Across the road, down the sand-filled steps, and onto the beach. Faint, predawn light lifted above the ocean horizon. Shucking my sandals, I pushed my bare feet into the night cooled sand and walked down the beach until I found a promising spot halfway between the dunes and the shoreline. Setting up my camp chair, I sat down, pulled out my notebook, ready to begin an hour-long, sunrise sit spot. I tried to write down my initial impressions, but it…
Nature Moments walk for mindfulness and welll-being.
The last pull of the ebbing tide carried my kayak seaward as I paddled through the salt marsh channel. My destination was Bear Island, a pristine, four-mile-long barrier island facing the North Atlantic Ocean in Hammocks Beach State Park near Swansboro, NC. For twelve autumns while on vacation I had followed this marked paddle trail out to Bear Island where I walked the wide sandy beach, gazed at the blue ocean, listened to the rolling surf, looked for seashells,…
Facing a number of unknowns, I found myself searching for an encouraging sign. Having departed before sunrise, I was on my way to Forestburgh, NY to meet Benita for a shared sit spot. The first and most pressing unknown was finding her house and then arriving on time. So far, my trusty GPS was guiding me accurately and predicted an on-time arrival. The second unknown was finding a suitable location for our planned hour-long nature sit spot. Usually when trying…
One always walks in silence.
“Invitations are everywhere in the forest.” M. Amos Clifford I wanted to explore this theme of forest invitations. What were they like? How do they arise? What effects do they have? According to Clifford, in Forest Bathing, one job of a guide is to offer invitations to observe and then connect deeply with a specific aspect of nature. Invitations might include studying the forest floor (earth), watching clouds drift across the sky (air), listening to a flowing stream (water), or…
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…