[ Home ] [ About Me ] [ Tools for Play ] [ Garden ] [ Outdoors ] [ Sports ] [ Free Stuff ] [ Gifts, Etc ] [ Apres Ski ] [ Health and Herbs ] [ All Else ]

Time To Play!

Ok, here's the deal... you get to look at these exercises, but then you need to get out and try them!

Activity 1: The Secret Spot

The secret spot is the backbone to all other activities you will find on my web pages. This is an easy one (or so it sounds).

	You need to go find an area in nature that you seem "attracted" to. It may be deep woods, an open field, near the ocean, or in a small park in your neighborhood. The only requirement is that people will not disturb you there.
	Sit in the area for at least 20 minutes. And I mean SIT. Do not fuss, shift, walk around, or do anything that will keep wildlife away. If you need to, and know how, meditate before or during your sit time. Focus yourself - take a few deep breaths and concentrate.
	Take note of what returns to your area as time passes. Birds will be first... which ones? What animals are the bravest? How long does it take them to return? You may have to sit quite a while to catch a glimpse of a rabbit or deer. It is worth the wait!
	When you return back inside, take five minutes to jot down your observations in a journal. Include the weather and make a map of your area - just a birds-eye-view to start is okay.
	Go visit your secret spot often. I aim for once a day, but realistically, I get there 4 times a week. When I first started, 3 days a week was a miracle, and WELL WORTH IT!
	After about two months, go back and read your journal. See what the "baseline" for your area is. There is so much revealed to you through nature in such a short time.

Activity 2: The Senses

Ok, now that you have a place to sit, how can you heighten your senses to take in all the details around you?

Eyes: Wide-Angle Vision, a.k.a. Owl Vision is the best way to view the world. WAV is taking your eyes and relaxing them so that you pick up movement over your entire peripheral line of sight. As a society, we do NOT use WAV. We are prone to tunnel vision, because of our needs - books, computers, TV's, etc. How do you return your eyes to the way nature intended? PRACTICE! Here is a WAV exercise:

Put your index fingers out in front of your face at arm's length. Now slowly pull them away from each other, side-to-side. Keeping your eyes straight ahead, see how long you can "see" both fingers before they leave your vision. THAT is WAV. You are looking at one place on the distant horizon, but seeing every movement within your line of sight.

Ears: Deer Ears is a goofy looking but effective way to focus your hearing into one area. Think about a deer's ears - they are huge and floppy for a reason! They are like antennae that pick up microscopic sounds that all of us miss. You can simulate this by cupping your hands around your ears and pulling the outer ear/lobes forward to create a sounds funnel. One exercise I do with kids:

Sit facing a friend, about two feet apart. One of you starts whispering. The other makes Deer Ears toward the former. Allow the whispering to get louder, until the first partner is talking at room level. "OUCH! That's too loud" - your "Ears" victim will exclaim!

Nose: Why do dogs smell so well? Why can you tell that they are sick when their nose is warm and dry? You figure this one out, and you will answer how to improve your own sense of smell!

Touch: Become a raccoon - think about how their little hands work. If you are not familiar with raccoons, how about a monkey? Either animal uses and depends on their hands and feet to feel the details of nature. Touch everything. Feel everything. Walk barefoot. Compare soil textures, water temperatures, and wind direction. Those three things alone will bump your nature awareness by leaps and bounds!

Taste: This one is harder, but you can start by trying organic food. Weird as it sounds, organic foods have a far better taste than mass-produced, genetically-altered foods that you find in supermarkets. Many stores carry at least organic salad mixes, romaine, spinach, and even carrots. I cannot begin to explain the taste difference between organic and non-organic bananas! If you have troubles finding a store near you, try MotherNature.com, or WholeFoods.com.

Check back here in mid-February for the next two activities!
Now Go Outside And Play!