Healing in nature – a practice to slow down to the pace of nature

Have you had a moment yet where you stop and look at nature in awe? Just adoring what is in front of you. How did it feel? If you haven’t yet paid attention to that, what do you think it would feel like? 

Before we dive in, I want to remind that you can light a candle, make your space cozy, take a cup of tea, or any warm beverage you prefer. Let’s make this safe, cozy and a bit magical. 

Are you ready? Let’s go.

Nature has healing properties. After all – we are nature, and when I stop and take a moment to adore and experience what is in front of me it feels like I am being taken back to the pace of nature, back home.

How many leaves are on the trees… how they change color with the changing of seasons… how the sun shines through the trees… the little things.

In this post I will tell you more about how this has looked like in my journey, how I started to include these little moments of pause in my daily life. 

Notice the pace of nature.

The pace of nature is different than the one of our world, have you noticed?

The way she speaks so slowly, she is in flow. And when I stop and notice the little things I become one with her rhythm.

Take a deep breath in… and out.

I invite you to notice the following things when you next find yourself in nature:

• How does the tree closest to you look like?
• What color are the leaves on the trees?
• Do you see how abundant the trees are, how many leaves are there, can you count them all?
• Are there clouds in the sky?
• Can you feel a little breeze? What does it remind you of, how does it make you feel?
• Deep breath in and out as you go with this practice
• When possible, watching the clouds move above you, how fast or slow are they moving.
• Check in with your 5 senses: what can I see, hear, smell, taste, touch.
• Take a breath in… and out. 

Notice? The slower pace, the peace in your heart. Even a little bit. 

If in the first time you try this, you don’t notice much difference – that’s okay! Remind yourself that this is a process, and you can most definitely keep going. Step by step, day by day.

Observing nature this way has given me new ways of rest, of coming back to myself, of enjoying magic even, because in nature one can find truly magical things.

How I include this into my daily life 

Firstly, how it began. 

I was experiencing a lot of inner rush, anxiety, clutter, right in my chest.

Felt messy, it still does at times. My chest felt full of what I had picked up during the day / week. Now I have found many different practices how to cleanse myself and I am learning the best ways for me, but today I am sharing one of them with you, how I do it with connecting with / slowing down in nature.

Deep breath in… and out. 

Whether you’re on the street, in a park, forest, anywhere where there is even a bit of nature around (a tree in the city center will do ;)), take a moment (can be even less than a minute, but I take as much time as I have) and notice:

• How does the tree closest to you look like?
• What color are the leaves on the trees?
• If a leaf is close, stop and take a couple of seconds to look at it. Observe it. The colors, the lines. How it holds on to the tree.
• Notice how abundant the trees are. How many leaves are there, can you count them all?
• How the trees look around you, how grounded, stable, peaceful and strong they look. 
• Looking right up at the highest leaves, what can you see? Are there birds flying above, how tall is the tree (and how tiny are we;)). 
• Is the sun shining through the trees, how does the light come through. In the mornings or evenings, I love to notice how a ray of the sun is visible through the trees. 
• Are there clouds in the sky?
• Can you feel a little breeze? What does it remind you of, how does it make you feel?
• Deep breath in and out as you go with this practice.
• When possible, watching the clouds move above you, how fast or slow are they moving.
• Check in with your 5 senses: what can you see, hear, smell, taste, touch.

This can be done anywhere. Making the connection between you and nature, and noticing the small, little details about it. 

Plants indoors can also be observed this way. Go near them, how does it look, the leaves, the color, maybe the changing patterns of colors or petals, the smell. 

I feel the peace and slower pace even writing this, how about you? 

Now for me, whenever I look at the plants I have or connect with nature outdoors it has become a necessary part of my day. Anywhere at any time, I see nature and I smile. It truly feels like a reminder. A reminder to slow down, check in with myself, how I am feeling, am I rushing, am I calm, am I clean from others energies, am I fully in. And a reminder to see and feel the beauty all around. 

Whenever you find yourself in nature, try this out. 

This will be your exercise 😉

It can be a magical practice.

Maybe you wish to connect with your journal after this, write about your experience. 

I wish you the best of time with this practice!

I enjoy it every time.