Step Outside: Guided Outdoor Grounding With Nature

In this short audio, you'll be guided through simple somatic grounding outdoors, inviting you to curiously connect with nature. You can pause the audio at any time to extend this grounding exercise, or keep the brief structure if you need a quick moment to get outside and anchor in the midst of a busy day. Step outside and press play!

You are welcome to utilize the free feature of adding ambient sounds to this audio by clicking the music note symbol to the left of the play button after you start this audio. There are several free options here you can choose from if you'd like an ambient soundscape behind my voice.

Please note that this track, nor any other by this author, is intended to be a substitute for professional mental health services.

Transcript

In these few minutes,

We're going to simply step outside and be present with nature rather than screens or to-do lists,

Knowing that all of those things will be waiting for us.

And so if you're not already outside,

I invite you to pause the audio and step outside.

Whenever you're ready,

I invite you to find something to move toward.

So you can take a moment here and just let your eyes curiously look around,

Noticing anything you would like to move toward.

Maybe it's a tree,

A branch,

A flower.

And then curiously see what it's like to almost follow your body,

Kind of let your body take the lead,

Moving toward whatever it is that you're curious to be present with for just a couple of moments here.

And you can pause the audio if you need more time to decide where you would like to move toward.

But once you have found where you would like to spend this time,

I invite you to reach your hand out.

And if it is accessible and safe and comfortable,

Placing your hand onto whatever it is that you have felt drawn toward.

So maybe this is placing your hand on a tree,

On a patch of grass,

On a leaf or a flower.

Whatever it might be.

Simply inviting some gentle breaths in and out as you are present with what's before you.

Reaching out and connecting with,

Being present with through touch.

Noticing how that feels.

Any ways that it feels relaxing or as though it invites an exhale.

I invite you to follow that and deepen that exhale.

If you feel like you need more time to settle into this,

You can pause the audio.

Otherwise,

We're going to spend just a few moments here,

Simply breathing in and breathing out and being present with what's before you.

Breathing in,

Breathing out,

Being present with what's before you.

Reminding all parts of you,

Nothing else is needed of you in this moment.

If there are any to-do list items coming to mind,

You can gently imagine placing those things on a shelf.

Knowing it will be waiting for you after this audio.

But for right now,

You get to simply breathe in,

Breathe out and be present.

With what's before you.

Savoring what it's like to simply be.

Savoring what it's like to be connected through touch to nature.

And pausing the audio here if you would like to spend any more time here,

Taking as much time as you would like.

Whenever you're ready to transition into the rest of your day.

Honoring what's before you.

The time that you have spent here being present like this.

Maybe letting the corners of your mouth lift into a little smile to savor what you've experienced here for one more moment.

Inviting one last inhale and exhale before you step into the rest of your day.