Hello friends,
In his poem “To Autumn,” John Keats refers to this time of year as a “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.” Walking outdoors is a great way to enjoy a kind of mellow fruitfulness as you wander with curiosity, move your body, and grow in appreciation for your natural surroundings.
With that in mind, today I have a gift for you! I would love to share the guided nature/prayer walk from my virtual autumn retreat. Originally, it was only included in the retreat experience, but I uploaded it as a podcast episode so you can more easily access and use it whenever you’d like.
This is a 30-minute experiential time of movement and reflection to help you connect with God, yourself, and the natural world. Find a place that brings you peace, and set out to wander without an agenda. If you can, choose a natural setting where there are trees, water, or other foliage to look at. Or try a library, bookshop, or gallery — anywhere you can take time to simply be.
At the end are journaling questions in case you'd like to reflect on your time through writing. Feel free to enjoy this guided walk anytime you need to slow down and find some calm again. (It would also make a great pre-sleep audio meditation!) As always, you can stream this episode on Spotify, Audible, or Amazon Music. I would love to hear one of your takeaways in the comments below, if you’d like to share.
Here are a few moments of “mellow fruitfulness” from this past week, along with two books I’ve been savoring:
May you continue to walk in well-being, finding peace + calm in everyday moments.
With you,
Bailey
* The instrumental songs used in this episode were composed by Simon Wester - music licensed from Artlist.
* Journaling questions are inspired and adapted from the Pray As You Go app's guided prayer walk, "Walking with God."
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*Due to health issues, my ability to engage in traditional work is currently limited, making this publication a true labor of love. I would love to continue writing while on my health journey, so if you feel led to support my creative work/ministry in this way, I would be honored!