A mindful spring tree trail

I love this time of year. Spring is in full flow and every day there is something new to notice in nature. One thing that largely goes unnoticed is the miracle of tree buds going from tight little packages to erupting into life, triggered by the right temperature and light conditions. It seems miraculous to me that perfectly formed leaves and blossom are unfurled so quickly from what was a few days ago such a small bud. The process of how leaves and flowers emerge is fascinating to watch.

A lovely activity to do at this time of year is to take a mindful walk to look at and appreciate the wonder of trees bursting their buds into exuberant life. It’s very simple. Plan a walk in a local greenspace that has a variety of trees and simply wander until you find a tree that has just started to come into leaf or flower. Walk up and take a closer look at a low hanging branch and really look. Look at the different stages of bud burst on each tree and study how the leaves or blossom are emerging. Admire the miracle of how they unfurl. Look at the beautiful colours and textures and the fresh nature of the leaves. The young, emerging leaves can be quite a different shade to the mature leaves of the tree. Admire the delicate structures of the flowers. Some, like cherries are really obvious and known for their beauty, but even the most obscure little flowers you may never have noticed from afar, can be really beautiful up close too, if you take the time and effort to look.

Once you have admired the first tree, wander on and repeat this with other tree types. See how many different species you can find on your walk. Compare the variation of colours - the many shades of green, yellow, red, orange and pink, the textures – shiny, downy, or rough and of course the many different shapes and structures of flowers. You may also be aware of different scents.

This is a beautiful mindful activity to do when you have some spare time and want to escape your own thoughts for a while.

I always think bud burst is like an analogy for something we want to accomplish in our own lives - maybe a long-held dream or a project. The idea of the dream or project is like a bud which lies dormant until the conditions are right and you are prompted to take action. Often it is just that first step that holds us back, but as soon as we start to act we are on the road to realising our dream or project. Perhaps as you go on a mindful spring tree trail, the trees will inspire you to take that all-important first step to realising your dream. 

‘It takes courage to push yourself to places you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to stay tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.’ - Anais Nin