Birds 

I used to walk past a busy train station every morning at around 8:30am. Every time I walked down this path it would feel busy and chaotic. It was rush hour so people were on their way to work, or dropping off their kids to school. I would be part of this business, rushing around trying to get to some place. One spring morning I walked down the same path to the train station, and to my right there was a large overgrown evergreen hedge. My attention was suddenly caught by sounds coming from the hedge. I stopped in my track as people walked past me in haste, and I took a moment to listen. I heard the most beautiful sounds from what seemed like hundreds of birds. I spent ten minutes just standing there listening to the birds chirping and communicating with one another in this mini ecosystem. The sounds were vibrant and beautiful. As I stood there marvelling at these birds, I started to contemplate why I had missed such as beautiful scene before. How had I allowed myself not to notice nature and its beauty in this way? I noticed gratitude and compassion arising in me, and the feeling was magical. The sun was shining on my face and I allowed my smile to widen. The memory of those ten minutes is still alive in me, I can still evoke the wonderful feelings I felt. In fact, I use this story in my therapeutic work when trying to invite clients to participate in mindful practice.

It seems to me human beings are increasingly forgetting how to connect with the natural world. This diminished connection with nature has created an unrest in us and is contributing to the rise of mental health problems. Mindfulness is a wonderful practice that can help quiet the mind and remind us of what is truly important, our connection to ourselves and the natural world. So next time you are walking past a sunset, a hedge, a river, or a tree take a moment to connect with nature, to marvel at it and to source some positive energy from it.

Here at VROE, we are using the Overview Effect to help people gain perspective and to remind them of who they are, and what they are part of. We are sending people on virtual immersive voyages to space to participate in Earth gazing. These voyages will be therapeutic and awe-inducing and will allow you to escape the daily noise of modern society and find harmony. Our one day workshops will focus on helping people develop mindfulness and self-compassion skills. We will provide people with an awe inducing glimpse into the connected natural world, this view will push attendees beyond their comfort zones and remind them of what is important. We will be launching our virtual reality workshops in 2020. At the moment we are working hard at VROE headquarters to create an immersive therapeutic world that will take your breath way. We hope to see you at our launch in 2020! Please get in touch with us , we would love to hear from you!