A guide on how to connect with nature to enhance mindfulness and self-awareness.
The limits are boundless when it comes to using nature to deepen your mindfulness practice. Even in the centre of a city, nature finds its way into our lives and we can take the opportunity it presents to us – to reconnect with our true nature. As we do this, we step outside of our to-do list, our time schedule and pressure filled mind and gain a deeper calm, awareness & perspective.
The physical effects of connecting with nature alone are quite astounding. Grounding to the earth is made almost obsolete in this day and age with rubber soled shoes that insulate us from the conductive earth.
Just by touching soil, sand or grass with bare feet we can gain these benefits:
Reduced Inflammation: Some research indicates that grounding can lower markers of inflammation in the body, which may help with various chronic conditions.
Improved Sleep: Grounding may enhance sleep quality by helping to regulate circadian rhythms, possibly due to its effects on cortisol levels and overall stress reduction.
Enhanced Mood: Studies have shown that grounding can decrease feelings of anxiety and depression, leading to improved mood and emotional well-being.
Lowered Stress Levels: Grounding has been associated with reduced stress levels, partly due to its influence on the autonomic nervous system, promoting a state of calm.
Better Blood Flow: Some evidence suggests that grounding may improve circulation, potentially benefiting cardiovascular health.
Pain Relief: Individuals who practice grounding report reductions in pain, particularly for conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, and muscle soreness.
Electromagnetic Balance: Grounding may help neutralize the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from electronic devices, which some studies suggest could have various health benefits.
Boosted Immune Function: By reducing inflammation and stress, grounding may positively influence immune response, promoting overall health.
So just by taking those shoes off and walking barefoot on the ground is like taking a daily dose of nature’s medicine.
Connecting to nature with your awareness
The effects of bringing your mind’s awareness to nature is just as profound as touching the earth physically. We can do this absolutely anywhere when we remember that we are a part of nature and put our hands on our chest to feel our heartbeat and our breath.
The first step to connecting with nature in order to enhance your mindfulness practice is to notice it. Use your senses to bring the world of nature into your body and mind.
Your eyes
- Watch the wind shaking through the trees – perhaps you can mimic this and let off some pent up energy.
- Find a pattern on a leaf, cloud or in a garden that is satisfying or perhaps reminds you of something else you’ve seen.
- Look at the sun’s soft light playing over your hand or the shadows moving across the ground. The way it leaves circles as it filters through trees.
- Notice sunlight sparkling over water, let this entrance you.
- See a picture in the clouds while you’re stuck in traffic.
Your ears
- Listen to your breath – audible breath technique – ujjayi – this can make your breath sound like the waves of the ocean.
- Hear the sound of birds – notice they are never out of tune or out of sync with each other, it all has a harmony and timing even its seemingly random orchestration.
- Notice the whooshing sound of water even as you are taking a shower, washing your car or listening to the rain pattering over a roof.
Your Touch
- Feel the exquisite feeling of the sun on your skin.
- The cold can bring a sense of aliveness to your body. Jumping into a cold plunge pool or cold spring can turn the receptors of your body up so high that your only option is to shut off your mind.
- Feel into your feet and notice the placement of weight – is it evenly distributed or are you leaning forward or backward from centre?
- Trace an outline of your face starting with your lips and eyes, then nose and cheeks, down to your jawline, chin and neck. Remember – you are nature too.
Natures expansion effect
As you attune your senses to nature, your awareness will expand. Your senses will become more sensitive to what is going on around and within you and you might find nature constantly calling you to pay attention to it. It becomes a two way signal as we embed this pattern of awareness.
Chip for the Switchboard
Our attention is a very powerful tool that can be within or without our control. Noticing nature is like entering a chip into our switchboard to hack where we would prefer our awareness to go.
Perhaps our awareness is currently programmed to always pay attention to negative thoughts or actions from others, the delays of daily life like traffic or waiting in line, our thoughts might just tend towards a negative outlook.
Perhaps our mind likes to think it can solve all of the issues of our life if it just works really hard – until it overloads the entire switchboard and we have a breakdown or we need an external substance or a long period of downtime to turn down the receivers.
Entering the ‘Noticing Nature’ chip will help us to switch those thought patterns towards calming, positive, life affirming thoughts.
Thoughts are often described as being addictive but with this terminology of the switchboard analogy we can bring a sense of dominion and choice to our thoughts. Our lives are made up of behaviours and actions which are driven by 90% subconscious thoughts and beliefs – hack this system and live out your most fulfilled life with the noticing nature chip.
Enter Your Preference
This awareness will broaden out to other areas of your life. As you become more mindful of nature you will start to find preferences for certain cloud patterns or shades of sunset. Becoming aware of your preference through nature is a very special way to get to know yourself and your special uniqueness. There is more than enough nature to go around for everyone to have their own favourite kind of tree, birdsong & flower.
As you connect to this self-knowledge, you can use it in other areas of your life. What activities do you love and how exactly do you prefer to spend your day? What are your favourite animals and how can you incorporate these preferences into your daily life?
You are a unique individual and this mindfulness practice will connect you to your special purpose for this life by allowing you to see the inner workings of your nature within nature around you.
Conclusion
You may find that the simple steps within this article are already a part of your life because it is such a natural thing for us to do. Understanding how much power these processes have to expand your joy & fulfilment will help you to incorporate this into moments throughout your day more and more.
As creators of the 21 Day Mindfulness Challenge, Mia and I both use all and more of the awareness practices mentioned in this article. It has brought a sense of space & calm to our lives as well as fun, excitement & dominion. We both have the Noticing Nature chip embedded into our system and we are deeply satisfied with the results!
Join us on our 21 Day Mindfulness Challenge to find a greater sense of space, joy, calm, excitement & fulfilment.
