Oliver Luke Delorie - The Nordic Art of Friluftsliv

OLIVIER LUKE DELORIE

T he concept of friluftsliv (pronounced free-loofts-LEEV and translated as open-air living or free air life) is not necessarily about climbing and conquering the highest mountains or recklessly racing across sand dunes (though both of these hair-raising activities fit within its definition). You dont need to gear up to go outside, nor hire a guide, nor buy a GPS.

In his 1859 poem Paa Vidderne, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen expresses the concept of living a free air life as our basic human need to be outside and connect with nature. He describes the need for time in solitude in nature to clarify ones thoughts. Evolutionary biologist Professor Hans Gelter says genuine friluftsliv is finding your way home to nature; being in nature not for an activity, but just to be there.

Closely connected with the idea of friluftsliv is the freedom to roam. All Scandinavian countries as evidenced by Norways Outdoor Recreation Act allow free access to walk or camp almost anywhere you like, as long as you respect both locals and wildlife. Termed allemannsretten (everymans right) in Norway, this open-air philosophy cannot help but encourage exploration, adventure and a lifelong respect for the environment.

In celebrating the sentiment of friluftsliv, this book aims to (re)align your values and priorities; for the natural rhythms of your body, mind and spirit find harmony a feeling of home when they are in nature. We endeavour to remind you of what is important and guide you towards the inner peace you seek by (re)turning your attention to such simple acts as just sitting in the grass and listening.

According to UN listings, Scandinavian countries consistently rank as the happiest countries on Earth, so perhaps its time to rekindle the spirit of friluftsliv in your life no matter where you live and break down the physical (and figurative) walls standing between you and the natural wonders of the world.

May you experience both the awesome and astonishing while deciphering the humble and simple, and may your (un)conscious desire to nurture a sacred relationship with nature be roused and awakened.

Oliver Luke Delorie

You dont need anything to friluftsliv, just open the door, step outside and take a deep breath. This chapter will remind you in fifteen elementary ways that friluftsliv can also be a verb, as in Im going friluftsliving.

Choosing to leave comfortable modern conveniences and set out into the big world beyond our walls and roofs unless it is instinctual to you is often driven by nagging feelings of necessity. Uncontrollably drawn into action, we are compelled by unconscious desires to distract ourselves from simply sitting still and doing nothing. The next time you are happily relaxing on your favourite log, park bench or the peak of a majestic mountain you spent days climbing, resist the temptation to move on to the next thing until you have been there without a care for anything but fresh air. You will find stillness that rivals that of a Scandinavian spa.

While attending to our responsibilities and the duties of our day-to-day lives, we can easily forget to focus on the delicate details designed to delight us. They appear everywhere, in every shape, form and guise. The trick is to refine your powers of observation via repeated effort and acknowledge the magic Mother Nature has conjured for you to connect with on some level (be it emotional, physical or spiritual). Every second spent out-of-doors will fuse your mind, body and spirit with an appreciation of natures magnificence made manifest. It is quietly whispering for you to pay attention. Are you listening?

Drink it from a cool, clear creek or from your water bottle; watch it evaporate, turn into vapour, and shape itself into clouds; marvel at its fluid, molten nature as it crashes against craggy rocks or laps lazily at your toes at the calm edge of a shore. Visualize the immensity of near-endless oceans stretched across time so vast the next stops are distant lands; melt under the pounding pulse of a waterfall. Liquid and frozen, HO is a crucial component in the construction of every living thing on Earth, a meat-and-potatoes miracle to be celebrated, cherished and conserved.

In season, lawns are like lush, soft-shag carpets. Their terrestrial thermostats are set just right to cool you off and provide much-needed relief from the heat. When was the last time you laid down long enough to fall asleep in a green meadow without a worry? Whether you like to conk out and snore on your back, toss and turn on your tummy or curl up snug and cosy on your side, keep a wool or fleece blanket tucked in the boot of your car because you never know when spontaneous grass naps can happen.

If you enjoy taking photographs, you have experienced perspective via the viewfinder that either connects or disconnects you from the objects you are observing. How does the distance between you and your subject change your approach to capturing images? Cameras are common companions on outdoor outings; when you bring yours along, do you find that the technology drags you deeper into a distorted (artistic) view of reality? Or does the zoom function allow you to focus your aim and commune with what you shoot in a more intimate way?

Depending where you live, midsummer winds either appear as friend or foe; they may be lovely and fragrant, flowering with the sweet scent of fruit-tree blossoms, or they may hint at the cool, crisp colours of the autumn harvest that find orchards bursting with crunchy apples and crispy pears. Norway itself rests on the edge of the Arctic Circle in a polar vortex of low pressure that produces wind so swift and brisk it can whisk you away. What will you make of the breeze blowing by your sun-creamed or turtle-necked neck of the woods the next time a zephyr of wind whispers in your ear when you least expect it?