A new month means a new mindfulness challenge and this month we are focusing on connecting with nature. Spending time in nature always recharges me, so I am really looking forward to focusing more on this intention for four weeks!
Benefits of Connecting with Nature
To kick off all of the challenges, I like to highlight a few benefits of our intention for the month. The list of the benefits of connecting to nature could be pages and pages long (there are tons of articles and books on the topic, which shows how important it is to us!), but I will just highlight a few:
- Appreciating nature can help us to relax (even our eye muscles have more opportunity to relax when we are outdoors!)
- Spending time in nature gives us a mental break from the rest of our day to help clear our minds (literally stopping to smell the roses!)
- Moving outdoors provides lots of opportunities to move in varied ways such as squatting, climbing and walking over textured terrain.
Action Items
Every challenge needs some action items and this is no exception. However, I always choose tasks that are both easy and effective, so this challenge will be simple to accomplish! For this month’s challenge, we have three action items:
- Grow something – It can be something as simple as a potted plant or herb. For example, I love having fresh herbs growing in my kitchen year round and on my deck in the warmer months. Every spring, I am thrilled to see my daffodils emerge towards the end of the winter and I still really can’t believe that the bulbs I planted in the ground actually grew to be something so beautiful. I really don’t know what I am doing, but thanks to the miracle of nature, it works!
- Take a regular walk outside – Walking outdoors is SO. GOOD. FOR. US. It is such a natural form of movement and requires no special equipment or planning. Set a goal that works for you, even if it is just a few minutes a few times a week. I also have a Walking Well video series to keep us moving.
- Look & Listen – Take a few minutes to just listen and observe nature. For one minute, only focus on what you can hear – birds, wind, rain, or whatever is around you. For the next minute, focus on what you can see, including the farthest thing you can see. This helps not only to relax our mind but even the muscles in our eyes – unlike when we are indoors, our eyes have the opportunity to look far away when we are outside. Try to do this practice daily, even if it is just for two minutes – you can also do this during your walk if you want to be really efficient with your time! I also have a nature meditation video that I made for some inspiration.
Quotes and Reading Inspiration
Lastly, we have some quotes and a book list to keep us inspired all month long! I find it helpful to write the quotes on post-it notes or add to my phone to remind me of my intention for the month. Here are a few of my favorites on this topic:
- Rembrandt – “Choose only one master – nature.”
- Thoreau – “There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature.”
- Aristotle – “In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.”
- Laura Ingalls Wilder – “If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”
- Emerson – “Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.”
- Monty Don – “I always see gardening as an escape, as peace really. If you are angry or troubled, nothing provides the same solace as nurturing the soil.”
I am an avid reader, so I am constantly on the search for books that relate to our monthly intention. Here are three favorites to help us with our action items this month.
- The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs by Tristan Gooley
- Movement Matters by Katy Bowman (one of my absolute favorite books!)
- The Container Gardener’s Bible by Joanne K. Harrison and Miranda Smith
To conclude, here is a short video “chat” regarding this monthly challenge to get us started. I look forward to a month of connecting nature!
