Mindfulness and nature

 Recently we were lucky enough to take on an allotment. 

This morning as I was weeding to give the half a dozen teeny carrots and a dozen or so little lettuces that have made it through the germination stage I was amazed to see how the morning had passed without seeming to have been there for more than half an hour.

Was I being fully mindful the whole time that I was there?  With the sun on my back, warm soil between my fingers and a growing pile of weeds there were certainly many moments where I was fully aware of the environment around me from buzzing bugs and bees  to a tiny ladybird, to weeds that seemed to go all the way through the earth's crust and the delicate seedlings that we have been nurturing.

Look at these teeny lettuces! 

Look carefully and you can spot the even teenier carrots!

And yes, I did take time to just sit and take in what was around me. Being outside , getting hands-on with nature and (hopefully) enjoying the produce at some point is certainly great for wellbeing. And this is coming from someone who has never been into gardening. Houseplants have always been more my thing. But whether it is inside or out, large or small, being in touch with nature and helping things grow is certainly somethng that I find calming , rewarding and enjoyable. 

I will update this in January/February when the sun is unlikely to be beating down and the clay rich soil will be a very different entity to today.