Nature is Nurture
When was the last time you got out into nature to explore?
Nature has many healing effects on the mind, body, and soul. Nature can bring us great peace and allow us to connect to our higher selves.
Matsuo Basho wrote the famous haiku:
The old pond
A frog leaps in.
Sound of the water.
What does this mean to you?
Think in terms of mindfulness. In that moment when we hear the sound as the frog makes the bloop into the water, it snaps our focus into the present. Nature can allow us to become present by using our senses to hear, see, think clearly and be present. Once we start analyzing the moment, we become lost in our thoughts instead of grounded in mindfulness.
Tips to stay grounded are to plant your feet firmly on the ground. Allowing yourself to breath deeply in through your nose for 4 seconds out through your mouth for 4 seconds. Do this as long as you’d like. Take in the sensations what do you feel emotionally, physically? Take in the visual surroundings, what can you see? What do you notice? Listen... can you hear that sound way off in the distance? Snapping your own attention into focus?
Mindfulness creates new pathways in our brain to allow us to make deeper more meaningful connections, helps boost our mood, and allows us to be less reactive. When we are stuck on autopilot, we tend to react from our emotional brain. When we are present and mindful we can take the time to be aware of our feelings, sensations, and the world around us, accepting the moment for what it is. You can practice these tips anytime anywhere but there is something about being present with Mother Earth that is so healing and nurturing. It allows us to connect with our higher selves, take in the beauty and magic of the vast world around us. We are here in this time and space being able to experience the moment fully is the most incredible thing we can do.
Remember, use your senses - hear, smell, feel, see even taste! Try to accept the present moment for what it is without any judgement. You are here now and that is all that matters 💕