Hello my friend.
I'm so glad you are here.
Today,
We are going on a little adventure into the Australian bush.
Where the trees whisper in the breeze,
Tiny insects scurry beneath the leaves,
And some of the most wonderful creatures live quietly all around us.
One of these creatures is small,
Spiky,
And rather extraordinary.
It's an echidna.
Sorry.
Find a comfortable position allowing your body to settle into stillness.
You might like to close your eyes or simply soften your gaze.
Take a slow breath in through your nose.
And gently breathe it out.
Again,
Breathing in,
Feeling your belly rise.
And breathing out,
Letting your shoulders soften.
There is nothing you need to do right now.
Nowhere you need to be.
Just this quiet moment with your breath moving in and out.
Like a gentle breeze passing through the trees.
Imagine you are standing at the beginning of a beautiful bushland path.
The ground beneath your feet is soft with fallen leaves,
Little twigs,
And patches of warm earth.
Tall eucalyptus trees reach towards the sky.
Their silvery green leaves shimmering in the sunlight.
A tiny golden butterfly flutters past your face.
You follow it along the winding path.
Where sunlight spills through the branches in little pools of gold.
The air smells of eucalyptus,
Damp earth,
And wildflowers.
Somewhere nearby,
A kookaburra laughs from a branch.
You walk slowly,
Noticing the little things.
A fallen gum leaf shaped like a tiny boat.
A smooth stone resting beside a tree root.
A spider web sparkling with morning dew.
And as you look more closely at the ground.
You notice something moving beneath a low,
Leafy bush.
You crouch down gently.
And there,
Shuffling through the fallen leaves,
Is an echidna.
Its body is covered in short,
Sturdy spines,
And its long nose moves from side to side as it searches the ground.
It has tawny eyes.
Little feet.
With strong claws,
And a curious way of walking that makes it look as though it has all the time in the world.
You stay very still,
Giving your new bushland friend plenty of space.
3 kidnap pauses Then it snuffles along,
Pushing its nose into the soft earth.
Did you know that echidnas are one of only a few kinds of mammals in the world that lay eggs?
Most mammals give birth to live babies,
But echidnas do something quite different.
A mother echidna lays a small,
Soft-shelled egg and carries it in a special pouch on her belly.
When her tiny baby hatches,
It's called a puggle.
Isn't that a wonderful word?
A Puggle is very small and needs a lot of care while it grows.
The baby stays protected while its mother looks after it.
Until it becomes bigger and stronger.
Just like you,
Every creature begins small.
Every creature has its own way of growing.
You watch your echidna friend as it continues exploring.
Its long nose sniffs around the roots of an old tree.
With its strong claws,
It begins to scratch at the soil.
Echidnas love to eat ants and termites.
Their long,
Sticky tongues help them collect these tiny insects,
Even from narrow spaces where other animals might struggle to reach.
They don't need teeth to enjoy their food.
Instead,
They use special structures inside their mouths to help grind it up.
What a clever little creature.
The echidna seems to know exactly where to look.
Moving patiently from one patch of Earth to another.
It doesn't hurry.
Doesn't worry about how quickly the other animals are moving.
It simply follows its nose,
Exploring the world in its own time.
As you watch,
You begin to feel a little of that same peaceful feeling inside you.
You don't have to rush either.
You can take your time learning.
Keep rowing!
Discovering and becoming more of yourself.
Suddenly,
A soft golden light appears between two trees.
It glimmers like sunlight caught inside a dew drop.
The little echidna lifts its nose,
Then begins to wander towards the light.
You follow at a comfortable distance,
Stepping carefully over mossy logs and around little clusters of mushrooms.
The path leads you to a secret clearing.
In the middle stands an enormous old eucalyptus tree,
With twisting roots and branches that stretch out like welcoming arms.
Tiny flowers grow around its trunk.
Ferns unfurl beside smooth stones,
And a shallow creek trickles nearby.
The golden light dances over the water.
You sit beside the creek,
Resting against the tree,
And watch the echidna explore.
Did you know that echidnas can swim?
They may look like creatures made only for walking on land.
But they can paddle through water when they need to.
They are also excellent diggers.
Their strong claws help them search for food.
Make shelter,
And burrow into the earth.
When an echidna feels threatened,
It has a very special way of protecting itself.
It can curl into a ball.
Tuck its soft belly away and pointing its spines outwards.
Sometimes it digs down into the ground,
Making itself difficult for a predator to reach.
It doesn't need to be fierce or fast to protect itself.
It has its own quiet ways of staying safe.
Imagine the little echidna settling into the soft earth near the tree roots.
The golden sunlight warms its spines.
The breeze moves gently over the clearing,
And the creek sings its soft,
Watery song.
You notice that the bush is full of different kinds of life.
Some birds soar high over the treetops.
Some insects move quickly through the grass.
Some animals late.
Some climb.
And some hide quietly beneath the earth.
And here is the echidna,
With its little legs,
Its long nose,
And its spiky coat.
Doing things in its own wonderful way.
There is no need for it to be like any other animal.
It belongs here,
Just as it is.
And so do you.
You don't have to be the loudest.
The fastest.
Or the bravest person in the room.
You can be quiet and curious.
You can take your time.
You can have your own special way of seeing the world.
There is room for all kinds of creatures and all kinds of people in this beautiful world.
Now,
Let's take a few gentle breaths together.
Breathe in slowly.
And breathe out,
Letting your body become a little softer.
Breathe in,
Imagining the fresh bush air filling your lungs.
And breathe out releasing any tightness you might be holding.
Feel the ground supporting you.
Feel the gentle warmth of the sun on your skin.
Listen to the creek trickling nearby.
You are safe to rest here for a little while.
The echidna has found a cozy place beneath the old tree.
It settles down amongst the leaves,
Hidden from the busy world.
Resting until it is ready to explore again.
The golden light in the clearing begins to shimmer softly.
It is time to make your way home.
You give the little echidna one last gentle look.
Remembering to leave it plenty of space.
To go about its day.
And then you rise slowly and follow the bushland path back through the eucalyptus trees.
You pass the fallen gum leaf,
The smooth stone,
And the sparkling spiderweb.
The golden butterfly appears once more,
Fluttering ahead of you before disappearing into the sunlight.
With every step,
You feel calm and steady.
And as you walk,
You can carry a little of the Equidnas wisdom with you.
The reminder that it's okay to go at your own pace.
That being different can be a wonderful thing.
And that even the smallest,
Quietest creatures have something special to offer the world.
Now,
Bring your attention back to your breathing.
Feel the gentle rise and fall of your belly.
Notice the surface beneath your body holding you up.
Wriggle your fingers and toes if you like.
And when you are ready,
You may gently open your eyes and move throughout your day again.
Or continue to stay and rest for as long as you need.
Bye for now.
My friend.
