To Sit and Listen–Activities
Today, I’m thinking about the importance of quiet. In nature, the ability to sit still, watch, listen, and think allows one both to turn inward and outward at the same time. You are more likely to see nature unfold when you sit quietly, like a stone or toadstool. You are also able to slow down your breathing, your thinking, your mile-a-minute train of thought, the to-do lists, the what-ifs, and just be.
1. Learning to Be Quiet When Alone in the Wilderness
This article is a NatureSkills.com exclusive written by naturalist Jon Young, who trained under the famous tracker Tom Brown Jr. Discover the importance of learning to “sit and listen” in the wild. Follow the above link to the article, and find out what happens when a young boy sits quietly among the pond and reeds.
“Stalking Wolf was very old, and he drifted into reveries that made him seem as if he might be senile when I first met him. But I realized later, when I had seen with amazement how keen his senses were, that he had simply gone inside of himself for a moment to check his perceptions against the pattern of the world. Only after he taught me how to be silent did I realize that he was stopping his own motion so he could tell the disturbances around him from his own.” From “The Tracker” the true story of Tom Brown, Jr. as told to William Jon Watkins, Chapter 1, pg. 10.
2. Journaling Prompts
I am someone who strongly needs alone time in nature, who sits quietly, often with a journal, and listens deeply. A journal is a wonderful tool to help one focus on observations and feelings, moving you toward both inward and outward thoughts. Next time you are out alone in a park, your backyard, or a camping trip, pull out a journal and try these activities. These are a few of my favorite journaling prompts, which I use with children and adults alike.
Animal Eyes. Shift your perspective and try observing the world around you through the eyes of a wild animal. How would this meadow look if I were a fox? What would I be doing if I were a pond snail? How would this feel if I were a chickadee? Encourage your students to choose an animal that would live in the particular habitat that they are journaling in. Try describing the place through the eyes of the animal.
Perspective. Sometimes we get in the habit of doing something the same exact way. The creativity and spontaneity of nature journaling can suffer when it becomes “the same old thing.” Try shifting your physical body into a new location and journal from your new perspective. Some ideas of things to try: lying down in the grass, sitting high up in a tree, covering yourself with dead leaves, walking along a sidewalk, hiding in a hollow tree, or even riding in a car.
Postcards Home. Pretend that you are on a tourist vacation to your natural place. You want to write a postcard to send to your family back home to explain this amazing place. Draw two rectangles on your paper, both the same size. In the top rectangle, draw a picture that captures the essence of your natural place. In the bottom rectangle, write a short note to your family, trying to describe what is unique about the place you are visiting. You can also cut a stiff piece of paper into a rectangle to create a postcard, or use an index card.
Journaling prompts developed by Kristen Clapper Bergsman.Learn more about Path to Place Nature Journaling Workshops.
