Mindfulness & Nature

Mindfulness in nature can help you to appreciate, enjoy, and love the peaceful calmness that nature brings. It puts you have a better mood as well as noticing things that you would not see in an average day. Practicing mindfulness is beneficial for your overall health and makes you feel connected with yourself in nature. Allow yourself to have a lazy day while walking on a hiking trail. Take breaks while hiking and feel the wind.

Observe the sounds, sights, and appreciate what you see. If you are walking in your garden, you can walk barefoot on the grass. Feel the wet grass and take your time to smell your flowers in the garden. Smell your citrus fruits and other vegetables you have planted in your garden. Decorate your garden with steppingstones and walk barefoot on the stones.

Visualize your garden with gratitude, hope, and feel the peace that it brings to you. Use your senses, alertness, and creativity while you tend to your garden. Sit on your garden bench, grass, or anywhere that feels comfortable. Feel the wind and enjoy listening to the bird’s chirp. Avoid looking at your cell phone and do breathing exercises.

Close your eyes and say “Thank you” while you sit. Open your eyes and see the wind blow the leaves of the trees. Ask yourself questions about how you are feeling, what emotions come to mind, and how your body feels. Ignore your mental to do list and carefully observe how your body responds to your breathing exercises. Watch the sunset and see the stars at night before going to sleep.

Focus on your breathing and put one hand on your heart. Feel your heart beats. Dip your feet in your swimming pool or wet your feet with the garden hose. Feel the dirt with your feet and relax for a few more minutes. Water your plants and remove the dry leaves from your plants. Hum a song or play music while you are gardening.

Practicing mindfulness in nature allows you to feel less anxious and get a good night’s sleep. Simply tending to your garden is beneficial for your mental and physical health. Wear comfortable clothes without worrying about getting dirty on your clothes. The purpose of practicing mindfulness in nature is to allow your body and your mind to feel serene. Be carefree and let go of complaints, anger, and negativity.

Assign colors to your emotions. You can use any color to represent how you are feeling. Touch your flowers gently and with compassion while saying the name of the color. For example, “Yellow is the color of my joy.” Then breathe slowly and exhale while using another color to represent another feeling.

For example, “Green is the color of my hope,” “I am thankful for another day in my beautiful garden.” Stand up and walk in your garden for another few minutes. Mindfulness in nature can be done anytime of the day or at night. Yet the more you practice it, the better you become aware, grateful, and feel more connected with nature. Here are resources about practicing mindfulness in nature. 

How to Practice Mindfulness in Nature-Mindfulness Exercises:

How to Practice Mindfulness in Nature - Mindfulness Exercises

7 Ways to Practice Mindfulness in Nature-Mindfulzen:

7 Ways to Practice Mindfulness in Nature (mindfulzen.co)

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