Retreat, and roundup
October is upon us, and we had a freeze warning today as the temperature dipped to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
It’s been a busy month! I guided a retreat in the art of sacred attention at the Holy Family Retreat Center in West Hartford, led children and elders and everyone in between in intergenerational programming in Simsbury, shared nature journaling with teens and tweens and their parents in Granby, and made leaf suncatchers with seniors.
We got the most perfect late September day for the retreat, and we were able to walk the labyrinth, take silent time in a “sit spot” experience, make mandalas out of what we found in nature, and engage in dialogue with the plants and animals around us, all while writing and sketching about each experience. Walking the labyrinth was powerful to do silently together in a group. The energy of the group provided a feeling of support while everyone walked on their individual journey…kind of like life, we’re all in this together! The labyrinth gives us an opportunity to reflect on the cycles of life, and as we walked, the path was dappled in light and shadow, reminding us of different seasons of life and how we cannot have light without the darkness. After each activity, I offered writing prompts for reflection about the experience. It helps to write about something when it is fresh. Writing and sketching also engages our heart and asks us to be fully present to the experience.
I also had the opportunity to lead a nature journaling workshop on the spirit of autumn at Jerry’s Artarma in West Hartford. It was wonderful to introduce this practice to new friends. Amy Tan, author of Backyard Bird Chronicles, has said that it helped her to regain her childlike curiosity, and I couldn’t agree more. It’s an excellent way to recover our childlike wonder and to tap into the joy of the present moment.
For me, a theme in life is that beauty is everywhere. I recently made some tiny mini journals and passed them out at different events. These journals are nice because they are small and can fit in your pocket. Also, the smallness in itself is a little hint that the beauty we find can be small, but that doesn’t make it less powerful. That’s why I called these journals “small wonder journals”. If we keep track of all of the small wonders we see everyday, we may well be surprised that they have added up to something big. By paying attention to the beauty around us, we can be more grounded and centered and ready to take on the inevitable challenges that come our way from a place of a little more peace and mindfulness. If we learn to slow down to observe our surroundings, we may also learn the habit of breathing and stopping before we react to difficult situations.
In my watercolor classes, we have been exploring “negative painting” where the white of the paper is left and by painting around it, objects materialize. The white of the paper is a powerful tool in watercolor and can help with luminosity and the feeling of light and shadow. We also painted trees and mountains, made leaf prints, and explored painting with water and using dry brush.
I’ve also been doing “art for autumn” making apple prints and multimedia pumpkin collages. As always, my nature journaling classes are invitations for descriptive writing, and my students continue to awe me with their spontaneous and free poetry that results from these sweet invitations. I’m looking forward to putting together more retreats and unique programming both online and in person, so stay tuned.
What I’m reading: The Lost Spells by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. I keep returning to this beautiful little book, and the accompanying music “Spell Songs” is gorgeous and makes me cry.
What I’m listening to: Donna De Lory Om Tare Tuttare the classic Green Tara Mantra with a pop twist
What I’m watching: Shawn Mendes performances after I got to see him live in Boston! He really put his heart into his show.
