Have you ever been hit by beauty?
Glimmers are little moments of awe that capulate the present moment.
These tiny gems are gifts of nature, which go by hidden from view until seen. Walking along a busy city-centre street, head down, looking at your mobile phone, you would miss it. If you happen to look upwards, you will see nature's work of art. In the vibrant colours that fill the sky, and stretch from one side of the city to the other. Rose tinted red; orange merges with yellow; grassy green flows into blue and is sheilded by the calming colours of indego and purple. The precious present moment, where a rainbow becomes visible, and, if you are anything like me, you always check whereabouts it ends.
Strangley, these moments of awe that are created in nature, only appears after a downpour of rain, through the brightness of the sun and may well be explained in scientific terms, however, by taking a few minutes out of your day, to connect with the natural world, gives a gift of being grounded..
Feeling a moment of awe, when you sense a glimmer, alters your perception and calms the soul. Coming into the now, by hearing the sounds around you, bringing an awareness of what is happening in your present moment. This could be hearing the sounds of birds singing, listening to the flow of the river or the rustelling of leaves in the trees. It could also be sounds of the traffic or an aroeplane in the clouds.
Seeing is a sense that connects people easily with their natural environement. Taking time to notice what is around you, will bring you into the here and now.
While walking along a muddy footpath in my local town, I paused to notice a little lump in my way. If I had walked on, I would have stood on the little mud covered mouse. Even though it was dead, it was still a moment of awe and connection with the animals sharing this footpath. As I walked around the small heap of greyness, I shortly happened to stop once more, to look at the scenery, and was met with a toad. Fortunately, I had noticed this perfectly still toad, who was camoflauged in the grassy edge, and did not stand on it. Again, a feeling of gratifulness and connection with nature in this moment, was a glimmer. Standing still myself, to take a photo of the young toad; I noticed it's mum closeby.
This connection would never have happened, had I been out of the present moment, scrolling on my phone or thinking of what to make for dinner. My awareness and being present in reality, allowed me to experience the beauty of nature and to connect with it, in the present. If you are distracted and your mind is elswhere, thinking of the future or past, it is easy to miss a glimmer. Nature has a way of showing you beauty, if you look out for it.
Grounding yourself in the present; freeing your mind of thoughts, and taking deep breathes to become aware of what is happening now. Breathing to calm the body and connect with your inner self; listening for sounds; looking around; feeling what you can touch; smelling the air and tasting what you sense, will all create a sense of connecting with the present moment.
The next time you open the door, look up to the sky and take in the now, whether it is cloudy, moonlight or sunny, you can make a connection. Either living in the city or the countryside, the sky is there, the birds are too and it just takes a moment of your time to be with the natural world.
Look out for: robbins, green tits, swans, ducks, black birds, chafinches, running water, rainbows, feathers, butterflies, sunsets, auroras and the little creatures that we live with, like toads.
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