Copyright © 2022 Lee Spirit 

Sometimes our minds and hearts feel a little like what’s happening in this photo at Stewart Creek! Partly icy and frozen; Partly open and flowing. Part of being human is that we have a range of thoughts and emotions, and we need the darker, shadow side to balance the bright, sunny side of our beings. It’s too easy to get stuck in the polarities of all darkness, or all light. This doesn’t reflect our true nature. So to keep a healthy, balanced mindset, we can start by practicing mindfulness in nature. This will allow us to stabilize ourselves so we can show up as our best selves.

What Is Mindfulness in Nature?

Mindfulness Definition

Mindfulness boils down to “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations”. Notice that this definition does not say you have to stop your thoughts and feelings. You just have to accept them. While it’s not necessary to practice this state of conscious awareness outside in nature, countless studies show the health benefits of doing so.

My Experience in Nature

I can vouch for that, as you can see I spend most of my spare time practicing mindfulness in nature! Walking through forests, finding open water to reflect upon, or climbing mountains is one of the best ways to achieve balance of mind, body, and spirit. That’s because our dear Mother Nature is a vast, open space that absorbs our troubles, and frees space in our minds and hearts. A breath of fresh air provided by trees goes a long way in maintaining our wellbeing.

More Benefits of Mindfulness in Nature

Nature not only clears our minds, but it gives us more energy. When we see a rushing river or waterfall, we’re inspired to keep going. The more we exercise in nature, the more we fill our own energy tanks.

When we see flowers blooming in the Spring, we also want to blossom forth and radiate love, light, and positivity. Nature opens up our creative sides, and provides a sense of awe, mystery, and wonder.

If we’re next to the ocean, we can both be calmed by waves, and see the waves as our own life challenges. Then we learn to ride the waves, instead of drowning in them.

Click Here to see why Nature Therapy is the New Prescription for a Healthy Life

Mindfulness in Nature Reduces Stress and Anxiety

We all experience stress and anxiety, but we want to keep the levels under control to avoid burnout and exhaustion. We may feel overwhelmed, depressed, sad, unmotivated, stuck, and have little energy.

So how do we move from a state of depletion to a state of renewal? Renewal may look like happiness, joy, contentment, satisfaction, feeling energized, motivated, courageous, peaceful, or mellow. Sounds like a better place to be, doesn’t it?

Moving From Depleted To Happy & Calm

You may be wondering now how you can get out of your “stuck” state of depletion, frustration, lack of motivation, depression and so on. It’s certainly not always easy, but if you do these things regularly, you can’t go wrong. You don’t always need to practice mindfulness in nature, but it certainly can speed up your recovery:

Mindfulness in Nature by Exercising and Being Outdoors

• Exercise, especially outside – This will decrease the cortisol produced when stressed, and increases the endorphins to help us feel better. Remember nature is a healer!
• Spend time in nature – As mentioned above, nature is a huge healer. You don’t have to go to the mountains. All it takes is a few deep breaths outside to feel invigorated. If you can walk on some grass right outside your door, you will feel more grounded and balanced. Today I dug my hands in some fresh soil to plant my flowers for Spring! Who doesn’t want to stabilize their nervous system? I learned in a mindfulness talk I just attended that being near water releases negative ions, which makes us feel more positive! No wonder I love being around water! Nature also allows you to develop present moment awareness, such as hearing the birds chirp, or feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin.

Trying New Things

• Try new things – I’ve been doing that a lot lately! As I come out of my Covid-19 isolation and life returns to “normal”, I’m trying new classes to see what lights me up, and which groups I feel comfortable being in. Something new, or going to a place you’ve never been before can bring you alive, and lead to so many great experiences and people! For me, new connections are mostly made in the outdoors…Connection with mind, body, spirit, myself, and other people.

Treating Yourself

• Treat yourself – When you’re in a slump, sometimes treating yourself to an ice cream, a special coffee, an epsom-salt bubble bath, a snack, or a nap can do the trick to lift your spirits. Maybe like me, you enjoy going on a road trip through mountain passes and forests!

Get Plenty of Rest and Sleep

• Get Enough Sleep – Make your bed time and wake-up time the same every day because this gives your body more energy than if you sleep in. You may feel you need extra sleep, and sometimes you do, but telling your body when to wake up and when to sleep will increase your energy. Also do the recommended things to shut off your technology a couple hours before bedtime, and don’t drink too much caffeine after a certain hour….Oops, I had a late night espresso last night, and learned the hard way that was a terrible mistake! Sleep under the stars if you can, and inhale all that fresh air!

Laugh, Dance, Sing, Have Fun

• Laugh with friends and family – It’s great to unwind by spending time with loved ones, especially if it involves laughing, singing, dancing, and having fun. A great stress relief and source of support if you need it.
• Listen to music that uplifts your spirits. This may be dance music, rock music, classical, drum, meditation music, you name it. Whatever speaks to your soul in the moment, listen to that! Lately for me, it’s almost exclusively yoga and meditation music. After pandemic isolation, all other music seems too loud for me! Nature is one place I don’t recommend playing music. Some people do that on a hike and not only disturb the peace, but this doesn’t allow them to hear a bear or cougar creeping up behind them!

Healing Benefits of Yoga and Meditation

• Practice yoga and meditation – These have been very supportive practices for me for years, and my favourite place to do this is outdoors in a beautiful park with gorgeous trees and flowers! Kundalini yoga can help you with taking deep breaths, and moving stale, stuck energy from the body.

Gratitude Attracts More Good Things To You

• Practice gratitude – The more grateful we are for everything we already have, the more blessings will come to us, and the happier we’ll be. When it rains, instead of complaining, think about how it is nourishing the soil so that we can enjoy the Spring flowers that will blossom.

Proper Nutrition

• Eat a nutritious diet – Good foods and drinks give us the energy we need to feel healthy and energized. The healthiest foods and drinks come right from nature, so be mindful about your food choices, and choose organically grown fruits and vegetables for increased vitality.

Having a Growth Mindset

• Work on having more of a growth mindset, rather than a fixed mindset. When we are static and rigid in everything we do, we often get stuck in ruts. When we have a growth mindset, we accept change and difficulties as challenges, and can often move forward in healthier ways. Be like the trees in the forest, and the plants in nature that continue to grow through all sorts of inclement weather.

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful on your journey to mindfulness in nature and keeping a healthy mindset! Be sure to subscribe to my free MindfulNatureNut Guided Meditations on YouTube. I’ll take you out on nature walks, hikes, kayaks, snowshoeing, and skiing and guide you through a beautiful meditation so you can practice mindfulness in nature with me!

Lee Spirit is an avid outdoors adventurer with a love for nature, photography, health & fitness, wellness, and spirituality. She helps those who suffer from anxiety & negative thinking to become healthier in mind-body-spirit. Her own personal journey has led her to the  study and practice of mindfulness, health, wellness, yoga, spirituality, sound healing, meditation, and personal development for over 20 years. Get mindfulness, meditation, and personal development tips in her Free Natural Mind Healing Report.