Nature Meditation

First find a good place outdoors to meditate where there are relatively few people around, so you can concentrate on your nature meditation.

Once you chose your spot, try to use the same place every time. Repetition and familiarity is a great way to induce a deep meditation state fast.

You can bring along a sheet or blanket to sit on (or kneel on, depending on your preferred meditation posture), so that you don't soil your clothes. If you prefer, you can even lie down if this is your favorite meditation position.

It is important to feel quite comfortable throughout the entire session.

When it comes to the right meditation clothing, dress in loose clothes and avoid wearing jeans or anything tight that might constrict the flow of blood. Yoga clothing would be best, however in lack of that, simply wear some gym clothes that are comfy on your body.

Photo credits

While some people prefer to meditate with open eyes (and definitely being out in the nature is a great way to do it), I prefer to close my eyes even when outdoors.

But it really is up to you, all is good as long as you feel great doing it your way.

1. Close your eyes and take a deep breath and then release it
2. Take a few slower but still deep breaths, letting the breath go right into your belly, and then exhale by pushing out all the air that you inhaled
3. While breathing slowly in start focusing on how the air travels through your body, in from your nostrils, down your throat, into your lungs and down to your belly
4. Now follow the same movement backwards when exhaling
5. After a few breathing exercises, you are ready to go deeper in a meditative state by doing the nature meditation
6. Now turn your awareness away from your breathing outwards, to your surroundings. Feel how the sunrays touch your skin and the wind breeze gently caresses it. Notice all the natural sounds around you, the birds chirping, the crickets, the water flowing if there is one nearby. Hear the wind whooshing past your years
7. Simply continue noticing every sound that you hear, every feeling that touches you in one way or another
8. At times, your mind will wander away, and that is ok. Simply gently bring it back to noticing your natural surroundings. A nature meditation is all about being aware, focused on the external, natural environment affecting you in a positive way
9. After a few minutes, start focusing on one particular sound or feeling and ignore everything else. You can hear and feel all there is, but keep your mind focused either on the crickets, or the birds, or the feeling of the wind against your skin. Simply enjoy that unique experience.
10. In doing so, notice how all your worries, problems, thoughts are slowly drifting away from your awareness. You are becoming more and more relaxed, calm and rested
11. When you are ready, open your eyes, look around, take a cleansing deep breath and feel how you become re-energized, healed and protected by nature's power to heal.