Mindfulness is already ingrained in you. Every person can practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is available at any time, at your disposal. With the seasons changing, you may be experiencing a burst of energy and an improved mood. This may come as a relief. However, there are ways to enhance this budding sense of well-being. Practicing mindfulness outside may be your ticket to increased happiness and serenity.
This blog post will delve into how mindfulness can change your experiences outdoors, five ways to incorporate mindfulness into outdoor activities, and how The Guest House can guide you to explore mindfulness in recovery.
How Do I Learn to Be Mindful?
Mindfulness is a form of meditation in which you become intensely aware of yourself at the moment without judgment. It’s about tuning in to what is present in the moment and letting stress and judgments be released.
This practice can be especially rewarding when combined with nature. Practicing mindfulness outside can be a game changer for experiencing a connection to the outdoors. You do not need any special tools to practice mindfulness. All you need is a desire to connect and stay aware of the moment.
For example, take a moment and examine what is around you. What can you hear, smell, touch, see, or taste? Think about how your awareness has changed and how you feel. Just now you engaged in mindfulness. It is really that simple!
How Can Mindfulness Change My Experiences?
Mindfulness is the understanding that you are taking in all of the experiences, no matter what you may be doing. This practice brings you into the present moment to experience all that life can offer.
According to a 2009 editorial published in Substance Abuse, mindfulness “encourages awareness and acceptance of thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations as they arise, and recognition of their impermanence.” Practicing mindfulness outside teaches you to acknowledge thoughts, emotions, and feelings instead of ignoring or repressing them. Meanwhile, you can connect with nature around you. You can notice how the breeze feels, how the air smells, and how the trees look. This brings you into the present moment, which tends to be relaxing.
5 Ways to Practice Mindfulness Outside
Several pointers can help you explore mindfulness outside. You have the power to incorporate mindfulness every day and the choice to be present no matter what you are going through.
#1. Blow Bubbles to Practice Mindfulness Outside
What better way is there to feel free than to blow bubbles? Bubbles usually represent a simpler time in your life, where bills were not considered and outside was a magical place. Take a deep breath in and exhale as many bubbles as you can with that breath. Watch the bubbles dance on the surfaces around you and notice how you feel.
Perhaps you can take the idea of practicing mindfulness outside a bit further and imagine yourself as a bubble. Ask yourself questions like: How would it feel to be free and go wherever I wanted? Create awareness and examine your feelings. Remember that when a negative thought surfaces, it is all a part of the process. Acknowledge those thoughts and release them.
#2. Listen to Water to Engage in Mindfulness Outside
Have you ever listened to the sound of moving water? The sound can bring a sense of relaxation and calm to your experience. According to numerous studies, the sound of water has a profound effect on brain waves and reduces stress. The calming sound of water can decrease stress and anxiety and promote an overall sense of wellness.
Listening to water is something simple that you can do to practice mindfulness outside. All you need is a willingness to try something new and a pair of walking shoes.
#3. Practice Yoga Outside
One of the most well-known forms of mindfulness is yoga. Yoga doesn’t have to be done indoors. You can engage in mindfulness outside and create a state of connection with nature. There are many ways to engage in mindfulness outside and places that offer therapeutic modalities to enhance your experience. One of these places is The Guest House.
#4. Engaging in Mindfulness Outside With Adventure Therapy
It has been said that the opposite of addiction is isolation. In a world full of many wonders and beautiful sights, it is almost impossible to not have engaged in mindfulness outside at some point in your life. Perhaps you have struggled with symptoms of depression that kept you indoors and isolated. Nevertheless, you may remember feeling mindful outside as a child.
Whatever your struggles are, adventure therapy can address the problem and provide an enjoyable therapeutic outdoor experience. In adventure therapy, you can connect with other people, physical challenges, and the beauty of nature.
#5. Grab Your Journal and Go Outside
Journaling your thoughts and feelings has been utilized as a relapse prevention tool for a number of years. During treatment, the concept of journaling your thoughts and feelings may have seemed ridiculous. However, there are many time-tested benefits of journaling.
Releasing negative thoughts and feelings can be an empowering coping skill, especially in recovery. Go ahead and grab your journal and take it outside. Be mindful of what is around you. Notice how practicing mindfulness outside makes you feel. This is a form of healing that is free and accessible and can be used whenever you feel drawn to it.
It can be hard to find relapse prevention skills that will work for you. Mindfulness is something you may be already practicing while not knowing that there is a name for it. Practicing mindfulness gives you a sense of peace about what is happening in the moment and keeps you focused on the present. At The Guest House, we believe that there is no one way to recover. It takes a wide variety of modalities to meet you where you are at and move you toward healing. Recovery is not a cookie cutter experience but an individual experience that helps you become the best version of yourself. Give us a call today (855) 483-7800 to learn more.