It's never enough...
Summer is slipping through my fingers.
During the long months of winter, my dreams are filled with summer adventures to come – of floats on the river, wandering among wildflowers, picking thimbleberries and raspberries on nearby Forest Service roads, backpacking and sleeping in the high country.
When summer finally comes, I pack as many of these things in, but it never feels like enough. I feel simultaneously ravenous to gobble up the fruits of summer, and exhausted at the same time. So much FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out and having to wait a whole year for this time to come around again).
I have a hard time balancing being-here-now with what’s on the long list of fleeting things that I want to take advantage of before the snow flies again.
Do you ever feel this way? Like you’re finally just beginning to soak up the warm goodness of summer and wake up to find life is already leaning towards the cusp of fall? Like summer is slipping through your fingers, not to be seen again for months and months?
I’m mostly coping by walking slowly or sitting amongst trees, or along the creek, breathing deeply, and anchoring in my senses. What does it feel like to be here, now? What does the air feel like on my skin? What are the sounds coming to my ears? What is the sensation of my bare toes curling in the dirt? Because the only answer to getting the most out of this rich time is to live in the present as much as possible, and letting go of the things I won’t be able to do.
Being in the backcountry helps of course, naturally cutting out the noise and distraction of the world, and forcing me to stay in the present so I don’t tumble down the rocky mountainside.
Our recent backpacking trip in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness was incredibly challenging physically, which I think both George and I needed. Hard to ruminate on all the things you could be doing when you’re amongst incredible scenery, lungs and muscles maxed, and you’re trying not to trip and fall on endless miles of granite and rocky talus slopes (which we did with moderate success).
This year the flowers were some of the most incredible I’ve ever seen here in Greater Yellowstone. They practically demanded that I take off my pack and throw myself into the grass to photograph and soak up the beauty. Which of course I did! I think I probably took a thousand photos of pink Indian paintbrush - my favorite color variation of this flower.
But there’s only so much time for “adventures”, and I need something for the in-between times to calm my anxious spirit. Which is why I’m planning to host a couple of virtual Forest Bathing sessions coming up August 23 and 28.
Want to go Forest Bathing (virtually) with me?
I really love practicing mindfulness in nature among kindred spirits. The sessions will be limited to an intimate group of up to 12 people. You can participate in your backyard or in a natural area a local park anywhere you have cell service and can access a Zoom meeting on your mobile (it doesn’t have to be an actual forest).
Together, we’ll immerse ourselves in nature and in our senses, calming our nervous systems, and bringing our bodies into the present moment. You’ll experience practices you can use on your own, wherever you are.
Sessions:
Sunday, August 23, 4-5:30pm MDT
Friday, August 28, 9-10:30am MDT
Paid Wilder Life subscribers can attend for free, but you do still need to register online to attend. I’ll include the coupon code for paid subscribers at the bottom of this email.
How it works: once you register, I’ll send you a zoom link for the session which you can join via video or audio. You’ll pick an outdoor place where you can access the internet/cell service (this can be anything from your porch, garden, or yard, to a local park, ideally with a little bit of room to roam around).
The only other things you’ll need will be appropriate clothing for the weather, and a portable sit pad or chair (optional). I usually like to end with a tea ceremony, so you can also bring a thermos of some kind of nature-inspired tea (I like mint, chamomile, or rose hips, but any tea will do).
We’ll meet as a group, have a brief introduction, do a sensory awareness meditation, then I’ll provide a series of “invitations” to explore and notice the forest/nature around you. After each invitation, we’ll come back together and share.
I hope you can join me!
-Jenny
Want to join me in Costa Rica?
🦜I’m thrilled to announce something I’ve been dreaming of offering for a long time: I’m taking a small group of women to Costa Rica for a week of deep nature immersion, soul-level restoration, and the kind of time and space most of us rarely give ourselves. I’d love for you to join me for the Wilder Life Costa Rica Women’s Retreat March 14-20, 2027 on the stunning Osa Peninsula. Learn more here. Limited spaces available.