There’s a soft earthy path which winds away into the wild woods. We can walk together along its soft curves, deeper and deeper into the trees. Here we can escape our worried thoughts, moving closer and closer into a vibrant awareness of the sensory world around us. We can escape our busy minds and chose to reconnect with the stillness and truth of our bodies.
Our skin feels the warm touch of sunlight, and cool patches of shadow, drifting beneath the trees. While birdsong enchants our ears with its layers of sweet notes, spilling down from hidden branches. If we allow ourselves, our whole awareness can rest on these beautiful sensations, leaving no room for thinking and its troubled circles.
Wild garlic tickles our noses with its strong presence, calling us over and over to look down at its beautiful white stars.
Everything around us is infused with fresh lime green light, filtered by the baby beach leaves overhead. Even the waves of sound from the outside world, feel fresh and soft in the heart of the wild woods.
The forest floor reaches up towards us with her soft green fingers, uncurling themselves towards the sun. They are awakening after a long winter sleep.
Between the ferns, the tinkle of bluebells calls us ever deeper into nature, and into our senses. Blue bells filled with light, swaying in a soft spring breeze, help us escape from everyday thoughts and distractions. If you listen you will hear the tune, calling us away from the distractions of the world, and back into connection with the earth.
Waves of flowers are waiting to break on the soft woodland banks, like spears of blue asparagus. Life is awakening in the wild woods, and we can choose to hear its call and awaken too, escaping from the sleep of a disconnected life. Our bodies are the best routes back to ourselves, and the feeling of being alive in this moment. Will you follow me, and escape back to yourself, deep within the heart of spring?
see more photos about escape at the weekly photo challenge.
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge – Escape | Joe's Musings
Pingback: Escape | Ireland, Multiple Sclerosis & Me
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Curves – Structure | SERENDIPITY
Great collection of pictures. Wonderful post. 🙂
Thanks so much Arindam 🙂
I was going to say, ‘Nicely done,’ but that always seems to be my response to your beautiful posts. These words were especially well chosen and quite true to the experience of walking the wood … if one allows oneself to hear such callings. I’m not sure I’ve expressed that correctly. What I am trying to say is that you have put your finger squarely on to the spiritual (note the word choice … I did not say religious) side of a simple walk in the wood. For, it can truly be that for those that will allow it. With regard to your obvious appreciation of nature and your ability to express this spiritual side … you follow in the footsteps of Aldo Leopold and many like him. Nicely done.
Wow, that’s some compliment. Mighty big footsteps to follow…..but I will keep trying 🙂
I’m so glad you appreciate the spiritual side of nature, and of connecting with the natural world, it is the biggest healing force we have at our disposal, and yet it is so often overlooked.
For me it’s as though nature brings me back to myself, and my physical body.
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Escape (Reading while travelling) | What's (in) the picture?
Thanks for liking my recent post. This is very refreshing. A lot of people especially in the cities forget about nature but it can really tune a persons mind. I think a lot of city dwellers have become hardened but they don’t realise it.
I think you might be right…nature has a wonderfully calming and healing effect on the mind and the body. We can lose connection with it so easily, and with our bodies, which are of course part of nature 🙂
What a lovely tribute to spring and its array of flowers. I have never seen a wild garlic blossom. Truly amazing.
My pleasure Mary, the wild garlic flowers are a wonderful part of spring here in the UK. They are almost gone now, making way for natures next wave….the bluebells 🙂
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Escape (Dalai Lama Summer Palace) | What's (in) the picture?
Wow, I can almost feel the relaxing escape you had!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing 😀
Thanks Tania, it’s so lovely that you can feel relaxed by reading my post. What a lovely compliment 🙂
Thanks for taking me to your verdant world. I enjoyed the journey.
Eric it was lovely that you followed me into the fresh green woods. Verdant is a great word for what nature s doing right now 🙂
great photos.. a wonderful escape 🙂
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed escaping into the woods 🙂
Seonaid — just beautiful! So serene, so peaceful and your words vividly bring to life that yellow-green light in spring that permeates the forest.
Thanks for the lovely comment Kat.
I just love the colours in the woods at this time of year…so fresh…cant get enough of it 🙂
Mesmerizing… and the shot up the beech trunk into the “lime green air” is glorious
Thanks Penny, you have to love lime green air after months of grey winter 🙂
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: (No) Escape (Morning Drill Lhasa) | What's (in) the picture?
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Escape 3 | Bastet and Sekhmet
Wish I could follow you into the green paradise right now! I felt rejuvenated just by ogling at those photographs and reading those paragraphs suffused with the spirit of nature.
Green paradise, I love that description….I’m glad you escaped at least in your mind 🙂
great, especially lying down the forest floor…like no. 3 and these fantastic angles…you tiny green fairy……btw. what kind is your equipment and lenses…?
wishing nice pentecost..^^ gr8
werner
Thanks Werner, and yes I did spend most of this walk and shoot in the woods lying on the earth 🙂 I came home quite a muddy fairy!
I’m using a Canon 650d, and I just had my standard but versatile 18 – 55mm lens.
I’m saving up for a new macro lens 🙂
Wallowing in the Beauty and Bounty of Nature is always a great and refreshing escape from urban living…
Indeed 🙂 nature the great escape 🙂
The magic of spring – I get lost in the Zone being out there, as well. Your bluebells are a bit different from ours here (Did you see my post on Virginia bluebells?). Just a few days ago, I went out and was shown a huge area of pink ladyslippers (native orchids) that were absolutely gorgeous blanketing the forest floor. It was like a fairytale land….I hope to post pics sometime soon.
Yes I remember commenting on how different your Virginia bluebells were….and you asked to see our Scottish bluebells when they bloomed….here is the first unfurling 🙂
such a perfect day.
It was a perfect space in an otherwise hectic week 🙂
Thank goodness for the wild woods….
yes!
actually, i wish i could hide away in there for the next two weeks…
Lovely post. 😀
Thanks 🙂
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Escape (from the Rain) | What's (in) the picture?
Places of enchantment, indeed. In that first picture, one can almost see the fairies out of the corner of one’s eye, and it is so tempting to wander towards the curve in the path and beyond.
It’s so good to be tempted by nature, and who can say no to a fairy…..especially one twinkling in the corner of your eye. Let’s walk into that curve….who knows what we might discover 🙂
I’m with you! Er, you guarantee no wolves or evil witches?
I totally promise 🙂
Refreshing, great quality photos!
Thanks Franz, refreshed is a great way to feel in Springtime 🙂
Your photos really capture the sensations you feel when walking in the woods…it is quite special. Thank you for the reminder that there is a little bit of wonderful out there.
My pleasure Charlie, so glad you tagged along.
I suspect that there’s lots of wonderful out there 🙂
Wonderful. Green is my colour.
Oh mine too Anna Christine, so spring is one of my favorite seasons when its fresh green waves finally wash over the land…
Yes, finally! Today was such a beautiful day and I would have wanted to go out in the woods – unfortunately I have come down with a dreadful cold and have to stay in bed…slowly nibbling at my PC.
I took these photos a few days ago as I have been super busy for the last four days, so it was a great reminder to slip back into my senses while I wrote up this post. Hope you recover from the horrible cold soon 🙂
gorgeous…i just posted along similar lines…with all that fresh green springiness that is just so irresistible ( tho i confess to my pictures being taken a few weeks ago when it was sunnier and warmer than now )
Oh bring back the sun….I’m hoping the bluebells will be fully open and bathed in sunlight on my next visit 🙂 Love your fresh green post.