Last updated on November 22nd, 2024 at 09:24 am
Komorebi … the Japanese word that means “to the sunlight shining through the trees”
There are approximately 600,000 word forms in the English dictionary. Yet there is no English word used to describe the gentle phenomenon of dappled rays that peek through the dense foliage, casting a soft enchanting glow on the planes beneath. We’ve all found ourselves bewitched within this ethereal enchantment. Mesh of shadows and light, casting a delicate ambience of blissfulness as silent as a thought.
We’re surrounded by bounties of nature. Be it a starry sky, snowflakes on a crisp night, or a sun-kissed summer breeze. Finding presents in the presence; free from past dwellings and future worries, is the language of life.
“A leisurely stroll is a gift”, quoted within the film Saving Mr. Banks. The first time I watched this film was in 2018. This saying has stayed with me. Why? I’m not entirely sure. But I find myself coming back to it’s truth. Like the advice of a parent, ultimately you will arrive at the certainty that they were right.
Through winding trails and rocky ground, we find our peace, a solace found.
Each stride carries burdens away, in nature’s embrace, worries sway…
Ram Dass, a famous American philosopher, once said that “we’re all just walking each other home”. A rooted sense of self allows us to reflect on the interconnected existence we all share.
At times where I find doubts clouding my mind and the day’s stresses at the forefront, I look to nature for comfort. I live in a built-up residential estate. Nothing but blocks of bricks surround me. Urban living does not lend itself well to me. Which is why, whenever I find myself in nature, I embrace the eclectic tones. Expansive greenery, intricate landscapes. Not to appreciate such beauty is almost an injustice against the self. When we give ourselves to the vastness of the open space, as if a moment is captured from an otherwise fleeting world -we get to feel the now.
I believe that we all have a nostalgic connection with nature. A reminder of simpler times where the great outdoors was enough to satisfy our curiosities. Though in this digitalised world, where a faster pace is needed just to stay afloat, our childhood bond with nature is left wanting. Like an old friend we once knew, waiting patiently for us to return, and remind us of an innocence once felt. Sunlight in and of itself has been widely known to benefit overall health of mind and body. What we took for granted in childhood is now on the verge of scarcity in adolescence. Our exposure to nature has dwindled over the foregone years. As I write this passage from behind an office window overlooking a lake, I cast myself back to when my childhood imagination was in full drive whilst playing in the garden after school. Equipped with an unfiltered wonderment and energy to match, whilst alone and yet… together with my fictional friends. Be them in the form of the leisurely clouds, the wild blades of grass, the ambrosial scent within the evening air. Happiness without cost.
Colours have a psychological impact on moods and behaviours. For example, yellow is commonly associated with cheeriness, red with anger and black with sadness. I hold the belief that this world did not come into existence by chance. Vibrancy of hues and shades to adorn the palette of colours wherever we look is an illuminating canvas and a site for sore eyes we all take pleasure from. The Blueness of the sky elicits hopes and aspirations one wishes to attain. Whiteness of the clouds and snowflakes evokes peace and stillness. Redness of autumn leaves and streaks of a sunset extract feelings of emotion. Yellow, the primary colour of sunlight, draws out warmth and optimism, whilst the colour green has been known for it’s propensity towards calmness and growth.
Nature contains a terrible beauty, uncompromising and instilled. Untamed, ferocious, yet in the same breath gentle and beguiling. It attracts you towards its predictable chaos. And within this chaos we find ourselves at home. A delicate, awe-inspiring dance of the balances that surround us in it’s grasp. As the bitterness of winter brings with it the blossoms of springs, so do the embers of summer and the seething autumn winds. The seasons reminding us of the ebbs and flows of life. And for every dark cloud there is a silver lining.
For there is always enough light for the one who wishes to see.