What if there's more to Spring than you ever imagined?
It's not all about the birds, bless their hearts
What if we're not hearing 98% of Spring?
Yes, we all love the birds and Spring would not be complete without them.
But think about this: Millions of tons of living material are being pushed out of soil and bark and we don't hear a sound. More fresh shades of green than we can imagine.
All of it stone cold silent.
Does green have a hidden song? A note? A chord?
What do you expect — and sense — in Spring?
A friend who likens Spring to the birthing process says it’s her least favorite season because of the intensity and difficulty of the energy. Like a farmer in the midst of calving season who has a different expectation of Spring, I don't deny her experience.
Some people sense the energy of the seasons — and Nature overall — more acutely. Others are oblivious, unfortunately.
Spring is the season of rebirth and renewal in culture, myth and metaphor, yet we don't hear a mother's anguished birth cries echoing through the greening forest. Like fresh sap flowing freely, spring growth to our eyes appears easy, gentle, effortless.
What if Nature is not struggling, is not laboring to send millions of shoots, buds, sprouts and flowerlets into the warming air? What if how much we notice of this magical process is based on how much attention and awareness we have?
Newsflash: What we see is not what we get
Science says human visual awareness is pretty limited. The visible spectrum of light we can see is only a tiny part of the electromagnetic spectrum. American philosopher and systems theorist Buckminster Fuller said it neatly:
Since the initial publication of the chart of the electromagnetic spectrum, humans have learned that what they can touch, smell, see, and hear is less than one-millionth of reality. ~ Buckminster Fuller
Boom. Less than one-millionth of reality seems pretty puny, eh?
For a fair comparison, our brains aren't designed to process and handle all the other spectrums, such as microwave and UV, as just two examples. Still, I know we have access to far more awareness that we may believe, because I've learned to find and train deeper levels of awareness.
To flip this around, if even relying on limited use of sight and sound (adore the Spring birdsong!) brings us an exhilarated feeling of joy in the Spring and thrills us with the beauty of this world, how much more could we experience if we turned our awareness level on all our senses to high at the same time?
How to deepen your Nature awareness
Since everyone seems to like a step-by-step explanation, here's how to deepen your Nature awareness and connection:
Go outside (unplugged) where you can relax and close your eyes.
Go inward and be fully present in your body. Notice your heartbeat, breathing, digestion.
Focus on your skin. What is your skin showing you at this moment?
Focus on your senses of smell and taste. Heighten your sense of taste. Do you taste lunch or your last coffee? Reach out as far as you can with your sense of smell.
Expand your sense of hearing as far as you can 360 degrees in all directions. Yes, even below you. Can you hear layers of sound?
Open your eyes and expand your vision as wide as possible into full, open vision. Don't stare but notice movement with an easy gaze.
Be present with all your senses simultaneously with gentle awareness. This is not about efforting.
Open the door to your intuition. A wee bit of curiosity helps.
Spend as much time as you can in this fully aware experience. For best results, repeat at least once per day.
Congratulations! You've just had your first forest bath! Didn't hurt at all, did it?
Our culture has trained us to be skeptical and leery of this kind of touchy-feeling tree-huggin' stuff. But why? To be resistant to not using the keen senses we were all born with? Really?
Take a walk on the wild side right now.
Put down the damn phone or walk away from the computer and go outside.
Let yourself breathe, really breathe. Get all those senses fired up.
I won’t tell anyone, but they will notice you’re relaxed and glowing.
Onward!
P.S. New here? Join us in rethinking our unholy relationships with tech and Nature to focus on what matters most. We’re a curious bunch.
Resources for You
Other “rethinking” Substack Publications I’ve discovered:
1001 Species: by Richard Gregson FRSB who calls himself “an actively retired (repurposed) biologist, enthusiastically introducing people to the wildlife living alongside us in town and cities.”
Nature :: Spirit — Kinship in a living world: by Priscilla Stuckey who asks one of the most important questions: “How can we realize our kinship with nature?”
Fearless Green: by Rebecca Wisent, a lawyer specializing in American public lands and wildlife who explores non-legal themes like “the beauty that was” and “everything is inextricably linked.”
Tell ‘em Marsha sent you. ;-)
Questions for you
Reflections, questions and ideas to break the digital spell.
Q1: Which of your senses says “Spring!” to you?
Q2: Can you describe what it means to be fully aware?
Tell me below in the comments:
“The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the Universe, match your nature to Nature" - Joseph Campbell
"spring growth to our eyes appears easy, gentle, effortless"
And... sudden!
Couple of weeks ago, trees and shrubs literally *burst* into the fresh green of new leafs.
Sometimes I wish I lived with the 4 seasons. In the sub-tropics, very little changes. But I do spend time in the UK a lot so get to experience the magic of the seasons there and I love it.