Into the woods

for rest and inspiration.

It is May the first, also known as Beltane- a significant seasonal celebration day in the year. You can find more about it here. It certainly feels like the woods are waking up at long last, the Bluebells smell divine and give the woodland floor a unique carpet of their distinctive purple blue colour. In places Early Purple Orchids can be seen and I have also spotted a rare white Bluebell.

Folklore suggests the spot where a white Bluebell grows is a significant fairy place. There are many tales connecting Bluebells and fairies- the most common one is that the fairies ring the (Blue)bells to let others know a human has entered the wood.

I have spent more time than usual in the woods over the last month and it has been wonderful- personally I find the experience inspiring and quite magical. I have had the pleasure of taking out a couple of lovely groups of Ukrainian women, who are now based in this area of Kent, on a Dwellbeing half day retreat which they have found to be truly restful and restorative. A high point was when we walked along a woodland path deep in the heart of the bluebell wood, new beech leaves glowed above us as sunlight streamed through dappling the woodland floor with dancing shadows. To my utter surprise and delight, the group spontaneously broke into song. Many, if not all of them are in the ‘Canterbury for Ukraine Ladies Choir’, so you can imagine how that sounded- utterly beautiful! The other ladies in the group were also part of a Flamenco dance group that had gathered together with British dancers as part of a ‘3 Cultures’ art project organised by Charlotte Baynes. The opening event to its exhibition is at 2pm next Saturday the 10th of May at The Beaney in Canterbury. I will have artwork on display as part of the show and there will be music and dancing too- all free to see!

Walking through the woods together; the paths were weaving in and out of the Bluebell scented areas and into the Wild Garlic ones- it was quite an olfactory treat!

We found a spot in a grove of Yew trees and made a piece of land art- a gesture to the place- a thank you. Special stones, wood, leaves, seeds and other freely abundant natural resources were chosen to lay down and create what in hindsight looked like a medicine wheel. They gathered elements and occasionally explained the significance of their choice. For example 3 small bundles of Butchers Broom were to represent the last three years in this country. The first bunch was dead, dried out and pale- the second bunch was dried out but had some colour to it and the third bunch was green and vibrant. This was a spontaneous and heartfelt explanation of how it had felt to them- coming over here in the circumstances that they did. I can only imagine that distress and was glad that the woodland walk had allowed them to express this.

A detail of the centre section of the woodland mandala, every item was especially chosen to add to it. I was surprised at the size they made it- the full area was the largest I have seen participants on my Dwellbeing experiences make. The Butchers Broom is out of view in this image. The final piece is always a wonderful sight.

As we walked back down the slope towards the road and village pub where we had ordered our lunch, we walked through masses of ankle high Wild Garlic, the flowers were really only just starting to open but as we walked through the smell was unmistakeable and strong. One of the dishes at The George that was on offer had this as an ingredient- it looked delicious. The ladies explained it was also used in their country- all along the walk we were discussing and swapping childhood and folk stories of the common plants such as Dandelion and trees such as Horse Chestnut.

Walking down the slope through swathes of Wild Garlic towards the main road in the village which would lead us back to the pub and our lunch.

On the way back to the pub we collected examples of seasonal colour and then spent some meditative time creating the exact same shades using watercolours and mixing palettes. The colourful painted strip would then be added to our Dwellbeing nature journals with a note or two about the day. We would note what we felt about the experience- the time, place and company- all for us to look back to and feel again, the restorative magic of a spring woodland. It is good to have a meditative creative practice on stand-by for when the busyness of the world gets too heavy and we need a lighter and more optimistic break.

Collecting colours of the season at the end part of the walk, for us to replicate back at the pub using watercolours. This is a welcome quiet meditative practice.

If you would like to join me on a Dwellbeing half day retreat let me know and look at the information via my website here. I can travel to your area if you already have a group set up and I also offer one to one creative Dwellbeing sessions- which could include nature journaling, mindful walking or a combination of both. If you have another thought of how I could work with you and your existing group just contact me via this form.

Walking out in nature is just so good for the soul. We connect with the landscape, the natural world and each other in a very special way. We have been in these places for thousands of years- it is our natural habitat so our stress levels decrease significantly.

I have my first Dwellbeing Restival planned for Sunday June the 8th this year. I will be hosting this event at Kingston- just outside Canterbury in Kent at a beautiful venue. This will be a full day event with 3 options of tickets to purchase, depending on how much time you want to spend on site and which activities you want to access. For more details please click here.

I also spotted these lighter pink Bluebells as I was out walking this week. Again, a bit of a rarity but less so than the pure white ones. We are so lucky to have this yearly display of delicate beauty and deep scent. It really is a treat.