Mindfulness and nature.
What is more magical than nature itself? If you observe it closely enough, you know that so many things happen every second. Nothing remains the same in nature after 10 minutes. They seem “all the same” to us when we have distanced ourselves from this connection.
Different sounds, animals, ground, insects...
The position of the sun, the colors, how everything changes in the few hours we spend in nature, within the realization that we are among trees that took so many years to grow so much, and to us, they seem “static.” We perceive the difference in time, how time flows, and how relative it is.
Nature reminds us of the importance of apparent pause, simply because it has a rhythm that seems slow to human perception today. In the daily life we have created, where we “must” fill every last second before the day ends and we fall asleep, such a necessary connection reminds us that nothing will happen unless it is time for it to happen.
How nature relates to mindfulness
By walking in nature, or any other activity, we give space and time to observation, to the present, to the here and now. We let all our senses soften and expand. This alone can become a practice of meditation; it’s the moment we distance ourselves from our thoughts and devote ourselves to our bodies and our senses.
The rustling of leaves, the sound of footsteps on the ground, the birds chirping and fluttering, if there is water nearby, the sound of water in whatever form it is, from a stream to a lake, to the sea, the scents from the ground, if it has rained recently, if it’s going to rain… These observations are made consciously, and we gather a lot of information.
Our sensory organs are overloaded every day, with intense colors, changes of images and sounds, many chemical scents. Contact with nature allows us to clear our stimuli and senses, to remember what it’s like to feel our bodies and to return to self-observation.
As we encounter ourselves again through observation in nature, we can allow ourselves to connect with our personal rhythm, to allow ourselves to blossom in our own time. To perceive what we truly need to grow and we can distance ourselves from comparison and unproductive egoism. Our inner critic calms down and allows us to connect with our needs and priorities.
Let’s go outdoors…!!
All activities take on a different dimension when done in nature, from simple yoga, tai chi, and meditation in the park to extreme sports.
Especially when we engage in activities that require heightened reflexes, such as skiing, snowboarding, any form of hiking, because these activities demand our absolute attention, they also function as a form of meditation. Precisely because they bring us back to the “Here and now”.
Contact with nature reminds us of which season we are experiencing, and thus we maintain our relationship with cyclical nature, experiencing it in our bodies, understanding the colors, the feeling and the gifts of each season.
Why is contact with nature necessary?
- It activates our imagination and memory
- It boosts the immune system
- It reconnects us with our childhood
- A part of us learns to ignore and overcome danger, thus developing better reflexes.
- We activate the wildest and most untamed parts of our souls that are essential for our existence
- We tune in better with the time and place we are in
Practice of the week
Meditative walking!
Believe it or not, walking can be a meditative practice. Mindful practice.
Go for a walk in a place where you feel good. Leave your phone aside, in silence, without notifications on your smartwatch. Stay in silence for 20-30 minutes and dedicate them exclusively to yourself.
Start with a pause on the path you will follow. Bring your awareness to your breath. Notice the balance in your soles. Feel that your weight is evenly distributed. Observe the posture of your body before you start walking. If your neck looks straight or downwards. If your shoulder blades lean forward or if you have tense shoulder blades upwards. In what position are your spine and pelvis bones.
Once you bring your body into balance, take a slow pace, and observe your gait. The shift of weight, how the sole lifts. And continue at your slow pace to increasingly perceive your senses. Your environment. What do you hear, from which direction, what do you smell, what do you feel.
If you find a point that inspires you or when you finish your walk, you can write down your observations.
Whatever is written represents the sharing of personal thoughts and observations. Its purpose is to share and potentially provoke thought. It is not a diagnosis, nor a reference to illnesses, syndromes, dysfunctions, or disorders.
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