Get out in nature. Tend a garden or stroll on a nature trail or country road. Go to the park. Listen to the birds sing. Really listen. Look at the sky. Watch the squirrels play. Soak in the rays of the sun on your face and body (a few minutes a day is good for you, no burning!) Smell the flowers, the cut grass, or visit a nearby lake or river. Find local medicinal herbs. If you pick some, be sure to leave some and do so with gratitude. Being out in nature and observing what you see, hear, smell and feel is a wonderful way to practice presence and meditation, whether walking or sitting still. Even tending a small container garden on your balcony can help you feel connected with nature when you set that intention and get in the flow. Look up. Step outside on a starry night and look up. Look at the moon and the stars. Contemplate your place in the grand scheme of life or the vastness of the universe. Contemplate the reality that you are hurtling through space at thousands of miles an hour while feeling and seeing yourself standing still. Listen to the night sounds of the crickets and frogs. Feel the night – it feels different, mentally and physically, than the day. Notice how the darkness brings its own sense of calm.
- Literally. Take off your shoes and dig your toes into the sand. Stand barefoot on uncured cement or on the earth. Put your hand on a tree. Grounding is very healing. (We’ll talk more about grounding next month, but I didn’t want you to miss out in July!). A few minutes of grounding is good, a half hour or more is better.