Invitation to Kiss the Earth
Snuggle up with nature during June
I have a special invitation for you. It will ask you for twelve golden minutes every day during June. It will offer you steadiness, unexpected beauty, spaciousness, fresh inspiration and deep consolation. First, a story…
In 2010 I fell in love. It was glorious and all-consuming and I am still head over heels. I fell in love with dear Earth. Her outrageous poppies, her vast misty horizons, her gauzy dragonflies. The music of breeze riffling her leaves, the fizz of her passion fruits, the touch of soft dried bamboo leaves under my bare feet.
It came about when I wrote a novel about a gardener. As a part of my research I visited quirky garden spaces, learnt the names of flowers, and read books that were love letters to nature. I spent a morning with a gentle, beautiful man who had been gardening for fifty years. I started to notice how much was green and growing, as if a veil had been lifted from my eyes.
To be honest, it wasn’t the first time I’d fallen for her. When I was little I was besotted with the feeling of thick mud squishing between my toes. As a teenager I lay under trees and watched sunlight shining through the leaves. I became infatuated by the sweet scent of the temple roses, with a shy horse with long eyelashes, when I spotted a weed struggling through a broken pavement, when I saw the delicate upturned tail of a wren.
During June, I am inviting you to fall in love again. Maybe you have neglected your relationship with dear Earth because of the pressures of modern life, and so it will be a time of becoming reacquainted. Maybe you are already in the throes of a love affair and these daily practices will be the cherry blossom on your cake. Maybe you will enter the month in need of something specific - rest, wisdom, courage, renewal, direction, or comfort. If so, I trust that the Earth will find creative ways of offering you exactly that.
Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh.
Here’s what we’ll do. We will spend a little time, every single day during June, hanging out with nature. There will be various options to make this accessible and possible for everyone, regardless of your circumstances (see The Invitation, below).
I’ll send a daily email for paid subscribers to Going Gently including my most beloved poems about the Earth, a short reflection and a link to a lovely piece written by someone else here on Substack. You can see an example of this daily email here. If you want to receive these but you can’t afford a month’s subscription right now, just drop me an email: satya@satyarobyn.com.
The Invitation.
During June you are invited to do three things every day:
🌏 Spend some time with nature. If possible, spend ten minutes a day outside. You can sit, lie, stand, or walk slowly. Be quiet if you can, and open your senses. If you haven’t got ten minutes, five minutes or even twenty seconds will do.
It doesn’t matter if you’re in your suburban garden, in deep forests, or surrounded by concrete and sky-scrapers - wherever you are there will be weather, at least a small scrap of green, and the sky.
If you can’t get outside then sit inside - within sight of a window if you can - and dear Earth will come to you. Remember that walls and beds and mugs and people (including you) are also the Earth.
However you decide to do it, don’t forget to listen!
🌎 Read a poem about nature. If possible, read it out loud. Maybe even read it outside.
I’ve found many beauties in this Earth Prayers anthology, or find collections online, or subscribe for my daily email in June which will include my favourite nature poems.
I like to see this practice as my saying a prayer to the Earth, and I often imagine the Earth listening and smiling warmly at me.
I will read a poem every day during June in a short Zoom meeting, as I have been since last September as part of a year-long eco-activism project. If you’re in the UK (or up very early or very late!) you would be SO welcome to join me at 8am UK time. We sit for ten minutes in silence after the poem and you’d be welcome to stay for that or not. I’ll also repeat the session at 2pm UK time (9am EST) on Saturday 1st of June. If a couple of folk are willing to hold the space, you could keep this extra slot going every day - get in touch if this might be you. More information and Zoom details are here.
🌏 Say thank you to dear Earth. This could be as simple as bowing to the Earth when you have finished saying your poem, or as elaborate as thinking about little ways in which you could live more gently on the Earth during June. You might also want to spend a few minutes thinking of all the things you’ve received from the Earth over the last 24 hours.
I find that when I say thank you as a daily ritual, whether I feel grateful or not, the gratitude follows.
There are lots of different options here. I would suggest that you decide exactly what you’ll do ahead of time, keeping your plan feasible and as simple as you can, and then stick to your plan as much as you can.
I would also suggest that you approach this month, as always, with gentleness. If you don’t manage to get outside for a few days, or if you forget to say thank you for a week, that’s okay - even one conscious ten-minute period outside during June will be better than none. New habits are notoriously difficult to make space for, and all sorts of things inside of us and outside of us conspire to hold us where we are.
If you encounter any resistance, I’d suggest that rather than pushing through, you get curious about why it might have arisen and what it might be protecting you from. As examples there may be feelings of frustration or confusion that are waiting to rise up in silence, or you may be protecting yourself from some eco-grief.
Don’t shove yourself into doing anything. A gentle nudge is fine, but anything more than that won’t be sustainable and it may lead to internal backlashes. If anything feels uncomfortable, just step back and ask the Earth (or your journal or a friend) for guidance.
You might enjoy it more and it may help you commit if you ask a friend to accompany you, either in person or from afar. It’s fun to share adventures with others. See which of your friends might be up for it by sharing this invitation post with them.
Okay - we’re all set!
The Earth is more complex, resilient, mysterious and bountiful than we could ever imagine. I often find that just the right wisdom is waiting for me if I take the time to tune in. Keep an open mind, and who knows where this adventure might take you… I can’t wait to accompany you.
Go gently,
Satya <3
Satya Robyn is a writer, a Buddhist teacher and an Internal Family Systems therapist. Her latest books are Dear Earth: Love, Grief and Activism and Just As You Are: Buddhism for Foolish Beings. She lives in Malvern in the UK with her spouse Kaspa and enjoys dog walks, writing on Substack and expensive chocolate.
In my daily routine, I take two 20-minute walks, one in the early morning and one in the late evening.
My father instilled in me the value of walking for health and well-being.
As a 71-year-old retiree living in a senior citizen apartment complex, my walking options are limited to three laps around the property. There are no other safe options for me to take a walk based on this neighborhood.
I strongly believe in the importance of connecting with Nature, even in urban environments. My primary way of engaging with nature during my walks is through observing the trees and the lawn.
While it may seem like everything is simply green, upon closer examination, I notice subtle variations. Different tree species have slightly different shades of green, and the sun and shade create further variations. Then the shifting colors of the autumn leaves are a delight.
Even the hedges, though the same species, vary in appearance due to the amount of sunlight they receive.
Additionally, patches of clover, dandelions, and weeds grow tall to be mowed down again.
On windy days, I pay attention to the sensation of the wind on my clothes, finding it to be a meditative experience.
I intentionally choose early morning and late evening walks to avoid the intense Texas heat, and while sunrises and sunsets are often mundane, they can occasionally be breathtaking.
During the day I may go to visit a neighbor or check the mail. Then sometimes the cloud formations can be arresting.
This season has brought an abundance of butterflies.
When I turn off my thinking, I can often hear the songs of birds.
While my walking route may be limited, I can find a connection to Nature during my daily strolls.
Beautiful Satya. Thank you. I agree with you that sending all living beings love is important.