The Roots That Connect Us ~ Finding Gratitude, Contentment & Connection in Nature

There is something about this time of year that invites us to notice what has been gathered.

The apples falling from the tree.
The elderberries ripening.
The last of the summer light.
The first hints of autumn in the air.

And perhaps, if we pause for long enough, we notice what has been gathered within us too.

This week has been full of little moments of noticing.

A book recommended by a yogi, and some beautiful magazines gifted to me. I always love these little exchanges ~ discovering something someone else has enjoyed, or receiving something they think I might like.

I finally collected my elderberries too. I went out in my jeans and flip-flops, and came back with purple feet!

There was a gorgeous sunset during Aroma Flow Yoga this week. As we finished our practice and stepped outside, the sun had disappeared and the beautiful moon was rising in the sky.

Just a couple of weeks ago, there was still plenty of daylight at the end of class.

Now, the seasons are definitely beginning to turn.

And then there are the deer.

The grass has become so dry and golden after such a long spell of heat that I've noticed something I hadn't really noticed before ~ their beautiful fur is now almost exactly the same colour as the grasses around them.

A kind of natural camouflage.

They quietly wander through the garden, enjoying the fallen apples from the tree, almost disappearing into the golden landscape.

Just noticing.

And there is something rather magical about watching them in the early morning light.

The practice of gratitude

This week, we've been exploring harvest and gratitude in my yoga classes, sharing some of the practices that help us pause and notice what is already here.

One of the simplest is the practice of naming three things we are grateful for.

It sounds almost too simple, doesn't it?

But perhaps the magic is in the noticing.

Rather than searching for three big or important things, we can look for the small, ordinary moments that might otherwise pass us by.

A warm cup of tea.

The sound of birdsong.

Someone making us laugh.

The feeling of sunshine on our face.

A beautiful sunset.

A deer beneath an apple tree.

We can ask ourselves:

What am I grateful for today?

And then pause.

Notice how it feels in the body to bring that person, place, experience or moment to mind.

Perhaps there is a softening.

A little more space around the heart.

A smile that arrives without being asked.

And then, rather than immediately moving on to the next thing, we can stay with that feeling for a few breaths.

Allowing gratitude to become not just something we think, but something we experience.

Gratitude and contentment

Patanjali, the ancient Indian sage whose teachings form the foundation of the Yoga Sutras, offers a beautiful thought:

“Perfect happiness is attained through contentment.”

We can bring these words into our practice and into our lives by noticing what is already here, rather than always looking towards what comes next.

Contentment doesn't mean that everything is perfect, or that we stop having dreams and aspirations.

Perhaps it simply means pausing long enough to appreciate this moment.

To recognise what has grown.

What has been gathered.

What has nourished us.

And what, perhaps, is already enough.

Gratitude can be a doorway into that contentment.

A simple gratitude practice

You could try this at the end of your day, perhaps before bed or with your morning cup of tea.

Think of three things you are grateful for.

They don't need to be significant.

In fact, try choosing three ordinary things.

Then, for each one, pause for a few breaths.

Rather than simply naming it and moving on, bring the memory or image to mind.

Notice what happens in your body.

Does your face soften?

Does your breath change?

Does a feeling of warmth or ease arise?

Stay there for a few moments.

This small practice can become a way of training our attention towards what is nourishing, rather than allowing our minds to constantly seek the next thing.

Rooted together

One of the things I regularly bring into my yoga classes is the feeling of roots growing from the soles of our feet.

In Tree Pose, we can imagine sending those roots down deep into the earth.

Feeling our feet spread and ground.

Feeling the downward energy of the roots, whilst at the same time allowing the body to grow upwards.

But the roots don't have to stop at our own feet.

We can imagine them reaching down into the earth, connecting us with the plants and trees around us, and then reaching out towards one another.

A whole unseen network beneath our feet.

This week, as we explored harvest and gratitude, we also brought in the words of Ram Dass:

“When you hug a tree, you hug yourself.”

We shared his Nature track in class too, letting his words wash over us as we practised.

There is something powerful about bringing this idea into the body rather than simply thinking about it.

Standing in Tree Pose.

Feeling our feet on the earth.

Imagining roots extending downwards.

Feeling ourselves supported by the ground beneath us.

And then imagining those roots reaching outwards ~ connecting us with the trees and plants around us, and with one another.

Because the more we notice our connection with nature, the more we can notice that we are not separate from it.

We are part of the same living system.

We don't grow alone

Perhaps the same is true of community.

Just as the roots of trees and plants reach out beneath the soil, creating an unseen network of connection, so too do our own roots extend into the communities around us.

The people who hold us.

The people we hold.

The places that nourish us.

The friendships that give us strength.

The shared practices that bring us together.

Support.
Nourishment.
Community.

We don't grow alone.

There are so many connections we cannot see, quietly supporting us beneath the surface.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons nature can feel so restorative.

When we spend time amongst trees, plants, water, earth and open skies, we are reminded that we belong to something larger than ourselves.

We can slow down enough to notice.

And sometimes, simply noticing that we are connected can be nourishing in itself.

A little invitation to notice

So this week, perhaps take a few moments to notice what you have gathered.

Not just what you have done.

Not just what you have achieved.

But what has nourished you.

What has made you smile.

Who has supported you.

What beauty you have noticed.

And three things you are grateful for.

Then pause for a little longer than usual.

Let yourself actually feel the gratitude.

You might even take your practice outside.

Stand beneath a tree.

Feel your feet on the earth.

Imagine roots extending downwards from the soles of your feet.

And then imagine those roots meeting the roots of the trees, the plants, the earth and the people around you.

A quiet, unseen web of support, nourishment and community.

Perhaps this is one of the gifts of the harvest season ~ remembering that we don't grow alone.

We are rooted.

We are connected.

And there is often more to be grateful for than we first notice.

A seasonal invitation

If you're feeling the gentle shift towards autumn and would like to make a little more space for yourself, I'll be holding Autumn's Embrace Afternoon Retreat at BodyWise in Warnham on Saturday 12th September.

Three unhurried hours of Aroma Yoga, meditation, Reiki and EcoNidra, with seasonal essential oils, warming herbal tea and homemade treats.

A chance to pause, breathe, rest and reconnect with yourself and nature.

Saturday 12th September ~ 2pm–5pm
BodyWise, Warnham

Find out more about Autumn's Embrace

Camomile Lawn ✨🌿💚

Nature-led wellness for body, mind & soul

camomile-lawn.com