Touch Grass: Anchoring In Nature While Working With Thoughts

The stories in thoughts may lead to a sense of separation. Touch Grass is an offering exploring how nature can be a sensory anchor to support a sense of connection while also engaging with thoughts through the practice of thought labeling. The embodiment of the experience of nature and thoughts is investigated. This offering includes a 6-minute talk followed by a guided meditation and opens and concludes with brief music.

If accessible, one may consider practicing this meditation in nature or with some aspect of nature in proximity.

Transcript

I was having a conversation with a young member of Gen Z some time ago.

They were telling me about a meme spreading on social media that people would sometimes send to others who they thought had been online too long.

The meme said simply,

Touch grass.

We laughed about this very clear cut and direct phrase,

But as we talked about it,

It became clearer what a wise reminder that is.

And this person too said that they needed that reminder.

They talked of getting so overwhelmed at times and how going outside and yes,

Touching grass or a tree or a rock or just being out in nature,

Whatever,

Was so helpful to keep from spiraling when things were getting to be too much.

As we talked,

I remembered being out with a friend at a large outdoor festival.

There were lots of people,

Just frenetic activity,

So much noise.

It was a bit overwhelming to walk into after a quiet drive in the car.

My friend said,

I just need a few minutes to ground.

And she found a little patch of grass to the side and kicked off her shoes and stood there for a bit.

And it was better.

It's so interesting that there's this knowing we have inside that we need to touch space with nature.

And there's something that happens when we do.

Something that seems to settle the nervous system a bit.

Something that seems to remind us that we're connected on this deeper level.

And we are connected to nature because we are nature.

We are nature too.

But our advanced operating system,

This brain that is amazing in so many ways can also get so distracted that it forgets.

It can tell us stories that can make us believe we're not connected to anything,

That we don't belong anywhere,

That we're separate.

As I have some sacred porch time in my backyard,

I'm sometimes amazed at the vast population of beings out there.

A chorus of birds singing their own songs,

But blending with one another beautifully.

Playful squirrels chasing one another from limb to limb,

Showing off amazing acrobatic skills.

Occasionally,

I spot these tiny little chipmunks,

Also playful as they skitter almost imperceptibly along the ground.

These beings and so many more butterflies and bees and dragonflies,

Insects of all kinds gathering under and on the majestic oak tree that towers over the yard.

As I observe these beings,

I realize they don't question whether they belong.

They aren't waiting on an invitation to engage in their life.

The birds sing out loud.

They don't question whether their voices are good enough or their songs beautiful enough.

No,

They sing out loud.

The squirrels play with gusto,

Running to great heights and leaping,

Following the pathways of tree branches and roofs of houses.

They don't question whether the pathways are theirs for exploring.

No,

They play with gusto.

The mighty oak stands tall and allows all the beings to live and play and sing in her branches.

She doesn't question their right to be there.

She's a welcoming refuge for them and for me.

So we all coexist on this little patch of earth.

These myriad living beings and I,

When I take the time to just take it in,

I get that I'm part of it all.

And so in this offering,

I'd like to invite a meditation of connecting with nature as an anchor as we engage with the arising of thoughts.

If it's available to you,

You might pause this meditation so that you can be more immersed in nature.

But it's not necessary if that's something you can do,

Can't do right now or don't want to do.

In actuality,

We're always surrounded by nature,

Even when we're indoors.

You may do this meditation with eyes closed or open,

But there may be times you wish to engage the sense of sight.

So just allow that if you're so led.

And know that whatever prompt is offered as a suggestion,

I invite you to do what feels right to you.

So taking a few moments to get comfortable in whatever posture you choose,

Having a sense of ease,

But also alertness and easeful alertness and scanning through the body and noticing if there are any areas of tension or tightness that might be relaxed or released.

Just allowing a softening,

Softening the forehead and temples,

Jaw,

Shoulders and arms,

Chest and belly,

Legs,

Just throughout the body,

A softening and taking a couple of deeper cleansing breaths,

Slow,

Deep inhale,

Filling the lungs and a slow,

Full exhale,

Emptying the lungs and resuming the natural rhythm of breath.

So wherever you are right now,

Getting the sense of nature surrounding you,

Sensing the ground underneath you,

Whether you're directly touching the ground or just knowing that it's underneath whatever structure you're on,

And then sensing nature behind you and allowing this sensing of nature to move to your sides,

Your left side,

Your right side,

Sensing nature in front of you and sensing nature above you.

Again,

Whether you're outside or indoors,

Sensing and knowing that nature is all around you and are you able to zoom in now and take in some bit of nature,

Perhaps if you're outside or maybe if you're inside near a window or near a plant or an animal,

There's so much to take in about nature.

So we might choose a particular sense gateway and allow that aspect of nature to come in.

Perhaps there's an array of colors that the eyes are drawn to.

Maybe there's movement perceived such as leaves blowing or an animal or insect making their way around or some other thing that sight is noticing.

Or there may be a particular feeling that grabs attention,

A temperature or movement of air across the skin or some other touch sensation that the skin is drawn to.

Or maybe there's a particular smell perceived,

A woodsiness or freshness or something else that the nose notices.

Perhaps the ears are tuned into some sound of nature such as birdsong or rustling of a breeze blowing through the trees.

Just taking these few moments and connecting with whatever sense pathway is bringing nature in and allowing that to be what's happening right now.

As you are connecting with this aspect of nature,

Do you notice anything within the body beyond sensory awareness?

How is the body responding to what's coming in this sense doorway?

Is there a sense of openness or spaciousness?

Perhaps there's more activation or maybe even tension.

Noticing how the body is responding.

And where in the body,

Besides this particular sense doorway,

Where in the body is it noticed?

Maybe the face or the heart,

Belly,

The hands,

The feet.

Just being curious about how this connection with nature is landing in the body.

The initial aspect of nature that drew you in might have been fleeting.

And so I invite you to just allow whatever next sensory feature of nature that captivates you to have your attention.

Just allowing the flow of nature to be noticing and releasing,

Arising and dissolving.

There are also thoughts that are vying for attention.

Rather than pushing those away,

You might allow them in for a bit of curious awareness.

Just noticing that thinking is here also.

And if the lens is widened a bit more,

You might notice how the particular thoughts land in the body.

Is there a tightness or constriction?

Or perhaps open or calm?

Just noticing the felt sense of particular thoughts.

And now rather than getting too caught up in the content of thought,

Is it possibly to silently and gently label the kind of thought that's happening?

Maybe a planning thought,

Or a remembering thought,

Or a worrying thought,

Or a judging thought.

Perhaps it's a creative thought,

Or an interesting thought.

Or maybe it's just the fact of thinking,

So labeling it thinking.

There's so many categories of thoughts that arise.

And as you label the kinds of thought,

You may notice it dissipates.

You may notice that it's fleeting,

Arising and dissolving,

And so slowly shifting away from this labeling of thoughts,

Beginning to bring attention back to a sense gateway,

Where some aspect of nature is arriving.

Again,

Allowing this to enter the sense doorway,

Noticing it through the sense that is activated,

And then widening awareness to the felt sense of this experience in the body.

And as thoughts arise,

Again,

Just gently labeling them,

And returning attention to how nature is arriving at your sense gateways,

And how the body is experiencing that.

Taking a few moments to notice the difference of being inside a thought,

And the sense of aliveness that is right here,

Right now,

In nature.

Just appreciating this changing flow of experience.

And as we prepare to end this meditation,

Perhaps again,

Just allowing a couple of deeper,

Slower breaths.

Thank you for your practice.

In closing,

I'd like to share some words from the poet David Wagoner,

In his poem,

Lost.

Stand still.

The trees ahead and bushes beside you are not lost.

Wherever you are is called here,

And you must treat it as a powerful stranger.

Must ask permission to know it and be known.

The forest breathes.

Listen.

It answers,

I have made this place around you.

If you leave it,

You may come back again,

Saying,

Here.

No two trees are the same to raven.

No two branches are the same to wren.

If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,

You are surely lost.

Stand still.

The forest knows where you are.

You must let it find you.

Thank you,

Friends.

I bow to you and wish that may our practice be of benefit to all living beings,

Including our beautiful planet.