The Mindful Nature Walk 

Did you know that a simple walk in nature can become a mindfulness exercise that can soothe stress and calm anxiety? 

By using all 5 senses for just a few minutes each sense, you can enjoy our beautiful summer weather and benefit your mental health. 

Sight: pick something to watch like an ant’s progression down the sidewalk, or a bird’s flight across the sky. Just observe where it’s going, what it’s doing and how it walks or flies.  

Hearing: Close your eyes and pick out as many sounds as you can. Usually the longer you do this, the more sounds you can pick out. 

Touch: stop and touch the bark of a tree or some blades of grass. Just concentrate on the texture, how it feels with your fingers or other parts of your hand. Maybe sit on the grass and notice how it feels on your legs, your feet.  

Smell: with your eyes open or closed, try to pick out the different smells, maybe your neighbor has just mowed her lawn, or you can smell the air after a rain. 

Taste: If you have a garden or berries outside already or something you have brought with you, slowly enjoy every aspect of eating it.  You can use all 5 senses while enjoying eating something: how it looks, smells, feels, the sound of a crunch perhaps, and of course the taste.  

By slowing down and mindfully enjoying nature, you can enhance the experience and take time to soothe your restless spirit at the same time.