A LOOK AT DIVERSITY
When I notice that I’m becoming tense or unbalanced, one of my favorite ways to return to a calm and balanced state is to walk or sit in nature.
Find a quiet area outside, maybe a park or garden. Use your senses to immerse yourself in the experience of being outdoors. Focus your awareness on the experience of nature - sight, sound, touch, smell.
Observe the birds: notice their colors, their song. See the plants: notice the shape and texture of their leaves, what is growing on the bark? Notice the flowers: see the colors, what is the pattern of the petals? Listen to the wind in the trees or the water flowing on the rocks. You don't need to analyze the sights and sounds or label them - simply notice their qualities.
The more we quiet our minds and focus deeply, the more we perceive. This can be true both outside of us and inside us. Although it may not seem true, our mind’s natural state is one of calm and relaxation.
The beauty of taking time to return to our natural state of mind is that it reminds us that we don’t need to be tormented by our desires, thoughts, and fears. When we are in our meditative mind, we can experience the thoughts and emotions without suppression, but also without reacting or indulging those aspects of our mind.
Time spent in nature wakes something inside of us and helps reset ourselves into a more natural rhythm.
