Tag Archives: wordlessness

Celebration and Vacation!

05 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in celebration, gratitude

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I’m exactly the same as I was yesterday morning.  But I feel just a little more capable, a little more powerful, a little more sure.  Coaching teaches us not to seek external approval, but today I’m celebrating that I’ve completed my tests, passed with flying colors, and I’m now officially a Martha Beck Certified Life Coach!!  Whether I want to admit it or not, it’s really nice to hear from a master coach that I know what I’m doing and I’m doing a good job, and to have the “official title”.  And now it’s time to celebrate!

I’m leaving for a week of hiking on the Appalachian Trail tomorrow! I’m going with a dear friend who’s never been backpacking, and we’re starting at the same place I started my  flip-flop thru-hike three years ago – at beautiful McAfee Knob!

While I’m away, I’ll mostly be soaking in the joys of hiking and being outside for 24 hours a day, but I’ll also be ruminating, planning, and dreaming. Because– mark your calendars–  in May 2013 I’ll be taking a small group of women who want to learn to take care of themselves in the woods on a fantastic coaching and backpacking retreat!  And I’m so excited to share this incredible experience with women who’ve been dreaming about it – all those people who ask me all the time, “How did you do that?” and say,  “I would love to hike and backpack, but I don’t know enough about it.”

So if that’s you, sit tight and put a big circle in May on your 2013 calendar- the little one in the back of your planner- or if your calendar’s electronic I guess you can just type it in!

I’ll also be playing around with wordlessness and oneness during my trip to the woods and I can’t wait to tell you all about what happens!

Enjoy this beautiful time of spring, rebirth and renewal, and if you take a wordless walk, email me your story and photos to carla@livingwildandprecious.com, and I’ll feature you on Wordless Wednesdays!

 

Wordless Wednesdays- spring flowers

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in nature, walks, wordlessness

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Here’s the first guest Wordless Walk post from Robin in Ohio.  Please check out her beautiful blog, Life in the Bogs.  Robin takes an outdoor walk daily and she’s a gifted photographer.  Her blog is full of pictures to inspire you!  Last week for her wordless walk she wrote:

“I took my wordless walk early this afternoon.  It was cloudy with the occasional raindrop, the air soft, mild, and spring-like.  I spent the longest time standing under the flowering branches of our weeping cherry tree, listening to the birds as they sang to each other about the weather, who has migrated back to the area, and who hasn’t returned yet.  At least that’s how the conversational songs seemed to me.  The ground is squishy.  The trees are leafing and/or blooming, showing off their spring color.  I felt spring settle into my soul.”

Thanks so much, Robin, for sharing!  If you’d like your photos and walk description to be featured on Wordless Wednesdays (I know- they’re not always wordless – but they’re describing our wordless experiences!), send an email with your story and photos to carla@livingwildandprecious.com  Let’s make wordless walks a worldwide regular routine!

Calling the animals part II

26 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in nature, oneness, walks, wordlessness

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In between the wild pigs and the owl, things stayed interesting.  I completely surprised a raccoon who was gorging on holly berries just two steps from the trail.  Poor thing had to splash away when I walked by, there was so much water everywhere.  I didn’t have a chance to snap a photo, but I do have evidence of his meal!

Then I strolled a little further until I encountered two squirrels crazily chasing each other along the boardwalk.  They were running at top speed toward me, completely oblivious until the first one came within about three feet of me and froze. Then the other one froze.  Where to go?  Into the water? Past me?  Back the other way?  The three of us stared at each other with quiet curiosity, the squirrels still breathing heavily from all their running.  I slowly reached down for my camera and broke the spell.  They spun around and dashed back down the boardwalk like lightning.  I laughed out loud.  It was like watching Chip and Dale.  Seemed like we’d all shared the joke without talking.  How many other ways would the universe surprise me?

Well, with bunnies.  Adorable bunnies who were rather damp as they had probably been swimming or at least wading.  One watched me calmly as it munched on poison ivy.  I guess bunnies can eat it without harm.
And then there were the sunbathing squirrels.  I mean, wouldn’t you lay out on the boardwalk if your fur was wet from swimming?  I so hated to disturb them (I saw two!) so I walked very slowly to give them time to find a tree to hop to and skip leaping back into the water.

I breathed deeply and smiled.  And then I drove home with gratitude in my heart, looking forward to returning the very next day for more wild, precious, utterly free gifts.

Calling the animals part 1

25 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by in nature, oneness, walks, wordlessness

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The animals I called for my wordless walks two months ago were the deer, and it’s funny – while I rarely used to see deer when I went to the swamp, now they come.  Almost every time.  I saw six or seven two days ago.  I still don’t really believe it works, but it’s a fun game and I enjoy making “oneness” connections with the animals, even if it could all be chalked up to coincidence.

This time, I didn’t call anyone in particular.  I sort of sent a “surprise me” sentiment out to the universe.  And almost immediately a great blue heron lifted off and flew gracefully through the trees.  I whooshed in a breath of wonder.  Then as I walked a little further, I heard what sounded like dragons.  I am not kidding.  Turns out that they were a passel of young wild pigs, some all black and some tan with black spots, like something out of a children’s’ story. They ran off too quickly for me to get a photo, but I heard and saw them twice, snuffling and grunting and snorting and splashing through the flooded forest.  What a cool surprise – I’ve never ever seen pigs at the swamp!

I waded through shin-deep water for over a mile, relishing my Amazon-like adventure, and noting that I’d need to choose a different trail for my wordless walk the next day. I wondered where the armadillos had gone – there was so much water and so little high ground.  I’m sure they know what to do and had taken refuge somewhere.

Eventually, I headed to a less remote, far more civilized, fully boardwalked trail, and even a small portion of it was under water!  I walked amidst myriad lizards and snakes.  I surprised two small alligators who splashed off the boardwalk- I don’t know who scared who, it happened so fast!

On the way back, I thought – ok – I would love to see an owl.  I sent a request for an owl, wordlessly.  I don’t even know quite what I did.  And then I dropped attachment and kept walking.  Sure enough, a few minutes later, there was my owl.  As I crept closer, she glided silently away through the cypresses further up the trail.  But when I quietly rounded the next bend, there she was, perched and watching me, then turning to gaze down into the water.  I did my best barred owl call and I can only describe the owl’s expression as bemused – like, “Really?  You expect me to believe you are an owl??” But she didn’t fly away.  The owl ignored me and stared down into the water, perhaps eying her next meal.

She stared at me while I called to her, then went back to watching the water below.

Whether the heron, pigs, deer and owl came for me or for themselves doesn’t really matter — I’m just so glad I had the gift of a moment to enjoy watching them. Give it a try next time you’re outside.  Call the animals and see if they come.  You can read more about wordlessness and oneness and techniques to connect to the natural world in Martha Beck’s book, Finding Your Way in a Wild New World.  And watch for announcements- I’m going to start up a new Wild World virtual book club soon!

Also coming soon: More animal calling stories and shared wordless walks from some of you!  It’s not too late to send me stories or pictures from your own wordless walk – I’d love to hear!  Email me at carla@livingwildandprecious.com .

Lastly, tomorrow (Monday) this blog is going to move to self-hosted so I have a little more ability to do some cool things with it.  My only worry is that I won’t know how to do said cool things, so if anything seems a little wonky for the next while, you’ll know why.  I’m hoping for a super-smooth transition, but I know I have some skills to learn too.  Wish me luck and I’ll hopefully be checking in again very soon!