When the days feel full, go to nature
You should sit in nature 20 minutes every day…Unless you are busy, then you should sit for at least an hour.
I have always loved this Zen proverb. It feels simple, almost obvious. And yet, when life gathers momentum, it can be easy to forget.
The pull of work, responsibility, and constant communication can draw us into a kind of mental compression. The never-ending hamster wheel of to‑do lists and overflowing inboxes that sometimes feels like opening Pandora’s box. We know we need space, but we tell ourselves we’ll take it later.
This week marked my return to work after a month away from my computer, emails, and projects. I was aware, even before opening my laptop, that it might feel like lifting the lid off a bubbling pot of soup, that familiar sense of urgency, the feeling that everything needed attention all at once. Just anticipating it had my nervous system on edge.
With it still being summer, and after having spent so much time outdoors over the past month, I decided that before sitting down to work, I would go for a short walk. Nothing ambitious. Just a chance to stretch my legs, walk the dog, and allow my thoughts to arrive gently.
That twenty‑minute walk turned into an hour‑long wander down to the bay at low tide… and a spontaneous dip in the ice‑cold Atlantic.
Somewhere between the sea air and the shock of cold water, my to‑do list rearranged itself. My body remembered how to settle. My breathing deepened. By the time I returned home and finally opened my computer, I felt resourced rather than overwhelmed.
It was a quiet reminder of something I return to again and again in my work: tending to our most basic needs is not optional. It is foundational. Whether we are mothers, birth workers, caregivers, or simply human beings moving through full lives, regulation, safety, and presence are where everything else begins.
That morning set the tone for my return and it filled me with renewed excitement for the offerings unfolding within the True Midwifery community.
As we begin a new year of Study Spirals, I’m delighted to be welcoming my dear friend and longtime collaborator, Karin Slabaugh, for our first gathering.
In this upcoming Study Spiral, we will explore the fundamental needs of the newborn and the delicate unfolding of the mother‑baby relationship in the first hours and days of life. Drawing on the wisdom of Maria Montessori and the insights of Michel Odent, Karin invites us to reflect on how birth and early adaptation shape what is often called Primal Health, the subtle interplay of hormonal, immune, and primal brain systems.
Through this lens, we will consider what it means to create environments of zero separation and zero interruption: spaces where the newborn’s deep need for safety and serenity can unfold naturally, and where the quiet presence of attendants allows mother and baby to reconnect and begin life together in peace.
If you are interested and would like to learn more about this upcoming spiral, and the programme for 2026 see HERE
These reflections are not only about birth. They speak to a wider truth: that life thrives when we slow down, listen closely, and protect the conditions that allow connection to emerge.
As I move back into work this year, I’m holding that morning by the sea as a compass.
When the days feel full, go to nature.
When the mind feels loud, return to the body.
And when in doubt, tend first to what is most basic.
With warmth,
Ruth
