"Nature is the art of God" Dante
Red River Gorge: Summer 2020
As an expression, "commune with nature" means to go out into nature and enjoy it with ALL of your senses.
"Commune" is the same word at the end of "communicate" which means to have a conversation with someone else. So you could think of "communing with nature" as using your senses to listen to how nature talks.
"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world" *John Muir
Regardless of where you live, you're almost certain to have access to some kind of green space. If you can't plan a trip to a national park or forest, then look for a farm you might be allowed to hike on or go to the city park, or county-owned historical green spaces, and last, but not least, your own backyard, patio, or deck. Any place that has some green and attracts insects, birds, or little mammals, is a great place to start.
Photos were taken with my cell phone at Heritage Park in Jessamine County Ky. 2020
Don't underestimate your own backyard
Sometimes when we think of going out into nature, we forget to consider what is right outside our door. Becoming intimate with your home's green space can bring you great
joy. Pay attention to the wildlife that makes it's home in your yard and garden. Begin to recognize bird calls and attach them to the bird that is making them. Become aware of the of the squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, birds and insects and where they make their homes. Watch the interactions between the creatures....the pecking order, or play. Feed and water them and watch how quickly they become used to it, and to you.
Photos were taken with my cell phone in my backyard in Lexington, Kentucky 2020
Use all of your senses to see, hear, taste, smell, and touch nature.
Stop to enjoy it, be mindful as you walk through it, immerse yourself.
* all of the photographs on this post were taken with my cellphone while communing with nature and becoming intimate with my own little corner of the world.
Nature always wears the colors of the spirit. Ralph Waldo Emmerson
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. John Muir
Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being.
Eckhart Tolle
Mother Nature speaks in a language understood within the peaceful mind of the sincere observer.
Radhanath Swami
Even the lowly fly is a miracle of nature, and is a fascinating thing to observe.
A few of my paintings inspired by my nature hikes. Check out all my paintings for sale on my blogs art portfolio page under "more" on the menu at the top of the page.
Living my artful, grateful, and mindful life!
Pam
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