Lost in my thoughts, struggling mentally with a problem that becomes larger and larger the more I think about it. Someone interrupts; maybe someone is calling on the phone, or one of my grandkids is asking a question, or now is the time for that darn scheduled Zoom session. Someone is demanding my attention now, and I snap back sharply. Unkindly. Not who I want to be. Not the way I want our relationship to be.
When I’m stuck in a thinking loop that is seemingly impossible to exit, an immediate tool to interrupt that pattern is for me to connect with nature. Nature is always available, endlessly creative, and never fails to provide a moment of AWE! And when I’m experiencing AWE!, I don’t stay in that crazy loop.
So, there is the BIG nature, like hiking the Grand Canyon or Machu Picchu. Or, the medium nature of taking a hike or long walk and letting all of your senses be active. Or, the immediate nature of looking out the window, admiring a potted plant, or feeling the vastness of the sky. Even the memory of a time when you were in nature is enough to bring you back to being grounded. Back to breathing and being present for yourself and others in this moment.
Try that last one now. Right now, remember a time when you were in nature and felt peace, awe, joy, inspiration or any other feeling you want to cultivate in this moment. Let your eyes soften and you will notice that your breath softens along with them.
Activate all of your senses, re-living and re-membering the experience. What do you feel on your skin? Sun? Wind? Warmth? Coolness? What do you smell? See? Hear? What other senses were alive in that moment? Breathe in and re-embody that experience. Make any physical movement that feels intuitive as you settle in. This can be a longer meditation or a short reset.
When you are ready to come back to your tasks, feel your seat and remember your connection to the earth. Take one more moment to luxuriate in being part of nature, both an observer and a participant in being alive!
If you would like to connect to nature, movement, and being alive in your amazing body while in community, join me at noon on Tuesdays for a short 30 minute Lunchtime Reset class where we connect to our deepest selves and listen to what we need.