Little Piece of Wonder has always been about paying attention, noticing the little things and the wonder in those.
- Bare branches etched against a winter sky
- The first shoots of new flowers as spring grows closer
- The smell of the earth after rain
- The glint of sunshine through trees
When I first started writing here, I wasn’t thinking in therapeutic terms. I just knew that nature steadied me. That when life felt loud, busy or overwhelming, something as simple as walking, sketching, noticing or sitting quietly outside helped me feel more like myself again.
Only recently have I begun to understand why.
I’m currently working through a wonderful self-led course by the brilliant Claire Sankey – the Somatic Project – all about somatic self-healing.
Somatic self-healing is about working with the body, rather than trying to think your way out of stress or emotional patterns. The word somatic comes from the Greek soma, meaning body, and the approach is based on the understanding that our bodies hold experiences long after our minds have tried to move on. Stress and overwhelm often show up physically – in tight shoulders, shallow breathing, fatigue or restlessness – even when we can’t quite explain why.
The somatic work I’m learning through Claire’s course focuses on gently reconnecting with the body and nervous system. Instead of analysing the past, the invitation is to notice what’s happening in the present moment – sensations, breath, or small shifts – with curiosity rather than judgement. It’s less about doing and more about listening.
A key part of somatic self-healing is learning how to regulate the nervous system. When we’re under prolonged stress, the body can get stuck in survival mode. Somatic practices help create a sense of safety again, allowing the body to soften, settle and recover at its own pace. The changes are often subtle, but over time they can feel deeply supportive, grounding and restorative.
And as I’ve been learning more, I’ve had a constant, almost familiar thought:
This is what nature has always offered me.
Nature invites us out of our heads and back into our bodies. It brings us into sensation – the temperature of the air, the sound of wind in trees, the texture of bark, the rhythm of walking, the simple act of looking closely. These are all forms of regulation. Ways of settling the nervous system. Ways of reminding the body that it is safe to slow down.
I’ve noticed how different I feel when I sketch a leaf rather than scroll on my phone. How drawing – especially outdoors or with natural objects – changes my breathing, my posture, my sense of time. Green sketching, for example, that I studied a few years ago with Dr Ali Foxon, isn’t about creating perfect drawings; it’s about seeing more clearly, and being present while you do. It’s observational, grounding, and deeply embodied.
Something else I’m learning through somatic work is how much the nervous system responds to what we see. Certain views naturally help the body soften and settle – not because we’re telling ourselves to relax, but because something deeper recognises space, rhythm, safety or perspective.
We’re often instinctively drawn to these kinds of sights when we’re overwhelmed or tired, even if we don’t consciously know why.
For many people, these visual anchors include:
- wide, open landscapes that give a sense of space and breathing room
- water in motion – the sea, a slow river, rain falling, snow settling
- big skies: cloud-watching, changing light, sunrise, sunset, stars
- trees and plants moving gently, especially when there’s a sense of rhythm
- watching birds, animals or fish – unhurried, absorbed in their own world
- looking up from a desk to the horizon or the sky rather than down at a screen
- light filtering through leaves, water or glass
- natural or abstract artwork that feels spacious rather than busy
- forests, paths, canopies – places that feel held but not enclosed
- buildings or spaces that create perspective and quiet, rather than noise
These aren’t things we use to calm ourselves in a forced way. They’re things the body already knows how to respond to. Simply spending a few moments noticing them – without rushing or multitasking – can gently signal safety to the nervous system.
That’s why this space is beginning to shift, softly, in that direction.
Little Piece of Wonder will continue to be a home for nature writing, seasonal noticing, book recommendations, and art inspired by the natural world. I’ll be sharing the books that have shaped my thinking, the artists who inspire me, and eventually my own artwork too. But I’ll also be exploring how nature – and creative practices like green sketching – can support somatic healing and emotional wellbeing.
Not in a clinical way (that’s the domain of experts like Claire).
Not with jargon or pressure to “fix” anything.
Just as an invitation.
An invitation to slow down.
To notice what’s happening in your body.
To use nature as a companion.
This blog will be a place where those ideas are explored – through lived experience, curiosity, and quiet moments of wonder.
If you’re here because nature steadies you too, you’re in the right place.