Story: Lavender and the Bees
I remember bringing a group of older children to our land and gardens. We went swimming in the pond and took a silent walk through several ecosystems so they could experience for themselves how each area felt, while taking note of the shifts they felt inside as we made our way weaving through the land. Note that our rhythm was intentional, first a swim to cool off, and have some fun,(it was a hot summer day) then a long silent walk through a variety of ecosystems. The walk was intentionally designed to slow the children down. They were invited to drop into their bodies and experience how they felt inside as they moved through the land. There were areas filled with mosses and stones, forest and fields. When we popped out of the woods, we arrived at a large planting of Lavender, consisting of about 25-30 Lavender plants in full bloom. Their aroma filled the air, as our group settled itself in a circle around the Lavender bed.
Lavender at White Dove
By this point, their minds had quieted and they slowed down enough to be aware of themselves and their own inner language of feeling, seeing, and sensing the interface between themselves and the natural world. I want to pause for a moment here, and highlight that one of the ways into shifting our perceptions, is to slow ourselves down. This can clearly be accomplished in so many ways!
When we arrived at the lavender patch we sat quietly observing, inhaling their fragrance, watching the bees as they visited one flower, then another. We were all listening to the sounds, and feeling into the field of energy generated by this patch of Lavender thriving in our less than familiar Vermont Climate. I let a good ten-15 minutes of silent observation pass, (a long time for children) before I brought the group back into present time. We took time to share our experiences with one another. In general the children expressed that they felt relaxed, they felt at peace, they felt held, some were sleepy, but one child stood out to me that day. She was one of the older kids in this session and she had kept herself kind of separate for the first couple of days of camp, not wanting to really participate with the group, preferring to read a book in the corner by herself. But this day had brought her present into herself, and brought her out of hiding. She spoke up for the first time all week, and her eyes held a sparkle that we had not seen before; She said “ I have just learned the most amazing thing! I have been watching the bees visit the lavender flowers, and they spend time visiting one flower, then they spend time on the next flower, and then the next. I realize that this is how I can better focus for myself. When I do something, I focus on that and only that , then when I am done I go to the next thing and I can focus fully on this and on and on!” She had had a profound breakthrough about herself, reflected by the interaction she observed between the bees and the Lavender. I never forgot this and I imagine that that lesson has stuck with her and has helped her to know how to manage her wandering attention. What a life gift, offered to her from 15 minutes of presence with the plants!
When we pursue this practice of presence, investing the gift of time into this practice, we can learn so much. We may learn what plants are needed for our own good health, we may receive messages about what the plants need for themselves, or what plants other people in our lives may need.
Let me emphasize to you that this is not some far fetched notion, in fact it is a very natural experience that happens all the time. Yet it may not be where our focus is and we thus miss the gift of connection, ‘cause we are busy in our minds and deeds.
My hope is that through working with the plants we may support our children to trust what they see, feel, hear, smell, and witness.
