In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks —John Muir
Throughout my six years at The Valley School, nothing has brought me more happiness than nature walks with children. The Valley is blessed with abundant nature, and we don’t miss any opportunity to take our little ones on walks. Nature walks form an integral part of our life here. Working with children of ages seven to nine is extremely rewarding; every new walk reveals a new lesson, a new surprise, and a new way to look at life. It is always such a joy to see the wonder in a child’s eye when they see a new mushroom or gasp at a butterfly. Nature walks are where I connect with children the most and explore their love for nature with them. It is our space where we understand nature and our connection to it.
This year Mina, who is ten years old and visually impaired, entered our lives and added a whole new colour to our walks. We welcomed Mina into our environment with open arms. Initially, we were very aware of the new addition to our small family. There is constant worry regarding the unknown. As humans, we fear the unknown and steer clear of unfamiliarity. Pursuing the known seems to be a constant factor in our lives, although we seldom realise the futility of this. As a facilitator, I was preoccupied with and, at times, worried about her nature walks. My mind was constantly flooded with questions about how she would handle the terrain, whether the intent of the walks would come through to her, and whether she would be able to experience this oasis along with the other children.
To my surprise, the anxiety I felt at the beginning of the year eased very quickly. Our walks in the Valley played an essential role in this. Nature has a way of helping us cope with situations. It teaches us the beautiful art of patience, accepting the unknown, and opening our eyes to new possibilities.
Experiencing the Valley has always been tied with the sense of sight, and one takes for granted the role all our other senses play in our day-to-day life. Mina surprised everyone by adapting quickly to our environment. The children were eager to help Mina and were happy to lead her during the walks.
These conversations with her invoke certain questions in my mind. How does she perceive nature? How are these descriptions of sights imprinted in her mind? How is it that this child can feel so much beauty through her other senses? With the incessant rains in Bangalore, the Valley’s water bodies are filled to the brim. With puddles everywhere and the smell of green in the air, we are more conscious and mindful of what we are hearing, smelling, and feeling. Our walks, usually dominated by one sense, are now a mixture of various sensory experiences. It was Mina, however, who opened our hearts to our senses.
One day, we walked to Pigs Rock. Seventeen of us were making our way through the thorny bushes and varying terrain to reach the rock. The path was laden with stones and slippery moss after the rain. However, despite the entire route being unfamiliar to her, the unknown terrain did not faze her. She was so excited to follow the new sounds and go on a new adventure with the group. Her palpable joy was infectious and soon the entire group was excitedly making their way to Pigs Rock. Upon arriving there, we removed our footwear and sat on rocks, and later walked in the stream. I can still feel Mina’s hand squeeze mine in elation as she felt the soft round pebbles and the cascading water with her feet. We sat in silence near the stream, observing and taking in the various sounds around us.
Mina has boldly taken my hand with no hesitation and climbed mounds of gravel with me, and I too have shared the feeling of exhilaration with her. Another day, it was dark and cloudy, and the children were eagerly waiting for the first drops of rain. There was an unforgettable thrill in the air, and Mina shared the anticipation with the children. She never shows reluctance to walk through thorny bushes and is excited to feel touch-me-not plants. When she feels the dewdrops on the leaves and hugs a tree, her happiness is indescribable.
There is a beautiful sense of curiosity and wonder that has been instilled in the children because of Mina. Seeing Mina tracing her path around the school, many of the children try to do the same and experience the Valley like her. She learnt to map her daily routes by consistently taking the same path over and over again. Her perseverance is reflected in all her classes.
During art classes, she practised outlining the leaf, then filling the insides with colours, and also did some yarn work with the help of her art teacher. Mina’s zest for life and magnetic positivity is quick to spread. Whenever she stumbles on her way, she is unperturbed. Whenever she is hurt, she is the first to state that she is alright with a wide smile. Her perseverance is unmatched and amazes me every day.
Sights that go unnoticed become a marvel. Senses you never pay attention to become a surprise. You open your heart to new perceptions of the world and experience the world through so many different lenses. As our walks continue, I attempt to help Mina experience nature through the various sides of the Valley. We smell flowers, hug trees, touch cotton pods, squeeze what the children fondly call ‘susu’ pods and walk around barefoot.
Along with her friends, Mina feels the textures of leaves, plays with the prop roots of the Banyan, eats the wild berries, and even tastes the bitter Adhatoda leaves. She loves listening intently to bird sounds with her friends. She is intrigued by the colours of flowers, insects and trees around her and exclaims how beautiful they are.
We speak of ‘living in the moment’, but I had never truly experienced it until she came into our lives. Being in the present and experiencing the lightness of being is an immeasurable feeling. I do hope that every facilitator has the privilege of getting to experience this with Mina and that she always retains her fearless positive spirit.
Happiness is strange; it comes when you are not seeking it. When you are not making an effort to be happy, then unexpectedly, mysteriously, happiness is there, born of purity, of a loveliness of being. —J Krishnamurti