Welcome to this 10-minute outdoor refresher with Katie Dutchher.
Take yourself outside,
Somewhere nearby,
And have a seat.
When you find a comfortable spot,
Just take some time to let your body get settled in.
Feeling how your body is supported behind you and beneath you.
Receiving this gentle support of the earth and perhaps letting your body rest even more fully into this support.
Letting go of the muscles of the neck,
The jaw,
The shoulders.
Just letting the earth hold you as you settle yourself in this spot.
Almost imagining as if you could grow roots.
Just like the trees and the rocks becoming part of this landscape,
Planting yourself here.
If you like,
You might close your eyes and just take a few slow breaths.
Slowly breathing in through the nose and perhaps blowing out through the mouth.
And now opening your eyes,
Beginning to take in your surroundings.
The quality of light,
The various colors and textures.
You might find your attention being drawn to what's in motion,
The swaying of tree branches,
The movement of insects,
Clouds,
Birds.
Allowing your attention to be captivated,
To be guided by a childlike sense of wonder.
No need to change or control anything about your experience right now.
Just letting yourself be curious,
Fascinated by all that surrounds you.
Perhaps noticing what is the furthest thing you can see.
And then letting your eyes zoom in very close to you,
Maybe toward the ground right in front of you,
Noticing the fine details.
And if you would,
With your eyes open or closed,
Beginning to pay attention to sounds.
Perhaps initially there are sounds in the foreground,
Traffic or human voices.
And as you continue to listen,
Perhaps being able to pick up softer sounds or distinguishing sounds that are mingled together.
Taking in all these sounds as if you were listening to an unfamiliar piece of music that will only be played just this one time,
Right now.
Turning your attention now to your sense of smell.
Breathing in through your nose and noticing what scent you can detect from the natural world.
Perhaps turning your head in one direction and the other.
Maybe leaning closer to a tree or a flower or toward the grass to take in the scent.
Turning your attention now to your sense of touch.
At the surface of your body,
You might invite yourself to become aware of temperature.
Perhaps you can feel the warmth of sunlight on your skin or the movement of air.
Perhaps some area of the body is warmer or cooler than another.
Feeling the contact that your body is making with your seat,
With the ground.
Sensing your body in relation to the world around you.
Perhaps sensing deeper within the body.
Any sensations that you can feel within the muscles.
A sense of lightness perhaps or heaviness.
The quality of energy in your body.
And now for a few moments,
Just sitting.
Just sitting right where you are,
Letting your attention go where it will.
Giving yourself the gift of a few moments with nothing to do,
Nothing to change,
Nothing to figure out.
Letting yourself simply be a breathing,
Living part of the natural world.
In a few moments,
I'll bring this meditation to a close.
Taking a moment perhaps to check in with yourself,
To notice the effect of just 10 minutes outside.
Letting yourself register the healing support of the natural world.
Its power to refresh and restore you body,
Mind,
And heart.
And knowing that you can return even for just a few minutes or even just looking out the window to cultivate connection with yourself and with all that surrounds you.
