Ideas to Practise Mindfulness With Nature

Regular formal meditation (sitting, standing, walking or lying down) is a very beneficial and powerful way to practise mindfulness and I would encourage everyone to try it out, even if it’s just for 5 minutes a day.

However, if you really feel this isn’t your cup of tea, there are many other ways to practise. Engaging mindfully with nature is one of them.

When I speak of ‘nature’ I don’t just mean beautiful beaches, high mountains or lush forests.

I have had some great encounters with wildlife in urban environments, e.g. spotting a passing fox on the verge of the train trucks or seeing majestic birds of prey whilst travelling on a bus on the motorway.

The park in the city is nature. The plant on your windowsill is nature. The moss on the cemetery wall is nature…

Here are some ideas to engage mindfully with nature – no matter where you are.

1. Don’t look for the ‘extraordinary’. Find beauty in the ordinary. You might be so fixated on spotting an eagle that you miss out on the beauty of the bird singing in your garden or the fascinating translucent wings of an insect inside your house.
2. Get yourself some magnifying glasses. Cheap, bock standard ones will be absolutely sufficient to give you access to a whole new world of wonders. Even something as ‘common’ as a leaf is mindblowingly beautiful if you really look at it.
3. Smell things. Flowers, mosses, wood, leaves, soil, air…
4. Listen to the sounds surrounding you. You might want to close your eyes to sharpen attention. Which sounds can you pick up? Whilst the sound of the passing cars might be what you can hear most obviously – what else can you hear?
5. Increase time spent outdoors. If you happen to live anywhere like Scotland: Waterproofs are your best friend;)
6. If for whichever reason (work, illness…) you have to spend a lot of time inside, contemplate the ‘nature inside’. Everything you are surrounded by comes from nature, one way or the other. Where else would it come from? Your kitchen table is nature. The glass in your windows are nature. And, of course: You yourself are nature.
7. Grow some vegetables or flowers, no matter how humble the attempt. If you only got a windowsill available, that’s enough. There aren’t many things more satisfying than watching a seed germinate and develop into a grown plant.
8. Touch the bark of trees. There is a huge difference between different tree species, ranging from really smooth to rough with deep ridges (which are a great habitat for various insects).
9. Don’t forget to look up. There’s much to discover in the sky during the day and night.
10. Contemplate the interconnectedness of all things, remembering to include the smallest of creatures.

Enjoy.

Feel free to share your favourite nature moments in the comments.