3 Ways to Practice Mindfulness in Nature
(5 minute read)
What do you imagine when you hear the word, “mindfulness?” Truly, just pause and imagine “mindfulness.” What images do you see?
Is it a person sitting criss-cross applesauce with their palms on their knees? Maybe it’s someone laying on their yoga mat with their eyes closed or someone taking deep breaths sitting on a mountain.
While these images can be examples of practicing mindfulness, I find they unfortunately narrow the definition. Mindfulness is more expansive than these images—you don’t need to be sitting in a meditation position, you don’t need to have your eyes closed, you don’t need a yoga mat, you don’t need to take deep breaths, and you certainly don’t need to be on top of a mountain to practice mindfulness.
So let’s start with what mindfulness is not…
Mindfulness is not necessarily meditation. Some meditation practices emphasize “clearing one’s mind” or trying to be “free” of thoughts. Mindfulness emphasizes the opposite; when practicing mindfulness, you are curiously noticing your thoughts rather than trying to get rid of them.
Mindfulness is not relaxation. Feeling relaxed can be an added bonus of mindfulness, but it is not the goal of mindfulness. Relaxation exercises practice getting rid of uncomfortable thoughts or emotions while mindfulness brings an increased awareness and openness to your thoughts and emotions, whether they’re more comfortable or uncomfortable.
Mindfulness is not distraction. When we distract ourselves from something, we’re often trying to avoid the uncomfortable emotion or situation. Mindfulness, on the other hand, turns toward the discomfort, notices it, and allows the “ouch” to be there. Now does that mean, we should never distract ourselves ever? No. It might be really helpful to distract ourselves while we’re receiving a shot at the doctor’s office rather than mindfully notice the needle going into our arm.
In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we practice mindfulness when it is in service of our values. For example, if we value relationships, then we turn toward the hurt we caused our loved one rather than avoid it.
What is mindfulness then?
There are many definitions of mindfulness. I like to think of mindfulness as a way to practice noticing with curiosity in the present moment. In ACT, Dr. Russ Harris defines mindfulness as paying attention with flexibility, openness, curiosity, and kindness (without judgment).
I’ve seen child therapists support kids in learning mindfulness by having them wear a detective hat and use a magnifying glass to really “investigate” their emotions, thoughts, or the situation. I love that image—to zoom in with an inquisitive, fasciated stance.
What can mindfulness do for me?
Mindfulness has a whole host of benefits. It’s a key ingredient in supporting anxiety disorders, depression, chronic pain, ADHD, PTSD and complex trauma, and more. It helps us slow down and choose to respond vs automatically react. It supports us in focusing. It helps us become more in tune with our inner world, our thoughts and emotions. It helps us choose actions that are aligned with our values and who we want to be. It helps us let our more uncomfortable emotions just be there rather than judge them or get rid of them. It even helps us savor delicious hot, cheesy pizza 🙂 In short, it helps us really be an active participant in our lives.
I find this 3 minute ending scene to Disney’s movie, Soul, an excellent summary of mindfulness. Spoiler alert: it is the ending scene so if you plan to watch the movie, keep that in mind.
Where can you practice mindfulness?
You can practice mindfulness literally anywhere, anytime. While washing your hands…really notice the temperature of the water, the smell of the soap, the lines on your hands, the pace you’re washing your hands. While sitting on the subway…notice the cute, fluffy dog in that lady’s bag, yikes a bottle of mysterious liquid rolling on the floor, your shoulders scrunched up to your ears.
One of my favorite places to practice mindfulness is in nature because it usually is a soft place to get a couple of mindfulness reps in. Additionally, there are so many metaphors in nature.
Practicing mindfulness in nature
Here are three of my favorite mindfulness exercises to practice in nature.
1. “Grounding with the 5 senses”
Practice tuning in with your 5 senses through the questions below.
5—what are 5 things you see? (leaves, trees, flowers, dirt, sky)
4—what are 4 things you feel/touch? (breeze, sun’s warmth, my jacket, ground)
3—what are 3 things you hear? (rustle of leaves, birds chirp, distant lawnmower)
2—what are 2 things you smell? (dirt, decaying leaves)
1—what is 1 thing you taste? (leftover coffee)
Fun fact: You can do this exercise anywhere, not just in nature. At your desk, on your commute, before bed.
2. “Spot the Awe in Awesome”
Spot something that brings you a sense of awe. Maybe it’s a bee carrying sticky pollen on its legs from tulip to tulip. Maybe it’s the sheer size of an old, grand tree. Maybe it’s the bright neon green that spring brings.
And then….let yourself be in awe.
3. “Cloud Gazing”
Notice the shape, size, and color of the clouds. Notice how they change over time. Try being playful and imagine what kind of animals they look like. Notice how the clouds come and go. Clouds are also a great metaphor for our emotions—they come and go, they can get real big and they can dissipate, they can bring heat and coolness, they can signal us to be in awe or to take shelter, just like our emotions.
These are just some of my favorite ways to practice mindfulness in nature. If interested, try them out! Experiment a little. Notice what thoughts and feelings you have after playing around with these exercises. Notice any sensations in your body after trying one out.
If you’re interested in practicing more exercises like these with a therapist, check out my Walk and Talk Therapy services on my website. I offer walks in nature during our therapy session; this is especially helpful for those who feel more regulated moving, being outside, or who need a break from their screens and sitting. If you want to learn more about Walk and Talk therapy or are interested in potentially working together, schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation with me. Looking forward to connecting!
With care,
Chrissy
