Mindfulness in Nature: Finding Peace and Perspective in the Great Outdoors
Explore how nature can further mindfulness, give us a sense of peace, and expand our perspective.
Close your eyes — no, rather, imagine while reading this. You are walking along a path in a quiet and misty forest in the morning. You look around, and you see green and lush bamboos, as well as other kinds of trees standing still, encompassing the entirety of the forest. As you continue walking, you can feel the fresh, cold air combing your hair and touching your skin; you can smell that pleasant earthly scent while listening to the song of the river stream.
Did I successfully paint the picture? By now, you’ve probably felt relaxed just thinking about it. I felt relaxed while writing this. Nature can be a great way for us to be more mindful. We spend most of our days packed with various “to-dos” that can be convoluted at times, and most of the time our schedule just seems to be packed with a lot of tasks that we don’t even have the time to think about mindfulness.
It just feels like every day we’re like robots on autopilot. While we know that we are doing something, we are usually unaware of it. Has there ever been a moment when you did something without remembering it? and, for instance, when driving, we know that we are driving, but most of the time we are not constantly thinking about “I am now going to switch gears.” or “I must be light on the pedals.”
Mindfulness is being fully present in the moment, and when we are at nature, it amplifies our sense of awareness and will enhance our state of inner stillness. When we immerse ourselves in nature, it will naturally improve mindfulness as it teaches us the concepts of impermanence as well as interconnectedness, which are core concepts in mindfulness. Last but not least, nature can be a good place for practicing mindfulness as it provides a serene backdrop.
Nature can be our refuge, our place of peace that we shall seek, a place to regain our sense of hearing when we are deafened by the buzz of the busy world.
The Healing Power of Nature
A recent study found that when participants heard forest sounds, their brain activity and autonomic nervous system activity decreased, making them feel more at ease, relaxed, and natural. In addition, there is a concept known as directed attention, which refers to complete mental engagement. Fatigue results from a lack of mental engagement. Another study found that natural environments are particularly rich in the characteristics required for restorative experiences, which is important in allowing it to recover and replenish its directed attention capacity.
And given that it also significantly decreases our levels of stress, it can lead to improved focus and even make us more creative and ready to engage in tasks that require cognition, as it will also improve cognitive function. Apart from its cognitive benefits, reflecting on the study mentioned above, which refers to the forest sounds, affirms that nature can make us more relaxed.
Being relaxed means we are not stressed, and there have been numerous studies that suggest that stress can affect our blood pressure, increasing it as well as weakening our immune system. So the opposite will also be true: our blood pressure is low and our immune system is improved when we are in a state of relaxation, just like what the study has suggested when listening to the sound of nature, specifically the forest.
And lastly, given that when we are exposed to nature, we tend to be relaxed, this can also have various psychological benefits for us, such as significantly reducing our anxiety and decreasing the symptoms that are associated with depression. Overall, nature can have a very important impact on our well-being.
Nature has various positive benefits, not just mentally but also physically, which contribute to improvement in our overall well-being.
Engaging the Senses
Fun fact: all of our five senses are engaged when we expose ourselves to nature. When we are in nature, we see (sight) the beautiful scenery that unfolds before us; we feel the ground (touch) on the sole of our feet when we are barefooting on the grass; we sniff the aromatic fragrance of a flower (smell); we hear the peaceful humming of the birds above us (sound); and we savor the sweetness of the fruit that we are eating (taste). Which all grounding us in the present moment.
When in nature, there are various mindful activities that we can take part in. Personally, I have tried some of these, so I’m sure they work because I’ve personally experienced them. Some of the activities include listening to birdsong, feeling the texture of a tree bark, and breathing in the scent of wildflowers — two of which I have personally tried except feeling the texture of a tree bark.
Nature engages all of our senses, making us more present or “in the moment,” which is essentially mindfulness.
Finding Stillness in Motion
Apart from the activities that I have mentioned in the previous section there are also other various activities that we can do in nature such as doing a hike and walking down a path in a field filled with flowers and or any scenery and also just by simply sitting in nature can also quite the mind and further enhance and or cultivate our inner stillness.
Walking meditation is one of the activities that we can do while in nature. Basically, walking meditation is basically intently focusing on the physical experience of walking, just like meditating when sitting; both involve focusing on the present. Another activity we could do is to simply be present while moving through the natural landscapes.
One of the most prominent preconceived notions is that when we are meditating, we need to be still, but activities such as walking meditation prove that meditation can be done even in motion.
Cultivating Connection and Perspective
One of the realizations I have had while spending time in nature is that I have seen the interconnectedness between us all; we are just a part of a larger whole. In nature, we can observe the fundamental cycle of life, such as witnessing birth, growth, decay, and renewal. I have realized that we are all connected as living beings; we co-exist in unison with each other, which has significantly changed my perspective.
Realizing how small we are in the vastness of nature, yet at the same time we are also deeply connected, puts me in awe, and just the thought of it humbles me. The experience has also made me realize our place in the intricate web of life and how our actions can impact the delicate balance of ecosystems.
I have realized that it is our duty to protect and preserve nature for future generations, and reflecting on the interconnectedness that we have with nature, it is important for us to strive for co-existence by respecting its rhythms as well as its limitations. Nature has brought me a lot of realizations, most of which have changed my perspective on how I view life as a whole.
Nature is full of realization. When we realize that we are all connected, it gives us the feeling that we are all connected, which can significantly change how we view things.
Letting Go of Distractions
As we have already discussed in the earlier parts of this article, we are now living in a busy world, and there are a lot of things that we need to attend to in our daily lives, such as attending a very important meeting at work or a project that needs to be completed at the end of the week. To add to that, there’s also technology that is constantly stealing our time that we should have spent on ourselves.
There are various things we can do to solve this dilemma; we need to set boundaries. We can set tech-free times or zones that are solely for uninterrupted immersion in nature. During these times, you can choose to maybe walk outside and explore the nature around you; doing a little walk in your garden will also do.
You can also develop a new habit, such as replacing the time you spent on screen with going out. You can do activities such as sunrise yoga, and if early morning is not your cup of tea, there is also an activity that you can do at night, such as evening stargazing.
In our world today, almost all of us are busy, and it is important to spend some time with ourselves as it can be beneficial for our well-being.
Embracing Impermanence
In mindfulness, impermanence is a fundamental concept. For instance, if you have ever tried meditating while your eyes are closed, you are taught to just let the thoughts flow freely in your mind and not try to dwell on them. Nature is ephemeral, and there are a lot of things we can learn from it. The constant flux of seasons, weather, and life cycles teaches us that all things have an end, that change is constant, and that nothing is permanent.
When we embrace impermanence, it can become a pathway for us to release our attachment to outcomes; it teaches us to be present without worrying about what is to come. In addition, as we have discussed, in life, change is inevitable; it is part of the way life works, and so it is important for us to find serenity in the present moment.
Cultivating an attitude of openness as well as acceptance towards the ever-changing nature of life will help us change our perspective and see the hardships we face as not a hindrance but rather a part of life — a part of our experience. It helps us realize that there is something to be learned in every experience, and we just have to accept it because it is the way life works; what is today might not be tomorrow.
In summary, spending some time in nature is definitely worth it. As we have discussed, nature can have restorative effects on our mental as well as physical well-being, and in addition to that, when we spend time in nature, it strengthens our bond with the natural world, which will foster a sense of belonging and make us realize that we are all connected. Also, by immersing ourselves in nature, we will gain much more clarity and insight, which overall contributes to improved mental health, reduced stress, and an increase in our level of happiness.
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