Mini-Mindfulness Activity - Leaf

This short guided mindfulness practice is designed to support you in slowing down & paying the closest attention to the detail that surrounds us in the natural world. For this track, you will need a leaf, from any plant, & will be guided in exploring this carefully & mindfully.
The track connects to the Take 2 mindfulness course but can also be enjoyed in its own right.

Transcript

Welcome to this mini mindfulness activity. Hopefully you should have a leaf in your hand, It can be any leaf and if you've not just pause this audio and go and find one anywhere, Any plant at all and then gently placing that leaf either on your palm or in front of you where you can see it and then arranging your body so that you feel comfortable and settling into that position, Bringing your attention and your gaze to your leaf and just noticing your leaf, Noticing the size, Is it large or small, Noticing the shape, Noticing the edges, Are they smooth, Are they serrated, Are there any imperfections, Is there anything that's unique to this leaf, Notice the colour of your leaf, Are there different shades within that colour, Are there patches which are lighter, Maybe some that are a little darker, Are there any patterns on your leaf, Notice the veins, Are they symmetrical or are they staggered, Notice the detail as each of those veins has other smaller capillaries coming off them, Notice if your leaf is shiny, Is it matte, You're holding your leaf maybe gently tilted, Does it look different in different lights and notice the texture of your leaf, Is it thick, Is it delicate, Is it soft and smooth, Is it furry, Is it leathery, Does your leaf smell at all and then gently turning your leaf over to look at the back, What do you notice that's different about the back, Are the veins raised on this side, Are they wider, More pronounced, Notice the patterns in amongst the veins, Notice if there's any change in colour towards the tip of the leaf or towards the edges and just take a moment to really absorb your leaf, Notice the shape against whatever it's resting on, The light, The shadow, The space around it and then in your own time bringing your attention back into the room. I wish you a wonderful rest of day.