- Curiously Connecting
- Posts
- Presencing with a Hare
Presencing with a Hare
Curious? Come on in...
Perle Laouenan
July 12, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Hello, hello,
How often do we truly slow down and notice the world around us?
I often feel that being present can feel like a luxury. During a weekend leadership retreat in the East of the Netherlands, I was invited to find presence at a whole new level.
At 8 PM on Saturday, we were informed that we would be embarking on a mini-vision quest for the next 12 hours starting in our dreams. The instructions were simple yet daunting: "Wake up at 4:30, return at 11:30, set an intention for yourself, be in silence from now onwards, no food, no water, no notepad, no time, try not to go for a walk."
Initially, I felt mild panic. How would I spend 7 hours doing 'nothing' in nature?
At dawn, accompanied by a chorus of birdsong, I began to wander. The early morning light and the silence of nature set the stage for a profound journey of presence.
As I walked, I started to notice the intricate details of my surroundings. Each pause became an opportunity to create, using materials fallen around me—leaves, buds, wool, berries, feathers, broken eggshells, twigs, and hay. These small nature mandalas became a way to connect with the environment and be truly present in the moment.
Each creation was unique: one in the middle of a path, another outside a dovecote, another deep in the woods in the nooks of a fallen tree, and another in the middle of a field.
In that field, I napped and was awoken by an inquisitive hare.
Create this…
NATURE MANDELA
Creating a nature mandala is a simple and meditative way to connect with nature. Here’s how to do it:
Find a Location: Choose a quiet spot in nature.
Collect Materials: Gather natural items like leaves, stones, flowers, and twigs.
Create a Center: Start with a central object, such as a unique stone or flower.
Build Outwards: Arrange your materials in a circular pattern around the center, layering them to create symmetry and balance.
Embrace Imperfection: Enjoy the process, and don’t worry about perfect symmetry.
A nature Mandela I created during a yoga retreat in Portugal
We locked eyes, wondering what the other was doing. I muttered a good morning, to which the hare ran off at a speed I didn’t even know was possible.
My last creation was a fort made of fallen branches. I deliberated on whether to build it and then knock it down, challenging myself to create without the expectation of it being found or used by someone else. But then I realized that’s not me. I want to create things that will connect, embrace, and ripple outwards through others.
In those quiet moments, I understood that true presence in nature is about slowing down and noticing. It’s about embracing the interconnectedness of our actions and realizing that what we create doesn’t just belong to us—it belongs to everyone who encounters it.
How do you slow down and find presence in your surroundings?
Curiously connecting,
Always,
Perle
Join this…
A dear facilitator friend of mine Lily Higgins is hosting one of her beautiful audio walks on the 21st of July - with a simple guiding theme Friendship and Belonging. If you identify as female. Join…
