Mindfulness In Nature
Author: Julianna Cooper, Challenge America Music Therapist
As we close out our monthly CAVARTS theme of “May Flowers,” I’d like to spend a few moments focusing on one of the sweetest gifts that nature provides us: the opportunity to notice beauty and practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness, simply described, is the practice of noticing “what is” without judgment.
Upon first thought, this can seem incredibly simple. However, I’ll be the first to raise my hand and admit that I often struggle to simply “notice” without allowing distractions (social media notifications, chores to be done, etc) and judgmental thoughts (why haven’t I folded the laundry or finished the dishes yet?) to overcome my brain space and the time I’ve set aside.
Because of distractions like this, one of the best places you can practice mindfulness is outside. Simply step into your backyard, go for a brisk walk, sit on a park bench - wherever you have access to the great outdoors. Research is supporting the idea that taking your mindfulness practice into a nature-based setting yields more positive results than always practicing indoors. A systematic review of nature-based mindfulness practices suggests that being in nature may lessen our mind’s tendency to wander, which allows us to remain in the present rather than “losing concentration completely or becoming emotionally overwhelmed.”
This picture is a simple but accurate depiction of mindfulness - we have some choice in where we focus our thoughts, and while mindfulness is a muscle that will grow stronger with practice, we have the opportunity to choose to practice. As displayed in the thought bubble on the left, we have the option to allow our mind to become filled with thoughts of the past, the future, judgment for ourselves and others. As shown in the bubble on the right, we have the option to notice what is right in front of us - noticing and appreciating the beauty in it, and taking a moment to be grateful for it.
We could all take a moment to learn from the lyrics of Louis Armstrong’s classic song, “What A Wonderful World.”
I am more than aware that this world does not always feel wonderful, and that many of us in the community have faced extreme hardship and difficulty. This song is not meant to dismiss that experience whatsoever.
However, the writer of these lyrics paints a beautiful picture of what it can look like to notice what is right in front of you. I’d encourage you to take a moment to listen to the song, go outside to a place you find beautiful, and practice noticing and naming what is before you. If you’d like to take it a step further, you can even write down some of the things you find in a gratitude journal or list!
“I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying, "how do you do?"
They're really saying “I love you”
I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world”
I hope we can all take notice of the May Flowers we’ve been blessed with this month, and move with gratitude into a summer full of opportunities for strengthening our mindfulness muscles!
