It was a cold February afternoon, yet the sun warmed the orchard of pear trees. I sat on the grass-matted ground in the backyard of Sparrow Woods’ Mud cottages, sensing the soft earth, the cold breeze, and the warm sun. The first thing I noticed was the Persian Speedwell flowers (purple flowers with blue streaks). Then I watched Grey Langurs jumping from one branch of a pear tree to another, feeding on the tender, freshly sprouted leaves.
Entry of a baby Langur and its mother. The baby was curious and notorious as usual. It kept leaping away from its mother in an attempt to explore the surroundings. The baby tries to grab parts of the tree independently while struggling to balance. Mother, being the protective figure, kept pulling the little one closer.
Entry of bees into the scene. They hover all around, allowing me to observe one of them, a yellow bee with black stripes, the Indian honey bee. These bees are busy extracting nectar from the flowers blossoming on the ground. Now I comprehend the dispersal of tiny, flowering, grass-like, small ground plants. Further, I notice another bee-like insect, the Bee Fly, with a long, needle-like extension from its face, which it uses to extract nectar.
Self – Reflection
At this point, it occurs to me that we always end up observing the happenings at eye level or above. On the other hand, the activities on the soil’s horizon are at a whole new level. The life just beneath and around our feet is buzzing with such abundance. Often, we miss interacting with this part.
As I felt meditative with all that was happening around me, my mind turned inquisitive all of a sudden! I noticed another juvenile grey Langur. He tries to grab hold of leaves from a branch that appears almost lifeless. I wonder why the choice? Is it a playful act, or is the young Langur still immature to feed on the right ones? I hear screeches among the langurs, which is a form of communication, I suppose. The young Langur is sitting on a U-shaped branch that hangs loose and swings. Again, I wonder, did the young one choose this swing to play with? Does it enjoy the swing? Soon, an older Langur arrives close by, probably to keep an eye on the young one.
Getting back to feeling meditative- As I sit on the earth, experiencing all that’s happening, I sense an ease with which I’m breathing. I feel lightness in or over my chest. I need not put in extra effort, guidance or music to concentrate on my breath. I effortlessly inhale deeper breaths and realise that nature has rejuvenated and relaxed me- naturally.
While being consciously rejuvenated by nature, one learns about behaviours, details, and ecosystem roles of individual beings in the natural world. Welcome to your School of Nature, no better classrooms than Nature itself!