During a Be Wilder Backpacking + Wayfinding Adventure retreat last year with Jayne Fought of Island Ford Adventures, we invited our participants to “sit spot” on the last day by a waterfall. The sun was out and it was a truly glorious morning. Hilarious because the two days before were sleeting/snowing and about 37 degrees. BrrrrrrBrrrrrrBrrrrrrr.
During the waterfall with sunshine sit spot, I have never seen a more relaxed and contented bunch of people. 🧎♀️🧎♀️🧎♀️🧎♀️🧎♀️🧎♀️🧎♀️
We practically had to drag them away in order to wrap up the retreat on time.
It spoke volumes to me about what people really need.
I’m convinced people need more downtime. More time to sit and stare at nothingness (or at something beautiful, like a waterfall or creek).
Our poor nervous systems are so burned out from being in “fight or flight” so much that we’ve nearly forgotten how to REST.
Here are three ways you can gift yourself time to rest:
- Go sit outside. Seriously. Just put your phone away, walk outside, and sit for 10 minutes. There’s literally nothing else “to do.” Just sit.
- Find a Forest Bathing event near you. This 2 – 3 hour experience is a mindful meander led by a Certified Guide to help get you out of your head (all the mental “thinking”) and invite you back into your five glorious senses. Your body, breath, and heart will thank you.
- Go on retreat. My dear friend Sylke Laine and I are offering The Salmon River Slowdown. It’s our invitation to you to experience the magic and meditative feeling of “river time.”
It doesn’t have to cost you any money to just stop for a bit.
But if you don’t stop? There’s a HUGE COST to that, especially over time. 🛑
Please stop. Every day. On purpose and with no purpose except resting while you’re stopped. 🧘♀️💙
Warmly,
Angie