Add mindfulness/presence into your life with nature
Are you longing for a little more mindfulness in your life, but find yourself unsure where to begin? I suggest you connect with nature it feels wonderful. It’s restorative to mind, body, and spirit while allowing you to step outside the business of life for a while and breathe deeply.
You have so many demands on your time each day, work, study, family, that carving out some nature time rarely makes the to-do list. The great news is that you don’t need to commit to a marathon hike in the mountains or woods to visit with nature. It can be a fast, restorative boost that’s easy to coordinate into your day.
Give one of these mindfulness suggestions a try to get a quick nature fix.
A | Feel nature
One of the easiest ways to reconnect with Mother Nature is to remove your shoes and wiggle your toes in the grass. Any grass will do, whether it’s your back yard or a nearby park. Notice the warmth or the coolness of the grass.
Choose to spend your lunch break in the park, rest your eyes on the soft greens and feel the textures of grass, tree trunks, and leaves, in your hands or toes.
B | Garden where you are able
The scent and feel of newly turned earth are magical properties. Nothing connects you faster to the rhythms and energy of the natural world than working in a garden. It doesn’t matter if your garden is a traditional lawn and garden plot, a communal vegetable garden, or your favorite herbs in pots on the windowsill.
Even a potted plant or flowers on your desk will change the energy levels and make you feel good.
C | The sky is the limit
Practice daily the habit of looking up at the sky. Look out of your window, see what kind of clouds there are, the direction they are traveling and the position of the sun. Use all your senses to be aware of what’s happening in nature right now. Are there birds singing? Are they making nests? What color are the leaves on the trees? What’s flowering right now? How does the air feel on your skin?
You can ‘read’ the environment through your senses – you need only to pay attention.
D | Walk with presence
As you walk down the street, is your mind already in your next interview or worrying about how the last meeting went? So many people spend their lives in their heads, unaware of the world around them or how they are moving through it. They commonly complain of how life seems to just pass them by.
The Buddhist teacher and philosopher Thich Nat Hanh reminds us to slow down and be fully present in the world. One of his best-loved sayings bids you to “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” It takes just a small but meaningful mental shift to stay connected to the earth and nature with every step.
My final thought
The restorative effects of mindfulness in your life are far-reaching. Once you take the time to be mindful of the natural world around you, your senses become increasingly more in harmony with nature. The boost of harmony will be evident also when you are more present in the lives of others.
I hope you enjoyed this post and will recommend it to your family and friends.
You may want to look at this previous post on mindfulness:
How Mindfulness Helps You Enjoy The Journey