Spring is a powerful force. The natural world revives and reinvigorates after the cold winter months. We witness the most vibrant of life forces: plants sprouting, flowers blooming, hibernating animals re-emerging, lively choruses of bird song and animals giving birth. There’s no mistaking this time of great awakening and the surge of energy that comes with it.
But what if you could actually harness this vitality and grow something new in yourself? Here, Life and Leadership Coach, and founder of Great Heights Pathways, Caitlin Cockerton (PhD, CPCC) explains how you can turn a simple walk in nature into a deeper reflection about what seeds to sow in your own life and how to nurture them into bloom.
Nature is a mirror into our unconscious. Have you ever noticed how a simple walk in nature has allowed you to emerge with greater clarity? Perhaps you solved a problem, had a creative spark that generated an idea or let go of something that wasn’t serving you.
We have an in-built biological pull towards nature – it is, after all, our evolutionary home. There’s even a term and emerging field of science that explores this idea – Biophilia – our subconscious seeking to connect with the network of living things around us, and to find our place in it.
When we go for a walk in nature, our minds tend to get out of the busyness and we begin to freely associate and make lateral connections. This is often what allows us to crack a challenge or have a ‘lightbulb moment’ where things come together.
One of the things we tend to do is see in nature something we are unconsciously projecting or working through in our own lives. We may be drawn to a fork in the road and realise that we too are at a great crossroads and there is an important choice to make. We may take particular notice of a delicate seedling that needs sun and protection in order to grow stronger and thrive. These things we see in nature are of course also metaphors for us and they can serve as an important jumping-off point for reflecting on our deeper challenges and yearnings.
With that in mind, one very simple thing we can do to stimulate our own inner spring awakening is to go out for a long, solo walk in nature. As you get moving, let your mind gently move into that ‘freewheeling’ state and get curious about what stands out to you in your surroundings.
It may come to you as a visual, but equally important are your other senses. Notice whether smells, tastes, felt sensations in the body and sounds are coming to the fore. Stay with your curiosity and notice what exactly you’re being drawn to. When it feels right (maybe during the walk, or right after), capture what you notice – this can be in photos, on voice recordings, written in a journal, or made into a drawing.
When you’re home, return to what you’ve captured a few times – and maybe do this over a few days, to let things slowly simmer. Ask yourself how your current situation in work and life relates to what you noticed. Don’t worry if the ‘answer’ doesn’t show up immediately – stay patient and curious and trust that your mind, your senses and your relationship to nature are all working together in some important way.
Allow the insights, or further reflections to filter to the surface and record them. Perhaps you will see how spring is urging you to sow fresh seeds and remember the promise and potential of a new growing season. As ever, when that clarity arises, you put one foot in front of the other in that direction. Onwards, into Spring!
If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of nature, movement and integrating mind-body-feeling, Certified Co-Active Coach Caitlin Cockerton runs seasonal Back to Nature Retreats in the French Alps with AliKats Mountain Holidays. On these small group retreats (4-12 people) you’ll press pause on the everyday as you engage in personal development work as well as hiking, yoga, Qi Gong, forest bathing, wild swimming and other delights in the beautiful wild spaces of the French Alps.
The four-night fully inclusive group retreats take advantage of the stunning mountain seasons with luxurious accommodation in a stylish Alpine chalet, and a delicious menu made with locally sourced ingredients. Why not book a long weekend in the Alps for a life-changing experience on one of the remaining retreats: Summer Flourishing (23-27 June 2022), Autumn Harvest (12-16 October 2022) or Winter Wonderland (26-30 January 2023).
Let me know in the comments below why you love walking and the benefits you get from enjoying the fresh air and nature.
