How to Meditate in Nature

My guide on how to meditate in nature. We can harness the power of the great outdoors to ease into mindfulness. It’s a simple, yet powerful practice. Check out the video below if you want to watch my guided practice out in the wild.

Health experts are regularly encouraging us to practice meditation and mindfulness. Many of us secretly wonder: ‘but…how, exactly do I do that?’. When learning to practice meditation, we often don’t know where to begin or why we are even doing it. We are not sure what meditation and mindfulness means to US. Aside from the why, the actual initiation of the meditation is a challenge in and of itself.

I believe that we can set ourselves up for a very beautiful practice by addressing the following: understand our intention and discover the best way to initiate our meditation.

We must ask ourselves the question: WHY am I meditating? What do I wish this practice will bring me? Am I trying to quiet my mind? Reduce my anxiety? Am I wishing to find peace and gratitude? Am I wishing to connect with myself or my higher power? All of the above? Let’s set our intentions before starting our meditation.

The next question we ask ourselves: How can I ease into a meditation? When our anxiety level is maxed out and thoughts are racing through our minds, it’s not so easy to just lie down and get to work on our breath. This is why it is important to learn (or create) our triggers. More specifically, what triggers our inner peace and calm?

A trigger could be listening to specific music or a guided meditation (check out Insight Timer for some great guided meditations). Maybe it is the surroundings: a candlelit or a dimly-lit room, or being outdoors. Maybe it’s certain sounds or smells. Perhaps it’s even an activity.

Personally, I’ve found meditation in nature to be a powerful trigger for a meaningful practice, so I will use it as the focus in my guided meditation. I think anyone can and will benefit from this meditation. For those outdoorsy, active, struggle-to-relax type folk, this practice might be a godsend!

Here is my guided meditation (read below and/or watch the video):

First off, I like to initiate my meditation with a lovely trail run or hike on an outdoor trail. I understand not everyone lives in an area where trails and forests are right outside their door. If you cannot access a trail easily, running or walking in or near a park is a good alternative. I find this activity to be a wonderful start to my practice because I can easily reach a steady breath and quiet mind while running or hiking.

At some point in my run or hike, usually once I am feeling the calm and good vibes, I run off into the forest away from the trail. I find a nice flat rock (though any rock or piece of the Earth will do). I place my hands on the rock and allow myself to feel connected to the Earth.

To feel this deep connection and appreciation for nature, I absorb the beauty around me. I look at the trees and flowers, the color of the sky, the clouds, and the sunlight shining through the trees.

Then I close my eyes and allow my other senses to become fully stimulated by my surroundings. I feel the warmth of the Sun on my face, or the refreshing breeze/chilly wind. I hear the sounds of nature–the rustling of the trees, the howling of the wind, and the birds chirping. I take in the smells–like the aroma of pine or fresh rain on the Earth.

At this time, I am fully enveloped in the forest experience and I am ready to take my practice to the next level. I express the following phrase:

“I TRUST YOU, Universe, to take care of me and guide me on my path toward finding peace, wholeness, and love.”

Then I take a moment to really feel, believe, and connect with that phrase.

I then express a similar phrase:

“THANK YOU, Universe, for taking care of me and guiding me on my path toward finding peace, wholeness, and love.”

I then sit in my meditation for a while. I may repeat or chant the above phrases if I feel inclined. In my opinion, there is no meditation too long or too short. The practice concludes when I feel genuinely filled with a sense of peace, gratitude, and trust.

This meditation has been SO powerful for me because it allows me to essentially hand off to the universe all of my anxieties, uncertainties, and everything in life that is outside of my control. By trusting that I am being taken care of, I feel a lot of the weight I carry lifted. By expressing my gratitude, I allow myself to feel love and completeness.

I experience a lot of stress and anxiety, and this meditation has been an amazing tool to help me find peace in the chaos of my life. I think you will find the same benefit!

You can tailor this meditation in any way that best resonates with you. Perhaps you are speaking to a different higher power. I address ‘the Universe’ because I am a Space Scientist and identify with the Cosmos. Put your trust in whatever you believe and take comfort in.

If a trail and forest are not accessible, try it in a park, your yard, or the nearest piece of natural Earth you can find!

I’d love to hear what helps you ease into your meditation practice. Post below in the comments! Here’s to finding peace, love, and wholeness in our lives! I’m wishing you the best with your meditation practice and spiritual journey.