Finding Beauty & Presence in Nature

As we enjoy the summer months, we can all lean on nature as a way to cultivate a sense of beauty, wonder and presence in our lives.

Are you someone who finds your thoughts always dragging you into the past?

Or are you someone who is always worrying about the future?

Or perhaps you swing between both ruminating on the past and feeling anxious about the future?

If so, the best antidote is to focus on feeling present in the moment.  Nature can help us to do this in very simple ways. 

When we are more present, anger, regret and sadness from the past leaves us and anxiety about the future reduces.

The more focused and engaged we are in living right now, the less time we spend in our heads thinking about the past and/or the future.

If we can cultivate presence by focusing on our senses several times a day, we start to notice a sense of peace entering our lives.

I like to start with a simple presence exercise using the senses:

When you are outside in the sunshine, start by noticing the feeling of the warmth of the sunshine on your skin for a minute.

Let yourself enjoy the sensation and, if thoughts come into your head, take a breath and come back to enjoying the feeling of warmth on your skin.

If you have a patch of grass, sit on the warm grass and notice how your feet feel in contact with the grass.

Close your eyes and allow yourself to enjoy the beautiful birdsong we have at the moment.

Studies have shown that listening to birdsong calms our nervous systems by informing our brain that we are safe.

Notice how it feels to really hear the birds.

When thoughts try to drag you back into the past or future, come back to listening to the birds. 

Sit outside in your garden or in your local park and look at nature around you.

Pay attention to the movement of the trees, birds nearby and the way the light hits the leaves of the trees and flowers.

Find something to appreciate with your eyes and notice how that feels. 

Using nature at this time of year is the perfect way to practice using our senses to be more present in the moment.

When we make it a regular practice throughout the day, we notice we can feel calmer, more solid and more able to meet the challenges that life will bring our way. 

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