When you relax on Country, life becomes simpler. Put down your phone, put a blanket in the grass, and disconnect. After the subtlety of stimulation leaves you, pick out the low noises background tones usually missed in everyday life. In our childhoods, we do this a lot more often. Maybe while running around, or dancing,  but nonetheless without the worries of a demanding life. "Natural environments stimulate play, development, and learning in a special boundless way” (Wilson, 2007 p. 4).

Time Away

The time melted away when I sat in the garden, enveloped by warm sun and those finer noises. I felt 15 minutes to be a long time to sit and do nothing, but to my surprise, I spent over 45 minutes without noticing the time pass. The wind rustled the trees and the cars passed nearby, and a dog barked near me. I heard the bees and some birds chirping, and I noticed clovers in the grass. This soundscape relaxed me. It reminded me of my childhood, most of it spent outdoors, creating stories among the backyard. A natural environment is an ideal stage for children’s play, according to Wilson (2007).

Ourselves

When I learnt about Dadirri, I understood it instantly. To slow down and go with the river’s flow and understand our soul. “Dadirri recognises the deep spring that is inside us. We call on it and it calls to us. This is the gift that Australia is thirsting for. It is something like what you call "contemplation"” (Ungunmerr-Baumann, 2002, p. 1). Contemplation consumes us all, and making time for it will bring us peace. Spending time outdoors will connect us to what defines us: the narrative music that moves us in the quiet moments.

awareness (pp. 1–4). Emmaus Productions.

Wilson, R. A. (2007). Nature and young children: Encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments (3rd ed.). Routledge.