WELLBEING | 10-Minute Nature Awareness Mini Meditation for Beginners

July 29, 2024 Shell Robshaw-Bryan

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Here’s a lovely little beginner-friendly nature mindfulness exercise that’s ideal to do on a sunny day. You’ll need to allow about 10 minutes, or longer if possible, but this can easily be fitted into a lunch break or after work.

10-Minute Nature Awareness Mini Meditation for Beginners

This is the perfect mindfulness exercise to do whilst camping, but you can head to any green space like a park or garden and a warm sunny day is best. Find a spot that calls to you, lie on your back and get comfy.

TIP: If you’re worried about drifting off or only have a limited amount of time, set an alarm on your phone before you begin.

1. Bring awareness to your breath

Start with 3 deep breaths and long exhales, before returning to a natural breathing pattern.

Begin by paying attention to the thoughts that drift into your head or whatever it is that your inner voice is saying.

2. Notice your thoughts

If you’re in a public place, do you feel at all self-conscious? Perhaps you feel a sense of calm or happiness? You might even feel a little silly or self-indulgent. It could be that you feel right at home and immediately settle in.

All thoughts are valid, though some will be gentler and more positive than others.

If you feel any negative judgements surface, observe and allow them to float off. They have no place in this moment.

3. Settle and relax your body

Move your arms and legs, relax your shoulders and really feel into the ground and settle in. Release any tension you can feel in your muscles.

Remember doing this as a young child, with no cares in the world? No worries about what others might think. With no guilt about what else you could be doing with your time. With no anxiety about any tasks awaiting you in the future; Just doing it for the sheer in-the-moment-joy of it.

Fill yourself with that carefree feeling as you begin to slow down and tune into your senses.

4. Tune in your senses

Become aware of and focus on the warmth of the sun, the sensation of the breeze on your skin, the way the grass feels on any areas of your bare skin, and any sounds you can hear, paying particular attention to the natural sounds.

Can you hear birds? Do you hear the leaves of the tree above you whispering?

Let your senses dictate what you pay attention to and remind yourself to soften your brow, relax your jaw and allow any physical tension to melt away as you choose what to tune your senses into.

5. Relax and enjoy

Enjoy this little gift of time you’ve given yourself. Time without your phone in your hand. Time spent anchored in the here and now, which can be such a rare thing in our ever-busy and increasingly stressful lives.

How did you find the exercise?

It’s normal to feel a little woozy or even sleepy after an exercise like this, particularly if you were able to fully embrace the meditation.

Did you find you were able to sink into the meditation quickly? Did you find your mind continually full of distracting thoughts? Did your concentration keep on drifting? Were you able to fully enjoy the time? Did you wish you could have done it for longer?

Don’t feel disheartened if this didn’t click for you or if you struggled to focus your senses. As with any skill, the more frequently you practice mindfulness, the easier it will become.