Standing by the tree, I crushed a couple of its leaves into my hand and inhaled deeply.
The smell of limonene from the lemon scented gum was sublime.
I was on a special walk; one I hadn’t done before.
It wasn’t that the location was new.
It wasn’t that it was especially demanding. There were no hills.
It was a nature adventure of forest bathing.
Known as Shinrin Yoku in Japan, this is the gentle art of spending time immersed in a forest or natural environment, mindfully engaging with all our senses. It’s a practice that induces profound relaxation, lowering stress and imbues a sense of connectedness to the flora and fauna surrounding us.
Led by our forest nature guide, Belinda McCawley from Mindful in Nature, we went for a mindful walk, undertook a “Sniffari”, were invited to join in some brief mindfulness meditation, and undertook some creative nature journalling.
Four hours melted away and then it was time to enjoy a wonderful vegetarian lunch under the shade of a magnificent peppermint tree.
Spending time in nature is one of my greatest joys.
The time I get to spend time outside, whether in a green or blue space makes me feel good, even if it’s only for a few minutes.
My perfect morning involves making a cup of tea and then stepping outside onto our back patio to sip my tea while taking in the sight of our garden, the trees and bushes, to watch the clouds passing overhead and to listen to all the sounds I can hear. Birdsong, a dog barking, the background hum of traffic on a busy road nearby.
Once I’ve had 10 minutes of taking in the early morning light, helping my body reset to be ready for sleep in 16 hours’ time, it’s time for Part 2 of my morning ritual, where I immerse myself into our backyard pool for a quick cold plunge. The water isn’t super cold. But it’s not heated either, and on those cooler winter mornings, it does take my breath away!
It’s a ritual I follow not just to wake up, but because I find it invigorating. energising and it puts me in a good mood.
Do you have a morning ritual with nature to set you up for your day?
The Benefits of Nature.
The reason I’m so passionate about spending time with nature is because of the profound effect it has on our bodies and minds.
Nature is healing. It strengthens our immune system and lowers blood pressure. It’s a powerful antidote to our busy and stressful lives and helps us to relax.
Nature is calming. It lowers stress levels and elevates mood. Levels of serotonin and dopamine (two important neurotransmitters involved in regulating mood) increase. You feel happier and more content.
Nature fosters creativity and restores focus. Greater clarity enhances cognition, improving attention and reducing cognitive fatigue. A 15–20-minute nature break at lunch time will help you stay focused and on track with work for the afternoon.
While not everyone may love nature as much as I do, we all benefit from taking time, even just 10-15 minutes a day in a green or blue space.
When you know that many of us spend over 90-95% of our time indoors, taking the opportunity to step outside matters because of nature’s importance in helping you maintain better health and well-being.
How you choose to spend that time is up to you.
You can sit, lie down, take a nap, walk or engage in some form of exercise or activity.
The type of nature you engage with depends too on what’s available and accessible. Hopefully, you have some form of nature close by to where you live or perhaps near your work. It’s also recognised that the more biodiverse the area, the greater the level of benefits. So, look around you. Are there lots of trees and different plants? Can you hear birdsong? Is there a water feature or running water close by?
Nature provides an opportunity to be more physically active and socially engaged. These pillars of well-being can be used as powerful adjuncts to assist us in recovering from illness or disease and especially in the realm of mental illness.
Normally, on my bush walks, I like to walk at a steady pace. Here, I found the slow pace of nature-bathing mesmerising and meditative. I stopped to examine plants and grasses I hadn’t ever looked at before. I wondered at how even the scrubbiest piece of bush at first glance was a treasure trove of diverse shapes, colours and patterns.
Where some plants had finished flowering and were setting seed, while others were in first flush of new growth. I found it reassuring to understand how nature constantly renews itself. Bushfires are common in Australia, and I have always marvelled how, after just a few weeks, the first green shoots of new growth start to emerge from the charred and blackened ground.
Five ways to get outside more.
- Pack a picnic and head off to your local park with your family.
- Choose to walk or do some form of physical activity outside for 15-20 minutes every day.
- Develop your own morning ritual that gets you outside.
- Grow a green thumb and take up gardening or volunteer in a community nature restoration project.
- Get creative. Create a nature collage with fallen leaves, twigs and bark. Paint a picture. Write a nature journal recording the different plants you see and identify the birds you hear.
I’d love to know. How do you remind yourself to step outside more often?
