Stop visiting nature. Start belonging to it
There’s a saying that ‘art needs a chair.’ I saw this last year when I went to Paris to visit the David Hockney exhibition. … Continue
They called it connection. I watched them crush the plants for the shot
Something uncomfortable has happened since social media came online. Spiritual practice is now seen as content. A walk in the woods must be photographed. … Continue
If you’ve ever stood in a wood and still felt strangely absent – this is written for you
Domei happens in the dirt. It’s not something you read about. You do not read about dirt to understand dirt. You have to touch … Continue
To anyone who has bought the book, watched the videos, and still hasn’t changed
There is something in contemplative practice that many people don’t really talk about, and it’s that you have to show up. You need to … Continue
To everyone who has studied plants for years and still feels like a stranger to them
When I was 26, I trained to be a priest. I didn’t complete that training because I had an experience that made me have … Continue
Why you can stare at a plant for twenty minutes and still not see it
There are two ways to pay attention, yet in our culture we have been taught really only one. The first type is directed attention. … Continue
What an aboriginal man said to a confused BBC reporter that changed how I walk
When I was young, I apprenticed as a cabinet maker in Hartland, North Devon. One weekend, I noticed something about the walkers. The majority … Continue
The moment you name something, you stop seeing it
The mind wants to sort things before it sees them. I’m sure you have been on a walk with friends when suddenly they are … Continue
To the person who has walked past the same tree a thousand times without meeting it
The difference between looking and seeing is precision. Not the exactness of measurement, nor the botanist’s skilled eye noting details, but something gentler. It … Continue
Stop identifying plants. Start encountering them
Most plant teaching uses the eyes as the sole means of getting to know a plant. The plant is over there, and we observe … Continue