How to Connect With and Speak to the Land

& listen to what it has to say back

It’s easy to simply inhabit a land. Each of us lives in a physical location we can assign meaning and identities to, a place which evokes a certain feeling or atmosphere. But it’s not often we take the time to connect deeply with the space around us, communicate with it and listen to what it has to offer in return.

Let’s say Person A takes a walk in the woods. They have an hour until they need to be back for their next virtual work meeting, and they’re anxious that they need to finishing getting their 10,000 steps in today before that, as they won’t have time later on. They head to their usual walking route, headphones playing a podcast on how to better themselves, and start off down the forest path. Person A passes the great old oak trees, and is pleased by the surroundings, but they do not stop to ponder it further or press their hands to the oak bark.

To their left, a rabbit scurries into the hedgerow, but they do not hear this, and never get to see the white of the tail as it flees into the leaves. Their phone is buzzing, and they frequently pull it out of their pocket to check for notifications and their most recently updated step count. Person A walks quickly, checking the time, and doesn’t hear the call of the mighty wren, or hear the babbling of the brook nearby. Person A leaves feeling disconnected, frantic, and dissatisfied.

Photo by Richard Burlton on Unsplash

Now let’s look at Person B. This person has switched their phone onto ‘do not disturb’ when they walk through the same woods and carved out a little space for themselves to wander. They’ve decided to walk headphone free, listening to the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze, the chitter of the sparrows, and the rushing water all around them. They have worries, and anxieties of their work and family life, but they let the thoughts flow by, instead choosing to focus on the butterfly that has landed on a hawthorn blossom in front of them.

They whisper a ‘hello’ to the butterfly and let their mind wander, considering the colours of its wings and wondering where it has come from, what it looked like as a caterpillar, and what it is doing today. They put their hands against the old oak trees, feeling their bark and watching the ant walking up the ridges. Person B leaves feeling content, connected and full of wonder.

This post is all about engaging with the land around you, understanding the spirit of a place, and how you can deepen your connection to a place. I hope you find it useful and helpful on your own journey.