Awareness · · 1 min read
Awareness in the forest: from thinking to perceiving
In the forest, attention can move from the head into the senses. A small exercise you can try for yourself.
In everyday life our attention is mostly pointed forward: at tasks, appointments, screens. The forest offers something else: a wide, gentle attention that does not grasp.
Soft fascination
Environmental psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan called this soft fascination: leaves in the wind, flowing water and patches of light on the ground draw the eye without demanding it. The mind is allowed to recover.
A small exercise
- Find a spot where you can stand or sit for a few minutes.
- Close your eyes or lower your gaze.
- Notice three things you hear.
- Notice two things you feel on your skin.
- Notice one smell.
- Open your eyes and look as if you were seeing this place for the first time.
What may happen
Perhaps you notice your thoughts growing quieter. Perhaps not, and that is just as fine. It is not about achieving anything but about being there.
Perceiving is a form of presence.
Would you like to experience the forest yourself?
If an article made you curious, feel free to write to me. Together we will find a suitable date.
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