In this practice,
You will find a spot outdoors,
And after a little time to settle,
You will look around you till you find something that interests you.
Then,
You'll spend time really exploring this thing in detail,
Letting yourself be curious about it and making friends with it.
So often in our daily life we are going so quickly that we only see things on the surface,
Or we don't even see them at all.
When we slow down,
We have the chance to truly be in touch with the wonders of nature around us.
I remember when I was first learning walking meditation,
I saw a flower on the path ahead of me,
And I really looked at it deeply without anything else going on in my mind.
And I felt the flower was smiling at me.
I was fully present for the flower,
And so the flower could be fully present for me.
So there are wonders all around us that are smiling to us all the time,
But often we miss these gifts and smiles being offered to us by the trees,
The clouds,
The sun,
The rain,
Because we're thinking,
We're worrying and planning for other things.
However,
We can all train ourselves to really see the beauty,
The gifts,
And the smiles being offered to us.
We can train ourselves to slow down and take in the complexity and wonder of nature.
Find a spot outside that you feel drawn to.
Settle yourself in a comfortable position,
Either sitting,
Standing,
Or lying.
Breathe deeply in and out a few times.
Close your eyes and let your body give its weight to the support of the earth.
Let the earth support you.
You don't have to do anything right now.
You can just be.
Let go and enjoy resting here.
Notice what it feels like to be here.
What sounds do you hear?
What smells do you notice?
What does the ground feel like?
Feel your body as part of this place and continue to breathe.
Breathe in and out with the place you are in.
Now,
Slowly and gently,
Open your eyes just a little bit and let a teeny bit of light in.
What is the quality of light like?
Does it have a color?
Now,
Open your eyes slightly wider,
About half open,
And let them gaze all around you with an easy,
Relaxed focus.
Open your eyes all the way now and take in your whole surroundings.
Notice what this location you have chosen looks like now.
Does it look or feel any different from when you first came here?
Now,
As you look around,
Let yourself explore and get interested in one particular thing that attracts you in your surroundings.
Perhaps a leaf,
A tree,
A rock,
A flower,
An ant,
A bird,
Or a shaft of light coming through the leaves above.
It could be anything.
Move closer to this thing if you can do so in a way that is safe for you and without damaging it.
If it is an animal or insect,
Keep a respectful distance so you don't scare it or hurt it.
When you move,
Try to move as quietly as you can,
Making hardly any noise.
As you get closer,
Notice what it looks like in more detail.
What colors do you see?
What is the texture and shape like?
Try to take it in from different angles,
Moving around it or moving it around in your hand.
Now get as close as you can to it to see what smaller details you can observe.
Is it moving or still?
Is it making noise?
What else can you notice about it?
Breathe in and breathe out,
Just being here with this special treasure.
Where do you think it came from?
How do you think it got here?
How old do you think it is?
Is it connected in some way to the other things around you?
Are there ways you are connected to it?
Does it respond to your attention,
To your observation in any way?
And how do you feel exploring it like this?
It's okay if there are things you don't know or understand about it.
It's okay not to know.
Let yourself stay curious and open.
If you like,
You can smile to this treasure you have chosen to explore.
Thank it for being there and letting you get to know it better.
And when you're ready,
Say goodbye in whatever way feels right,
And if you picked it up,
Return it back to where you found it.
You have just spent time getting to know an aspect of nature in more detail.
Each leaf,
Rock,
Tree,
Cloud,
Insect,
And bird can teach us a great deal and deserves our careful,
Close attention.
We can learn a lot by being still with things in nature and simply watching,
Listening,
And observing them.
Doing this also helps to calm and focus our minds.
It also helps us better understand our connection to nature so that we can better protect and live in harmony with all of life.
I hope you will take time each day to pay attention to the beauty and wonder of nature that is all around you and inside of you too.
