Firefly Gathering is nearly here! While we all crave the community, time in nature, hours spent crafting and soaking in new skills, dancing beneath the stars and more that come with the Annual Gathering, the need for loving self-care is an often overlooked part of our time together. With the weight of the violence we hear about daily, in addition to the general pressures of modern life many of us continue to face, we want everyone attending this year to consider how to tend to their mind and body while we’re together.
At Firefly, we encourage true self care. Not self care made mainstream where you create intentional moments to stop for a second during your hectic work week to take time for therapy and to hydrate. But the ancestral self care, where you get lost outdoors for hours playing, exploring, foraging and connecting. Where you recognize yourself as an extension of Mother Nature, realizing that you are here for the joyful discovery of what it means to be you. Before we gather, we urge you to consider the ways in which you will see to yourself. How will you honor and celebrate the fact that you are beautifully, wonderfully you?
If you, your family and your friends are attending Firefly (and we really hope you are), you have a unique opportunity to drop out of the dominant culture and drop into yourself.
We’ve compiled a list of simple actions we invite you to remember the joy nestled deep within and reflect on the goodness of your existence. As we settle in at the Wild Human preserve on the pristine Toe River in Green Mountain, NC, we encourage you to explore some of these practices during your time in the river or at a quiet place near your campsite or off in the forest. With the uninterrupted delight of silencing cell phones and notifications, and zero risk of traffic and the daily responsibilities of the western world, we hope you enjoy deep rest while at Firefly.
- Take personal time. The number of classes offered is vast with all sorts of activities and learning to be had. All the while, it is critical that you embrace solitude during your time. Meditation and mindfulness will heal your soul, especially while surrounded by the beauty of the mountains. Take a class period off to rest here and there, or choose an evening to skip on the evening’s activities and find your favorite quiet place. And don’t forget the importance of plenty of sleep. It is demanding to be around so much stimulation, so get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and practice tuning in and listening to your body. It will tell you what it needs.
- Journal. Think a year into the future how reviving it will be to look back at your time at Firefly 2024 with a detailed account of your community, creating, and healing experiences. A journaling practice is a known way to speak to your most authentic self and process emotions, giving you clarity and opening up your most creative SELF. That authenticity you share within the pages of your journal comes to life and is reflected in the relationships you build beyond Firefly. It’s one of the most important and satisfying gifts you can give to yourself and others.
- Digital Detox. This is probably the most powerful mindfulness tool. Luckily, deep in the North Carolina mountains, it is difficult to access wifi and most of us find that our phones get lost at the bottom of our bags. Disconnecting from the digital world helps you maintain your presence and enhances your connection to nature and yourself.
- Connect with Nature by Earthing, forest bathing and taking nature walks. Earthing is a common practice at Firefly. Just about everywhere you go you’ll find community friends and family walking, skipping and jumping barefoot. This intimate connection on grasses, mud, soil and sand is deeply grounding and is said to reduce inflammation, improve sleep, and influence feelings of wellbeing by connecting you with the Earth’s natural energy. Forest bathing is simply the practice of immersing yourself in the forest atmosphere. Nothing more than slow, mindful walks in the forest is required and you’ll find yourself taking in the sights, sounds and smells and exhaling deeply, which is deeply healing in itself.
- Sound healing and chanting, because often, joyful people sing! When you walk around the grounds at the gathering you will hear chanting and singing near and far. The act of creating music alone or together is a profoundly healing and unifying experience. Bring your instruments! Or use natural objects like sticks and stones to create rhythms and melodies. Or let nature serenade you through the breeze of the trees, the singing of the birds and the humming of the creatures on the ground. Listen and you will find exactly what your heart needs.
- Creative expression. There are many classes to be had at Firefly that allow you to use your particular creative gifts. Sign up for an activity that you would never see yourself engaging in in the dominant world. You’d be surprised how satisfying and healing a creative challenge can be. Pack your knife, engage your curiosity and let nature handle the rest.
- Practice active gratitude. Probably the most important practice of all: create a gratitude list in your journal or in your head and recite it daily, line by line, what you appreciate about your time spent. Practicing gratitude is profoundly important to the human soul; it enhances mental wellness by shifting focus from what we lack to what we have. It reduces depression and anxiety and strengthens your relationship with self. This is important because as time at the gathering comes to a close, there can be a sense of dread at the thought of reentering the dominant culture. Being grateful helps with being present and allows that resilience to build. This strength will follow you back to your life along with boosted self-esteem, positivity, overall happiness, and fulfillment with the YOU you were reintroduced to during your time away.
Incorporate these self-care practices into your experience at Firefly and leave the gathering elevated in ways you would never have guessed you might be. You can nurture your mind, your body and your spirit by engaging in these activities that rejuvenate, while rejoicing in the sense of wellbeing and fullness you have as a human dwelling with Earth.
Photo Credit: Parker Michels-Boyce
