#Earthschooling365: Day Forty-Two
Inner Work Meditation (Heart): Can you see the owl in the tree in the picture below? Because I take daily nature walks and have a lot of experience I often times see things that other people don’t see on the walk. On our walks I am specifically looking for wildlife, and because I tend to know where they live, what their habits are and even the territories of certain animals. Most days I will see an animal and as I am slowing down to observe it the people who pass me are speeding up. However, I’ve always found that if I stop to take a picture or mention the animal to the people passing me that they will also stop and often gain great enjoyment out of this experience. On the day I took this picture a small crowd gathered starting with two women on a walk together and building to include an elderly couple and a few kids. None of them were able to see the owl at first. Their experience was made possible by my sharing. Take some time today to meditate on how sharing a happy experience with others could brighten their day and increase your own enjoyment of the experience. Sharing also strengthens your own spirit. It teaches us to be generous with our knowledge instead of using it to feel superior, special or above others.
Photo note: This picture was actually taken last week but I didn’t have a chance to post it so I am posting it along with the rabbit photo that was taken today.
Nature Walk Idea (Head): Today on your nature walk your assignment is to share something special you find in nature today with someone else to bring them joy, knowledge or friendship. Try to choose someone who many not be feeling well today or someone that may not notice something you see on your walk. You can share by pointing the beautiful thing you see out to them, by taking a picture and showing it to them or by collecting it (if it is something you can collect like a pinecone, unusual rock or other item) and sharing it with them. Another idea would be to invite someone on your walk today that does not usually take walks or to tell someone a story about what you saw. Help to spread the beauty of what you see today. If you need some tips on being a magnetic & effective storyteller you can check out our storytelling tutorial HERE.
Photography Notes (Hands): One of my favorite things about this photo is that the owl is sitting on one of my favorite trees. I’ve been watching this tree for more than a year now hoping I could get a nice shot of the tree with an added bonus of an animal in it and today it happened. Although this may seem like a long time to wait for a photo and it may seem strange to have a “favorite tree” it is habits like this that sometimes result in some of your favorite photos. So today on your walk take some time to “stake out” some of your favorite places. What are some of your favorite trees? Your favorite natural frames? Your favorite landscapes? Where is your favorite place in the creek or favorite scenic bridge? Make a list of these things, locations and places and make sure you look at them closely each time you pass them. This list can be in your head or on paper. One day all the elements will come together – lighting, subject and weather – and you will have your perfect photo of this item or location. But that cannot happen if you don’t keep trying and pay special attention to those favorite things and places.
Verse: The Magic of Sharing
Copyright Kristie Burns
While skipping down a well worn path
A fairy princess I happened to pass
Bedecked in glistening dew and petals
She sang of magical potions of nettles
She rode upon a squirrel’s back
A chipmunk carrying her woven pack
I followed her down to a mushroom ring
Where she vanished with a flick of her wing
So I jumped inside and flapped my arms
But nothing responded to my charms
I wanted to keep my discovery hidden
Of where the fairy princess had ridden
When suddenly a girl, her face filled with woe
Wandered by me and the magical borough
I took her hand, entered the circle again
And discovered that sharing was the gateway in
*These poems have been created for many purposes – from early childhood circle time verses to inspirational or expressive. They vary from day to day so you may find the way you use them or enjoy them also varies. If you would like to set these poems to music consider our tutorial: Creating Your Ow Waldorf Verses or Finding Your Inner Voice.
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What is #Earthschooling365?
This series takes you through an entire year of our nature walks and is part of our non-profit project #Earthschooling365 at www.Earthschooling.org. The photos and posts in this series are all copyrighted. Please do not share or re-print them. Instead, share the link to this blog with your friends.
Along the way I will be sharing our favorite photo of the day, an inner work meditation for the day, photography assignment/tip for the day, nature walk theme for the day and a short verse for circle time (children) or meditation (teens/adults). We invite you to “walk along with us” this year, take some time to use the inner work meditation, be inspired by the nature walk theme of the day and perhaps even start a photo series of your own. To join the community on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram please tag your photos #Earthschooling365. To receive these inspirations in your e-mail inbox daily please subscribe to our blog alerts HERE. Don’t worry about missing days – you can join us as many days as you want this year!
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