Find a tranquil and peaceful spot. Sit awhile in the moment and take in your surroundings. Listen to the natural sounds, process each one for a few seconds and then move on to the next. Listen with your eyes closed and your mind open allowing the tranquility of the moment to wash over you. Open your eyes and take in the sights. See what creatures and foliage you can spot. Be thankful for such natural delights.
2. Use water as a channel and purifier. Water is a fundamental basic of life. It gives life and cleanses your body and soul. It must be respected however as it can also take away. Sit by a stream, lake, pond, canal, river etc and close your eyes. Listen to the gurgle of the water as it continues its journey onwards or just laps gently against a bank or shore. If you're feeling brave then take off your shoes and socks to dip your toes in the cool & purifying flow. Watch out for fish and other marine life as they go about their daily business, breathe deeply & relax.
3. Hug a tree. Trees are hardy creatures that stand tall through thick and thin. We can learn a lot from trees by accepting their strength & resiliance. The roots help the tree to ground itself and gain sustenance from Mother Earth. We too can do this by imagining in our minds eye deep red roots (from the root chakra of the bodies spiritual energy points located at the base of our spines) going deep into Mother Earth, grounding us and providing us with strength for lifes ups & downs. Walk up to the tree, ask its permission to utilise its strength and gently place the palm of your hand on the bark/trunk. Close your eyes and feel the power & energy surging through your body as the tree freely gives its all to you. Go for the hug and embrace the tree giving it your love in return for its strength. Once you have completed this, step away and thank the tree for its assistance. You will feel amazing having done this and completely invigorated.
4. Take a seat in a park or garden. These can be found virtually anywhere and provide green sanctuaries amid the hustle & bustle of modern living. It has been fairly widely accepted by town planners that green spaces set amongst the tower blocks, offices and businesses can vastly improve Wellbeing & promote good positive Mental Health. If your day has been stressful try to find your nearest park and take a seat on one of the benches. Close your eyes and listen to the birds tweeting around you. Practice some deep breathing and then take in the sights that accompany the sounds. Squirrels are probably darting about everywhere looking for food and generally being quite comical in their actions. Feel the stress drain from your body as you become one with the nature around you and you'll head back to work revitalised ready for the rest of the day.
5. Smell the flowers (although watch out for the bees if you're doing this though). Aromatherapy has long been known to calm the mind with extracts available on a commercial scale throughout the modern world. Why buy expensive balms and treatments though when you can get many of these smells at source. Just head out into nature & a myriad of smells will waft over you as you stroll along. A quiet country lane in the Spring and early Summer can yield smells like Honeysuckle & wild Roses. Head into a pine forest and the waft of freshly disturbed fir will fill your head with a memorable scent. Whilst it is true that due to seasonal changes and the availability of certain plants where you are at any given time you perhaps don't have the choices of smells that are available commercially so I would suggest that you combine a healthy balance of the two. Going out to smell flowers at source is also a good way to see the countryside where you are, discover new sights and generally relax with the natural world. Most of the smells have a relaxing affect on the human body and will help to destress and possibly induce a more natural sleep pattern as well if done regularly.
6. Become one with the animals. I don't mean start acting like one (waddling around the office and quacking probably won't get you very far) but more like get to know the animals and understand their ways. Watching wildlife can be very relaxing and gives our overworked brains something nice to focus on. You can watch animals and birds pretty much anywhere and their antics will soon have you chuckling. Insects are very busy creatures and when you discover that an ant can carry the equivalent of a human carrying a house on its back then it gives a whole new perspective on what creatures can do. Get yourself out into nature and see what antics the creatures are getting up to and feel your stress levels go down as you absorb yourself in the animals lives around you.
7. Mountain high and valley low. Granted this option won't be available to everyone as access can be an issue but I highly recommend it if you're able. Many valleys have accessible trails through them suited to most abilities and gives access to wooded areas alongside beautiful streams and rivers. Nature is abundant here so you don't have to climb mountains to see it but if you are able to gain the heights then it will be very much worth the effort. The sense of achievement you feel when you attain a summit is incredible. It may have been hard work getting there but the journey will have been an invigorating one. Once at the top you can feel like you are soaring with the birds and the views will generally be incredible. For those less physically able there are ways to attain mountain tops around the world with accessible transport such as lifts and even trains. Once at the top I recommend that you take time to sit and absorb your surroundings. Feel the stress drain away as you witness nature at its most spectacular.
8. Feel the textures on your skin. We know how a touch from a loved one feels, a hug means so much and calms our senses, so can we get similar sensations from nature? I would say yes we can - try walking bare foot across a lush lawn or a soft sandy beach. As the grass or sand tickles your toes a feeling of euphoria can overcome you whilst calming the body of stress and anxiety. Other textures can help too - try running your hand over a smooth pebble, using it almost like a worry stone and again absorb the feeling of truly connecting with a natural substance. Textures stimulate the skin and nerves bringing with its touch a myriad of different sensations. Petting an animal can be comforting too although I'd stick to the less dangerous species if I were you otherwise stress could escalate rather than calm but running your fingers through soft fur or a wooly coat can be extremely therapeutic.
9. Taste nature. Although the berries pictured are a little past their best for human consumption they can be enjoyed when in season. From mid August to late September it is great fun to head out into nature and hunt for Blackberries or sloes. Picking a fresh juicy berry from the bramble and popping it into your mouth relinquishes a rush of delicious energy over your tongue and on down your throat. Take some home and make a delicious crumble along with other fruits of nature to add a comforting twist to meal times. Instead of the usual blandness of a quick and easy ready meal take the time to go to natures larder and pick ripe and ready fruits & vegetables to concoct a truly satisfying natural meal straight from the ground. They are there to be enjoyed so pick some in season fruit or vegetables to truly be at one with nature.
10. Just get out there and enjoy. There are a multitude of different trails and footpaths to enjoy not just in the UK but throughout the World. They vary in difficulty but there is a trail for every ability & everyone. The terrains covered are also numerous so you can explore every aspect of natures bounty from dramatic cliffscapes to rolling countryside or towering mountains to stunning hidden valleys. The benefits to our Wellbeing are enormous, promoting positivity and adventure. From watching birds flitting among the trees to insects busily collecting nectar from flowers the rewards are beyond compelling. I love nature and natural surroundings so when I feel anxious or depressed I know a stroll through a natural landscape will help immensely. Yes, it can be hard to find the motivation to step out of your door but you will be richly rewarded for doing so. Start small for the first steps into nature - head out into your garden or a local park if you have one nearby. Nature is everywhere & it isn't uncommon to see foxes wandering around a town or city in the modern world because they have also had to adapt to different surroundings just like we humans have. Take inspiration from what you see, hear, smell, feel and taste whilst immersing yourself in the natural world. Once you've experienced these five senses you will realise a sixth sense may have surrounded you - you have become one with nature and will almost definately feel better & more alive for having done so.
Love nature, Love yourself and grow.
Dai Riggs
As always what is written here is my own opinion and not presented as fact unless categorically proven to be so. There are many ways in which nature can help inspire us, allowing us to grow into better people with improved Mental Health & Wellbeing, but different things work for different people. Experiment and see what works for you. Please feel free to comment here with your personal experiences and thoughts which may just help someone else to try something new and different that they hadn't thought about before. Positive nature is about positivity whilst spreading understanding and compassion, please be kind always,
Blessings and Light
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