Zen and the Art of Searching for Birds
Yellow Warbler
In college I satisfied one of my mandatory curriculum requirements by taking Philosophy 101. I liked it so much that I took a 201 class the next semester. By the end of that class, I decided I had enough on the fundamental nature of knowledge and wisdom, and moved on to accounting. Later in life I read “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”, mistaking it for a guide that could help me fix my 1985 Yamaha Virago. That book reminded me of one of my core insights from my earlier studies, which is how many great Philosophers arrived at the same simple conclusion; one of the primary goals of life is to simply live in the moment. For me, absolutely nothing makes me live in the present more than birding.
I think the obvious reason is that birding is a hobby where you need to use your senses. Using your eyes and ears together to locate and identify birds mentally preoccupies the brain. You have to stay very alert to notice a little warbler flipping from one branch to another or hearing a tiny little chirp from a nearby bush. It's impossible to do this without being completely focused on the task at hand. With that much intense focus, there is simply no room for any other distracting thoughts. Who has time to think about your boss or interest rates, when at any moment, the rustle of leaves ahead of you on the trail could reveal a Ruffed Grouse!
Another reason that makes birding zen-like is its rambling nature. I routinely visit four parks in Toronto, and when I arrive I always have a rough idea of the path I plan to take. However, by the time I’m finished the route I planned and the route taken were completely different. Turns out that although I may have a plan, the birds simply don’t care. Sometimes the field section is good because I hear an Eastern Meadowlark, other times I’m crouching down next to a pond because I think I saw a Northern Waterthrush. None of these are ever planned, and that creates all the more joy. In meditation you may start with a particular intention, but letting your mind wonder is how you arrive at new and unique ideas. Ask yourself this, how often do you let yourself ramble in your life today? My answer is: not nearly enough.
I hadn’t planned on laying down in a swamp to capture such a low quality image of this Northern Waterthrush, but that’s birding
When I got started, it really didn’t take me long to notice the calming effects that birding had on me. On one of my first few birding adventures at a waterfront park, I sat and watched a flock of ducks slowly drift around for a few minutes, only to get back to my car and realize I had been gone for an hour. My wife wasn’t thrilled I was gone so long (I went out to pick up milk), but with three kids and a busy career, she’s noticed that I’m calm and generally more pleasant to be around after I had been birding.
Speaking of my wife, she finds her Zen through yoga. As I began to appreciate what birding unlocked for me, I started thinking about the similarities of the two activities. The end goals of birding and yoga may seem very different (observation and cataloging of nature, and fitness), but both really serve the same purpose. Taking some time to dial in to the present moment, forgetting about your worries and stresses in life, and being mindful of your own senses.
So I encourage you to take some time to find your own Zen, either through birding, yoga, or something else. I used to suggest birding because it was much cheaper than yoga classes or a meditation app, but that was before I got into photography (a topic for another day).
Happy (and meditative) Birding,
-Jack