Today, late May, 2022, here in Vermont, the outdoors is making a spectacle of itself. Myriad shades of green are flourishing, dark brown earth is cracking open as seedlings pop through. Brooks and streams are flowing, days are lengthening, lilacs and other blossoms scent the air and animals of all species are up and about. We need only step outside for a dose of life.

Tragically there is also an elephant in the room. Meet Gertrude. My granddaughter named her when we addressed “the elephant in the room” a few months back. Here she is again. First, this is a somber weekend celebrating Memorial Day. Then, recent, horrific tragedies here in the United States have broken our hearts. There is much being written and spoken about compassion – how we desperately need to experience compassion for ourselves and for others, how we need to transcend pity and practice compassion as action. Step outside for a dose of compassion?

Indoors, we are surrounded by boundaries. At times we build floors and ceilings and walls in our thinking as well. Sometimes those internal, mental structures are related to the physical space in which we live and move and eat and sleep and breathe. In a sense, we are our own contractors. In a sense we strive to create conflicting elements of comfort and security, beauty and functionality, wealth and simplicity. Perhaps there is a fine line between what imprisons and what sets us free.

Outdoors, square footage becomes environment and personal space spills into the universe.

Being outside is not always lovely. There are bugs and creepy crawly things in the summer and cold and ice in the winter. There are scary things like forest fires and floods and ice storms. But there are also innumerable, and often undefinable, glimpses of life itself.

Have you heard of Forest Bathing? It’s a real thing. Originating in Japan, it’s been around for awhile and is promoted as an antidote to stress. (You can do the research on this one; I have other things to share with your right now.)

To be honest, I was not a huge fan of being outside until recently, thanks to my chocolate Lab. I had been a city girl living in Baltimore and Manhattan. (Can’t get much more city than that, right?) Later I participated in outdoor activities, but as soon as they were done, I headed inside rather quickly. All that changed when Sophie needed time outdoors often and every day. No matter how much I complain, once outdoors, I am happy. On my walks with her I am mindful of where I step, what I am brushing up against, what is happening overhead, the feel of the air on my skin and the abundant sounds – all there for the noticing, if I’ll just notice.

And there are stories. So many stories. The world around us is sharing story after story. In the winter, the predawn sky is breathtaking, hinting of the hours to follow. In the summer, the sunset draws the curtain on another long and glorious day – of what? Memories?

Perhaps this turtle has a story to tell or is looking for a place to lay her eggs. (not on my patio, if you please, Mrs. Snap)

Perhaps this chipmunk is dreaming of riding a Peloton like mine. (as I was doing when I took this pic.)

Perhaps a bird is looking for a new eating establishment or a raccoon is reacting to sounds nearby.

Yes, meditation might take place on a cushion, but mindfulness can happen anywhere. Just a few minutes to focus our mental camera on a close up or panorama, just a few minutes to hear leaves rustle or  birds sing, just a few minutes to breathe in clean air and exhale what is stuck inside us, just a few minutes….

(And yes, I am writing this from Vermont. I am no stranger to city life as I mentioned above so those thoughts are for another day. I can share with you though that I am well aware of the privilege of being able to walk outdoors in safety, removed from most crime and in a clean environment.)

So much of what we do is practice. We do it again and again to establish a habit, improve a technique, gain insight or become more familiar or comfortable with a concept, a value or a belief. Therefore, I encourage us each to pack up our mental camera, leave behind our digital devices, and step outside for a dose of life. But be careful. If you practice this repeatedly, you just may establish a new and lasting habit!