With slow steps it is easier to see details and changes. See that which suddenly changes to a piece of natural still life from one day to the next. Frozen leaves and petals have a tendency to become autumnal jewels and you have to go slowly forward to find the beautiful constellations of a collection of leaves that have been swirled together or perennials that have been floored by the cold of the night and been covered by the shimmering frost.
I don’t think I am alone in feeling that November is a tough month. Tough because it is so dark and it is some kind of intermediate between the colourful autumn and the winter that usually has not yet fully started, this is why I have started to see November as a chosen slow month. In a positive way. To decide for yourself, as far as you can, that it will be slow and in that way embrace the grey and dark that November often contains and look at it as a challenge to take it easy, slow down, to concentrate on your breathing and see the small beautiful details that despite it all are there.
A lot of times, that is not so easy. Life with its nuances might not provide the space that would be needed for a period with a slow pace, no matter how needed it is. What I tend to do then is to plan the time for it instead. I simply have to. One way is to have a daily walk in the garden planned, even during wintertime if there is not too much snow on the ground. It does not have to take more than 15 min, but it means so much. If it has got dark before it is possible then I light a few lanterns. I love to walk around in the garden even when it is dark. It does not really become completely black. There are of course many ways to get some slow time and it does not need to mean a walk in the garden or in nature.
One tip is to get a ‘Slow journal’ with a goal for every day, or as often as possible write down something beautiful that you have noticed, or a change that you have observed, something nice that you have done or experienced and similar moments of slowness and presence in the now. If I were good at sketching I would have made a simple sketch in the book instead. Such a journal becomes meaningful in many ways. It helps to make slow moments happen as often as possible but also gives a recollection and confirmation of the moment or experience when you write it down. Also the feeling of gratitude becomes clear. Last wrote in mine:
En “Slow november” låter underbart. Borde ta mig tid till det.. men det är svårt. Snart börjar den intensiva tiden på jobbet inför julen, och allt annat privat spring, blogg… oj oj, ser inte ut att hinna bli så slow för mig 😉
/Kitty
Det är sannerligen inte lätt att ta sig tid till att sakta ner emellanåt. Inte här heller 🙂 Det viktiga är att försöka hitta tillfällen, om än de är små och blir av i perioder. Det är lätt att tappa bort sig annars.:-)
Så vacker! Detta är klokt. Today I discovered your lovely Instagram and blog as I was looking for more Swedish sites in areas of personal interest to me to follow to help me as I am learning the Swedish language. I was looking for something nice for Swedish practice. But, happy surprise! Slow gardening in somber November—taking garden walks with a lantern. Just what I needed to think about today! You fed my very weary soul. Tack så mycket! Best wishes from Pennsylvania, USA!
Thanks, so nice to hear. Welcome 🙂