How often have you thought about connecting with nature? Is it something you do regularly or has never crossed your mind? If you’re in the latter group, keep on reading for tips on how to boost yourself up by dabbling in the outdoors.
OK, this isn’t the biggest tree-loving post, but it might be close ha ha. I’ll start by saying that I’m not a huge hiker, I don’t particularly love going outside a lot, and I only go for walks sometimes. I want to preface this post like this because I want you to hear that you don’t have to be a hippie lovin’ tree hugger all the time to reap the benefits of nature. But you will need to dedicate some space for yourself at times to get connected to the great outdoors. Do you have to go on a long adventurous journey? No. Do you need to camp in tents to be close to nature? No. Of course, you can if that’s your thing 😉
All you need to do is find a plant, a tree, or a small patch of green grass to start. This could be as easy as your living room, yard, or community green space. If you have none of these nearby, check out a public library, mall, or other communal places that may feature some living green foliage as décor.
Next, find a comfortable space next to or on top of (grass) to sit. Inhale and exhale a few deep cleansing breaths. You may even increase this to 10 slow in and out breaths l. On each exhalation, release a little more tension in the body. After these breaths you will feel a little more relaxed, calm, and a little lighter.
Next, you want to connect with your source of nature. All this takes, is to focus on your selected natural surroundings and/or plant(s). Stare at the colors, look closely at each leaf, notice subtle movements, or are there any other signs of life Crawling around/on it?
Take some time to imagine a few things:
A chord attaching from you to the plant – what kinds of energies can you feel to and from this connection? Do you imagine any colors?
What if you could be that plant for a while? Use your imagination to daydream about this for a short (or long?) time. Are there any different sensations in your body? Tune into how you feel while trying out some of these brain games.
If you tried all of these, try them again with a tree. Do you notice any difference in feelings?
Trees are immensely powerful in their solidarity. We can learn so much from trees if we spend the time to slow down to their world. Not only can trees be inspiring in ways to live and grow, and they are one of the best examples of grounding energy. If you experience a chaotic life, always on the go, or general whirlwind energies, you could use some grounding exercises to “calm the tornado”! I will elaborate more on specific grounding practices in an upcoming blog post. As you might guess, pretending to be a tree and growing roots is certainly one of the ways 😉
Connecting with nature can be as quick as watering and saying hello to a houseplant or can take hours in the outdoors at your leisure.
However you choose to connect with nature, your body will be happy.
Listen to your body and nature that is all around you. Go with the flow as best you can in the moment and remember to ask yourself questions along the way. Tune in, to tune out 😉
So, the next time you’re feeling a little out of sorts – go forth and connect with nature!