So what does the natural world have to show us about being mindful and how does mindfulness bring us back to the natural world?
Acceptance: whether it be a bird ruffling its feathers against the cold, or a tree growing up through an abandoned building, the way in which the natural world accepts the things it cannot change and gets on with it is a humble reminder. Learning to accept what we cannot change or have control over and having the courage and persistence to take action over the things we can is one of the most important steps towards finding contentment in our lives.
Patience: in the natural world, things happen at their own pace. Nature can act quickly or slowly but it doesn't bend to external pressure to achieve things faster than necessary. Being in the natural world can bring us back to our natural pace too. There's no bringing out the sun when it's raining, or making a tomato plant grow to your schedule. And in nature, patience can yield wonderful results. Just the language we use to talk about the natural world reveals what it can teach us about patience - grow, cultivate, nourish.
Impermanence: nothing is forever and everything is constantly changing. All we have is here and now. Lie on your back in the grass and watch clouds blow across the sky or sit by a river and watch the water flow by. The sky and the river are fixed but the clouds and the water are ever present yet never the same. This impermanence within a frame of permanence and reality creates a sense that anything is possible but nothing is certain. Similarly, practicing mindfulness cultivates an awareness that our thoughts and feelings also come and go within a more permanent frame of reality. All we can do is accept them and be aware of what exists here and now.
Interconnectedness: the systems observable in the nature teach us that we are part of an intricately interconnected world. Cultivating those connections, which cannot be separated from each other or yourself helps you act with more compassion and kindness and is vital for the well being of ourselves, others and the world we live in.
From the natural world and the practice of mindfulness emerges a new understanding of life and a sense of meaning that goes beyond expression because it is so much bigger than us.
Acceptance: whether it be a bird ruffling its feathers against the cold, or a tree growing up through an abandoned building, the way in which the natural world accepts the things it cannot change and gets on with it is a humble reminder. Learning to accept what we cannot change or have control over and having the courage and persistence to take action over the things we can is one of the most important steps towards finding contentment in our lives.
Patience: in the natural world, things happen at their own pace. Nature can act quickly or slowly but it doesn't bend to external pressure to achieve things faster than necessary. Being in the natural world can bring us back to our natural pace too. There's no bringing out the sun when it's raining, or making a tomato plant grow to your schedule. And in nature, patience can yield wonderful results. Just the language we use to talk about the natural world reveals what it can teach us about patience - grow, cultivate, nourish.
Impermanence: nothing is forever and everything is constantly changing. All we have is here and now. Lie on your back in the grass and watch clouds blow across the sky or sit by a river and watch the water flow by. The sky and the river are fixed but the clouds and the water are ever present yet never the same. This impermanence within a frame of permanence and reality creates a sense that anything is possible but nothing is certain. Similarly, practicing mindfulness cultivates an awareness that our thoughts and feelings also come and go within a more permanent frame of reality. All we can do is accept them and be aware of what exists here and now.
Interconnectedness: the systems observable in the nature teach us that we are part of an intricately interconnected world. Cultivating those connections, which cannot be separated from each other or yourself helps you act with more compassion and kindness and is vital for the well being of ourselves, others and the world we live in.
From the natural world and the practice of mindfulness emerges a new understanding of life and a sense of meaning that goes beyond expression because it is so much bigger than us.