Being Mindful in Nature
My elderly mother has been experiencing health issues over the past few months, with various hospital and rehabilitation facility stays. My oldest son, who lives five state away from me, was involved in a serious car accident. My podcast has started to explode (in a good way!) leaving me scrambling to stay on top of the interview, editing and publishing schedule. All of this is stress-inducing. But, that’s life . . . crazy and fun and chaotic and messy at times. However, it’s how we handle the chaos and resulting stress that determines whether we feel overwhelmed or calm in the moment.
Today I hit the trails at Cincinnati Nature Center for some self-care soul work. I practiced mindfulness exercises as I hiked, listening to the sounds of nature, taking in deep breaths of the forest scents, and allowing the cool morning air to embrace me. Nature is my reminder to stay grounded. As I focused on the little bee, asleep on a flower, I allowed myself peace. Right there in that moment. No decisions about nursing homes or insurance policies, no scheduling conflicts or malfunctioning recordings. Just me, a bee and a flower.
I wish you serenity in nature. Here is a little collage of some of my favorite photos I have snapped while hiking at our local nature preserve. Enjoy!
This is beautiful – thank you for the reminder! I’m so good about getting outside and so bad about being mindful while I’m doing it – much more likely to buzz through my to-do list in my brain trying to create a plan for the day…or week. Have a lovely weekend!
Thank you for the positive feedback! My to-do lists pop into my head at times while I’m hiking, but I make a concerted effort to focus on the scents and sounds surrounding me. It all just brings me such a sense of peace. I hope you have a lovely weekend, as well.