The one about…..Thin places
Standing in silence with a few others this morning in an ancient churchyard, surrounded by birdsong, primroses and daffodils as the sun rose and the flames flickered in a nearby firepit put me in a thin place. It is easy to imagine many generations doing the same on Easter Day at dawn. It was a moment of connection.
To the Celts ( of which I am one) thin places were those where the presence of a higher being/heaven/creative force is almost tangible. Places where you feel an energy or spirit greater than yourself. Something beyond words, where the ordinary and the extraordinary intermingle. A place where the boundary between the physical world and a mystical or spiritual one is believed to be exceptionally thin, thus facilitating a moment of connection between the two. In thin places you may find your imagination ignited by thoughts of what has been before you.
Thin places often are remote - the tops of mountains; wild, uninhabited coastlines; deep in ancient woodland. Wild bathing in sacred wells is thin as are ancient places like Avebury early in the morning, as the mist swirls around the stones. Romantics called this the Sublime and I have felt it too on the top of a mountain when the weather turns or beside the ocean on a stormy day.
But I can also find thin spaces walking in the lanes on a moonlit night or working in my garden. It’s the combination of silence, nature and connecting to the land in the ways many generations have done before me that brings me in touch with an energy beyond words and greater than myself. They provide a refuge that reduces stress, anxiety and overstimulation.
And so it is heartening that nature prescriptions are experiencing a significant surge in popularity and implementation of late. Driven in part by a growing body of evidence linking regular, guided time in nature to improved mental and physical health, GPs and social prescribers are turning to the healing power of guided time in nature. Well established for veterans, the long-term unemployed, with some school pupils and those experiencing poor mental health, there are now pilot programmes to support individuals navigating grief. Whether that takes individuals into thin spaces or just fosters a sense of community and connection, working in a garden or walking in the lanes, that has to be a positive step. I’m involved in one such project in my community. Get in touch if you'd like to know more. Or use the comments here to share your own experiences.