03: Letters from the Slow Lane
Hearing quiet in the noise
Dear Friends,
This weekend I had the privilege of teaching Nature Writing at the Taos Mountain Wellness Festival. This was my third year offering this class and I’m pleased to report that numbers of people seeking connection to nature are growing. Without even knowing the scientific benefits of time in green spaces, we innately sense that our wellness is tied to the natural world. Life indoors in a new invention but our bodies remember on a cellular level our ancient ways of being with trees, stones and the elements.
The clouds released a sudden torrent at the start of our class and so we found shelter under a bridge beside the Rio Hondo, the same river I spent the weekend camping next to at the foot of the mountain’s drainage. One of the first meditations I share with my class is tuning into all five senses one by one—smell, taste, sight, sound, touch, as well as a sixth sense, the heart sense, feel. Since we were so close to the roaring river, its sound overwhelmed all other sounds and there was nothing else to hear for—no breeze shaking the aspen leaves or spotted towhees calling from firs, just the loud rushing of water.
So instead of an invitation to listen for unique sounds in our area, I asked us to listen for unique sounds within the river, parsing out the pieces that create the watery symphony. Within the cacophony I heard tinkling chimes, distant thunder, pearls scattering across a marble floor, machines whirling with industry, the tickle of a feather on breastbone, and the whisper of erosion. The river carried me inward to the waterway of my veins, organs and muscles until only my humming heart knew the cascade of its rolling song.
As our ears tuned in and drew closer to the riverbed, so did our hearts, easing us into an unruly flow. Isn’t life like that? There is comfort in chaos. There is quiet in a roar. The deeper we go within to gaze out at the world from and the more we slow everything down to simpler awareness, the more we may be surprised to discover that things are not how they first appear. There is more nuance to the world than we can imagine or write in a poem.
I invite you to spend time listening this week. What do you hear? What are the sounds that encircle your life? What noises are unexpected?
Take it easy,
Johanna
If you are interested in my Nature Writing classes and the guided meditations, but you’re not coming to Taos anytime soon, check out my online version:
