Edges. They can be sharp or precipitous. You may come up on them abruptly or with great care. When pushing past an edge you may feel a rush that is frightening or freeing, you might be floating or falling. Sometimes you may walk right up to the edge and turn around and return from where you came. And sometimes edges are mysterious and enticing; when you can safely and comfortably explore an edge - it can be transforming.
What does this have to do with birding? Well, it has to do with Slow Birding and I’m going to be honest here…some of you pushed me to an edge. And I mean that in a most grateful way! Last week I attended a 9-day immersive course at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health focused on mindful outdoor leadership. I’ve been planning this for about two years after hearing from many of you that the Slow Birding outings and courses you had been attending had elements of mindfulness or even meditation.
And with that feedback from you all, I was up against an edge. I had no experience with mindfulness practices, meditation seemed wholly unattainable as a busy mom and business owner. BUT, I was curious. So I followed that root of curiosity and kept the questions flowing just like we do in Slow Birding. I did some reading, listened to podcasts, tried some wellness apps, and really looked for the overlap between mindfulness and nature connection. Kripalu’s School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership seemed a great fit to my edgy exploration and it certainly came through.
The picture at the top of the email is my sit spot with who I came to call the Sister Trees. Two majestic white pines who’s roots came together and provided the perfect perch to observe the sloping landscape. As many of you know sit spots are a core routine for Slow Birding, so I was no stranger to the practice. What was edgy for me was the breathing and centering and meditation that happened each morning before our sit spot routine. I could have easily settle into my own familiar routine once out in the woods - no one was watching really. But the Sister Trees were watching, so I stayed open to all the new suggestions and prompts and feelings. And I experienced something wholly new, something that I will carry with me into my future Slow Birding practice and to all of you.
So this is where I get to push back - afterall, your comments and stories helped get me to this place! And so I ask you - where’s your edge in your birding practice? Take a moment or two and think about it. I’ll drop some edginess below…
Sitting in one place to notice birds
Leaving the binoculars behind
Not keeping a bird list on an outing
No cell phone - picture taking or Merlin/eBird app
An outing with no target birds
What feels like an edge to you? Feel free to share in the comment section below. I’d love to hear too about edges you’ve gone over or edges you’re exploring. Tell me more…
Being curious about things that might be a little uncomfortable or unknown can sometimes hold great opportunities for growth and knowledge. I look forward to stepping up to the edge with you!
“Though I play at the edges of knowing,
truly I know
our part is not knowing,
but looking, and touching, and loving,
which is the way I walked on,
softly,
through the pale-pink morning light.”