The more knowledge you accumulate the more you see things differently. Most people walk through the bush and see nothing, notice nothing just green if that. They look but don’t see, hear but don’t listen.

Short story long. When your first told your terminal they make you write a list of what you’d like to accomplish when you become healthy. Pretty much all of my list turned into , whats the politically correct term. A cluster fuk.

I fell into bushcraft and it took root and from doing bushcraft courses has gotten me through a lot of sickness, rehab and pain. Helped to focus my mind. A mate said to me I have probably achieved a level of resilientness that most people can only dream about.

I read a book called Celestine Prophecy, The author is probably a nut job but the book says that when we go to the celestial plane we choose the life were to reincarnate into in order to learn life’s lessons. I came away with two things from that. One I stopped being angry with what was happening to me (the important one) and second looking back on it I was probably a dumbarse for putting myself through all this BS.

However I’m now on a path that I wouldn’t have been on otherwise. Ironically I would have been dead long ago if I hadn’t become sick.

I first learned about mindfulness through martial arts. Mindfulness is the practice of purposely bringing one’s attention to the present-moment experience without evaluation

Through mindful awareness we can realize an engaged life for ourselves. Engaged living is about being aware of our choice to connect to our own Truth, live in harmony and in gratitude for every moment of our lives.

Mindfulness and engaged living will inevitably overlap. One who practices mindfulness turns their everyday life into an art.

Awareness. We first have to be aware in order to decide how to live differently. Mindfulness practice is an ideal way of generating awareness in life. In mindfulness practice, every action we take is done with awareness

Engaged living relates to the actions behind the awareness, in both large and small things. Though it’s difficult to practice mindfulness all the time, by making choices to live an engaged life, the structure of one’s life changes. And as the structure changes, mindfulness flows.

The last maybe fifteen years I have studied everything from botany to history. When I walk a trail now I see differently I also don’t just focus with my eyes when I can also listen, smell, taste and feel.

I look around me and know the trees are Yellow Box gum trees and that they’re good for honey, which part of the country Im in, its good for firewood and building.

That the clouds are Cumulus and are less than 2000 meters in altitude. The different sizes of cumulus clouds have four differing types. If the cloud you’re looking at is wider than it is tall, then it’s a cumulus humilis. If it’s as wide as it is tall, then it’s a cumulus mediocris. But when a cumulus cloud is taller than it is wide, known as cumulus congestus, If cumulus congestus clouds continue their vertical growth, they’re capable of producing rain, and can eventually morph into a cumulonimbus cloud, or thunderstorm.

On the ground plantain is growing ,the seeds are called Psyllium and can be used as a porridge, the leaves can be eaten in salads, soups and stews or sautéd and contain vitamin C, E and K.

I can recognize a dandelion is one of the most nutritious leafy greens to eat. This plant contains vitamin A, C and K, calcium and iron. The young leaves and yellow flower petals of the dandelion plant can be used in a salad, sandwiches, go well with egg dishes, added to soups and stews, or cooked like spinach. The dandelion root can be used as a coffee substitute.

Im still learning about the medicinal virtues of plants. Bird language has recently interested me. Australian birds have 10 vocal expressions/categories, Alarm, ground predator alarm, aerial predator alarm, annoyance , territorial, courtship, mimicry, aggression , begging, contact calling, pain , joy. Bird species overseas have more likely five vocalizations, song, companion call, territorial aggression, begging and alarm.

I look at everything differently now.

Nature Awareness Techniques as an Application of Mindfulness