zenwrit

Wild Mindfulness offers a chance to attend mindfully to the wild interconnections that define us.

The fact that fishing can be relaxing should be no great surprise. It often involves travelling to beautiful quiet locations and sitting looking out upon the water, whilst waiting for a fish to bite. The location with its sights, sounds and smells can be instantly relaxing. Imagine closing your eyes and hearing just the slow rise and fall of the waves and inhaling the scent of the sea air. Fishing provides time to think and is an escape from a hectic day job or from having to deal with screaming kids.

Some anglers will prefer to fish alone but, equally, many prefer to fish with a friend or friends. This can allow you to engage in some friendly banter whilst you wait for the first fish to be caught.

Fishing has a pretty good rep as a relaxing pastime, but it actually goes a lot further than that

The therapeutic effect derives from the fact that fishing brings together mental relaxation, low-impact exercise and, very often, social camaraderie.

What is so soothing about nature? Why do people talk about nature and relaxation? Can nature help you to relax?

We are drawn to nature and wilderness. We go hiking, we love gardening, we swim in the ocean or in the lakes. We go for walks, or we go camping, and we sit by the campfire staring at the night sky.

We know that spending time in nature makes us feel good.

Many believe that outdoor activities and recreation can play a significant roll in the healing process of Americans.

Just sitting still, using the yogic breath (slowly in, hold, slowly out, hold) is usually enough to allow the vibrations from the amazing forest and earth beneath me to bring me into a state of bliss.

I meditate outside everyday, regardless of the weather.

This nature walk is about becoming more sensitive to the environment and the extraordinary fact that you are alive. And the fresh air and sunshine will wake your body up and set your rhythm for the day.

Connecting to one's humanity is found not in fame and glory, but in an inner stillness that is best cultivated in the natural world. In nature, the calm external environment encourages inner peace.

I credit the woods behind my childhood home for being a lifeline to the magical brilliance in its leafy reality.

Everything in the woods made sense

Our being resonates with the sight of a flower, sound of birds, feeling of the breeze.

In the nature meditations, we focus our awareness on the experience of nature — sight, sound, touch, smell (and perhaps even taste).

This meditation needs to be performed outside where you are physically present with Mother Earth and the Universe that surrounds her.  Find a quiet place outside, where you are away from other people, traffic noises, and alone with the beautiful sounds of nature.

Grounding is simply a word that describes the strengthening of your connection with earth.  It is an exercise that should be performed each morning as well as before meditation.  The process of grounding helps you to remain anchored in this dimension as you move through other dimensions in this meditation.

To ground yourself, close your eyes, breathe gently and deeply.  Imagine that there is a strong energy that flows up and down your spine, and then down through both legs.  Stay with this energy as it moves up and down your spine and legs – it’s a powerful energy.

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"Nature is our great source of inner peace," said Alberti.

"It flows naturally and we need to flow naturally so aligning with nature allows us to come to our peaceful place."

A wealth of studies have examined the hypothesis that spending time outdoors boosts our well-being, but until now not much was known about how being outside affects what researchers call “momentary subjective well-being,” a fancy term for how you feel in-the-moment.

Relaxation isn't just about peace of mind or enjoying a hobby. Relaxation is a process that decreases the effects of stress on your mind and body.

Learning basic relaxation techniques is easy. Relaxation techniques also are often free or low cost, pose little risk and can be done just about anywhere. Explore these simple relaxation techniques and get started on de-stressing your life and improving your health.

And scans show mindfulness may change the way our brains function and help us improve attention, reduce stress hormones and even bounce back faster from negative information.

“Intentionally paying attention to the present nonjudgmentally”

A Native American wisdom story tells of an old Cherokee who is teaching his grandson about life. 'A fight is going on inside me,' he said to the boy. 'It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil--he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good--he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The fight is going on inside of you--and inside every other person, too.

'Which wolf will win?' The old Cherokee replied, 'The one that you feed.'