Hello,
This is Anne Sussman,
Founder of Mindfulness Meeting Place and the author of the Bliss Buddy project,
How Sharing Gratitude Increases Joy.
Today we will observe the practice,
Gratitude for nature.
The wonder of nature is often something we take for granted.
Most of us live in suburban or urban areas these days.
Gone are the days when we live on farms or off the grid in the wilderness.
If we are lucky,
We can escape to a natural retreat when on vacation.
Have you ever wondered why you may be drawn to nature when you have just a few days off?
The truth is,
As humans,
We are not separate from each other,
And we are not separate from nature.
The myth of separateness often keeps us from the truth of ourselves.
Can you see that there is a symbiotic relationship between us and nature?
The trees give us oxygen,
We give the trees carbon dioxide.
The earth gives us food to eat,
The rains and the springs from underground give us water to drink.
John Neuer said,
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,
Places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and give strength to the body and soul.
Recently there is emerging research about the practice of forest bathing.
The practice originated in Japan in the late 1980s and was coined by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries as shinrin yoku,
Which roughly translated means forest bathing.
This practice is making its way around the world for good reason.
Spending time slowly walking in the woods,
As opposed to a strenuous hike,
Although there is great value in that as well,
This is more about being barefoot in the yard,
On the grass,
Slowly walking around.
Mindfully paying attention to nature around you is a grounding and healing practice.
There are actually now forest bathing guides that are certified through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy.
Often when we have time to be on vacation,
We choose to be in nature,
By the ocean or in the mountains.
We often find refuge in these places because they feed our soul.
Can you notice how these places nourish you,
Nourish your soul?
You may not have thought about how connected you are to nature,
But in this meditation,
Cultivating gratitude for the natural world around us is a wonderful way to reconnect to the amazing gifts that nature offers us.
So let's begin.
I will remind you of the essentials for any meditation practice.
Remember,
It's okay to have thoughts in meditation.
The biggest misconception is that you need to clear your mind.
That will never happen.
Don't try too hard at this.
It's really a gentle shifting of your attention from thought back to breath.
From thought back to breath,
It doesn't matter how many times you return to the breath.
That's the practice.
You're doing it just right.
Let go of expectations and be kind to yourself.
Stick with the practice over days,
Weeks,
Months,
And years.
The changes that meditation will bring to your life are subtle,
Yet profound.
Let's begin.
Come to find a comfortable seat upright if that feels comfortable for you and relaxed.
Minimize your distractions for our time together.
When you are ready,
Gently close your eyes and begin by taking a few long,
Slow,
Deep breaths in and out of your nose.
Controlling the breath right now,
Knowing that you're safe,
Grounded and present,
Making this choice to meditate.
As you listen to the sound of the chime,
You can now let your breath return to its natural depth and rhythm.
No need to control your breath anymore.
You might notice your breath speeds up or slows down,
But your breath knows just how to take care of you,
So let it be easy,
Gentle.
Notice the temperature on your skin,
The warmth or coolness of the air.
Notice the sounds around you,
Sounds in the room or distant sounds outside.
Sounds need not be a barrier to your meditation.
In this practice,
You want to welcome everything,
Resist nothing.
Let's bring some relaxation to the body,
Beginning at the top of the head,
Softening your scalp and unfurling the brow,
Allowing your face to be soft,
Easy,
No expression necessary.
Checking in with your jaw,
Seeing if you might need to unclench just a little bit,
Allowing the tongue to rest comfortably in the mouth.
Inviting your shoulders to soften down the back a little bit,
Just away from the ears.
Noticing your spine,
From the base of the spine to the top of your head,
Reaching tall,
Holding the body in a posture that feels like dignity to you.
Relaxed,
Alert.
Noticing the front body softening from the top of the chest on down through the diaphragm,
And just letting the belly be soft and easy like a great big Buddha belly.
Shifting your attention to the right arm,
From the shoulder on down through the elbow,
All the way to the fingertips,
Just softening.
And then letting go of any tension you might be holding in the left arm,
From the shoulder on down through the elbow and all the way to the fingertips.
Noticing the pelvis sinking a little bit deeper into the cushion beneath you.
And seeing if you can notice the cushions rising up in reciprocity to support you,
To hold you in your practice.
Softening the right leg from the hip on down through the knee,
All the way to the toes.
And the left leg letting go of any tension you might be holding there,
From the hip through the knee down to the toes.
And scanning the body one more time,
Seeing if there's any place you might have missed that's calling for some ease or comfort.
Having in this practice you can always move or shift your position and trying to sit as still as you can.
And now turning your attention inward to the interior of you.
Trying to notice any tingling,
Pulsing,
Any sensations in the body.
You might notice that most in your fingertips or your toes.
You might not notice anything at all.
But that sensation is your aliveness.
We are alive in our bodies,
We almost never notice.
And now come to find your breath wherever it's most obvious for you.
That might be at the tip of the nose,
Noticing the cool air coming in through the nostrils,
Leaving a bit warmer above the upper lip.
For you you might notice your breath most in the rise and fall of your chest or your belly.
So just resting your attention on the sensations of breathing.
When you notice quite quickly that your attention wanders to thought,
As it will over and over again,
Make a choice and gently shift your attention back without judging it,
Finding the rhythm of your breath.
Now imagine that you are walking outdoors.
You are alone.
You have no phone.
No responsibilities.
Spending the time off to spend by yourself in your most favorite outdoor place.
Maybe you are walking on the beach,
Your barefoot,
And you can feel the moist,
Cool sand between your toes.
The tide brings the waves up close to your feet and occasionally the water splashes upon your ankles.
You can smell the salty air,
Feel the warmth of the sun on your body.
Spend some time here feeling grateful for the beauty that surrounds you.
Maybe for you you are on the top of a beautiful mountain.
It's cold but the sun is shining.
You can feel the slight wind on your face.
You can see the snow-capped mountains in the distance and around you.
It's exhilarating to be walking on the hard ground or through the snow.
You feel alive,
Refreshed.
You can hear the sounds of nature all around you and the feeling of gratitude washing over you.
If the woods are what you love,
Take a walk with your shoes off.
Feel the earth beneath your feet.
Listen to the birds and the rustle of the leaves as the wind blows through the trees.
The sunlight dapples through the trees to the floor of the woods.
You walk by a stream that's babbling.
You are surrounded by the trees you love,
Allowing that feeling of gratitude.
This is the opportunity to spend time communing with nature.
Wherever you are,
Spend time there.
Focus with all your senses,
What you are experiencing in this moment in nature.
Feel the joy wash over you.
Feel it filling every cell of your body.
Feel this deep connection to nature that is your birthright.
You'll sit mostly silent until you hear the chime.
To make your journey easier,
Note that you can enjoy life just asη± as life allows you to.
Now,
Here's a simpler example of this.
Take all of your senses,
Get stronger.
Thank you.
.
.
.
.
.
Notice where your attention is and see if you can tap back into that feeling of gratitude for the nature all around you.
If you notice your thoughts are wandering back to your busy life,
See if you can return once again to that place of refuge outside,
Wherever that may be for you.
Notice how your attention is and see if you can tap back into that feeling of gratitude for the nature all around you.
Notice how your attention is and see if you can tap back into that feeling of gratitude for the nature all around you.
Notice how your attention is and see if you can tap back into that feeling of gratitude for the nature all around you.
And now letting whatever images of nature,
Yourself in nature,
Just fade away gently,
Returning your attention to the rhythm of your breath.
It's always there waiting for you.
And now letting whatever images of nature,
Yourself in nature,
Just fade away gently,
Returning your attention to the rhythm of your breath.
And now letting whatever images of nature,
Yourself in nature,
Just fade away gently,
Returning your attention to the rhythm of your breath.
So keeping your eyes closed.
Returning to the sound of the chime,
Sitting in stillness just a little longer.
It's always important to come out of meditation slowly.
So taking your time keeping your eyes closed,
You can begin to deepen your breath.
Slowly start to stretch into the space around you.
Taking your time,
There's no rush.
And lastly,
When you do feel ready,
You can slowly open your eyes by gazing at the floor,
Putting in just a little light at first before coming back fully to the room.
Thank you for joining me in this meditation on gratitude for nature.
I want to leave you with another quote from John Muir,
America's most famous and influential naturalist and conservationist.
He's been called the father of our national parks.
Keep close to nature's heart and break clear away once in a while and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods.
Wash your spirit clean.
I love that.
I hope you get outside and spend some time with nature and yourself.
I wish you peace.
