Mindfulness scheduled for release on October 1, 2024. Here is a description of the book from Christine Cote, publisher of Shanti Arts. ******** In 2014 John Harvey fulfilled his one-year commitment to sit in the forest once each week for one hour to observe nature. It turned out to be a richly rewarding experience. He learned to more fully see, hear, smell, and feel;…
On an early, misty, chilly September morning Ellington joined me for a shared sit spot at Browning Beaver Meadow. As a nature photographer and landscape painter she was practiced in seeing details and vistas. As an acupuncturist she understood the natural waves and energies of healing. As a long time practitioner of yoga and meditation she knew about mindfulness. And as an avid hiker she enjoyed the outdoors. And, most importantly she volunteered to join me All of these reasons…
While working on the sequel to The Stillness of the Living Forest I began to worry about the validity of the sit spot session, the hour long nature observation that had been the foundation of my journey to a deep nature connection. I knew that it worked for me, but would it work for others as well? To address my concerns I decided to conduct what I called shared sit spots. After recruiting individuals willing and able to join…
Silent Walking, one of the latest hot topics to take the internet by storm, sure sounded good to me. I love walking and try to get out almost every day for a walk or better yet a long hike. And, with my inclination towards introversion, I find intervals of silence rejuvenating. I learned that the Silent Walking trend started with a June 2023 Tik Tok post by content creator Mady Maio. She was directed by her dietician to walk 30…
I planned to go to a different spot. Perhaps out past Horse Island to the remote tip of Bird Shoal where I might gain a new perspective on nature in the Rachel Carson Reserve near Beaufort, NC. My two previous sit spots at the Reserve had been conducted from the observation deck on Carrot Island. Both had been beautiful, instructive, and remained vividly etched in my memory. I had learned much about the salt marshes and tidal flats. Now, I…
It was another early wakeup and another predawn drive to the west entrance of Yosemite National Park. I was on a mission to maximize my two day visit to the park. Fortunately, there was no line at the gate and after showing my National Park Pass, I was waved through. I started my hour long drive down narrow roads, around sharp curves, and up and down steep mountains. Passing by a number of scenic outlooks I saw people sitting patiently…
Much felt familiar as I began my hour long sit spot on the terrace adjacent to the 17th century stone farmhouse, Podere di Santa Maria, the Farm of Saint Mary. To the east the familiar faint first light of day lifted above the forested hills of Tuscany. The air was filled with a typical pre-dawn freshness. I heard customary morning sounds—a rooster crowing, a dog barking, and around me the steady drone-chirp of crickets. I sensed differences as well—a faint…
The Aldo Leopold Bench At 3:30 a.m., with such dignity as I can muster of a July morning, I step from my cabin door, bearing in either hand my emblems of sovereignty, a coffee pot and a notebook. I seat myself on a bench facing the white wake of the morning star. I set the pot of coffee beside me. I extract a cup from my shirt front, hoping none will notice its informal mode of transport. I…
Down three flights of stairs, a quick sixty-eight steps across the yard, and I arrived at the edge of the vacant lot. Often while on vacation at my timeshare I had walked by this lot usually eager to get to the beach and had paid scant attention to what by all appearances was simply an overgrown and neglected patch of property. Then two days ago on my way to a beach walk I heard faint seet-seet-seet calls, turned and spotted…