Today’s exercise involved watching a video of natural beauty and experiencing awe. I agree it’s a beautiful video, but I do awe better without videos.
I experience joy in the natural world and find awe in the details of small things, such as the flowers and baby bunnies in my neighbourhood right now.
This exercise reminded me of work by the philosopher Helen De Cruz who very recently died. Her book Wonderstruck: How Wonder and Awe Shape the Way We Think explores the role of awe in our lives.
Reading various reviews of the Big Joy project I see that not everyone enjoyed watching the Yosemite video.
Here’s Emma Beddington writing for the Guardian, who like me finds awe in the natural world in her garden:
“Awe can make us feel more connected and compassionate and can increase feelings of physical and mental wellbeing. Unfortunately, as I tackle this nature-based awe exercise – watching a video of Yosemite – a worrying work issue crops up that sends me spiralling. The footage is very beautiful, but it barely registers with my heart thudding and palms sweating.
But dwelling in awe is one thing I know how to do, and it doesn’t happen in front of my laptop. I go into the garden and sit quietly on the ground. A robin comes very close to observe me; long-tailed tits flit around the feeders; the light is beautiful. Suburban York is no Yosemite; but it takes me out of my own exhausting head and gives me a fraction more perspective on my work problems.”
You can read about Day 1 of Big Joy here and about what the Big Joy project is all about here.
Day 2 is here.
And Day 3 is here.
And Day 4 is here.
Day 5 is here.
Was in transit as you were writing these reflections–so happy to read them now, in my city of joy, London!