2. Using Nature to find your Zen
There are lots of benefits to be gained by simply going outside but far more from actually experiencing nature… what do i mean by that? Daily we experience some level of nature - maybe on on our walk/drive to or from work and home or when we go down to the shops - we might pass parks, trees, beaches, mountains or even rivers and oceans. It's familiar. You see it most days and you probably think you know it like the back of your hand. My question to you is - have you really taken in those surrounds? Too often we experience the physical world and nature through our thoughts rather than our senses. If you want to maximise the wellbeing effects you get from nature then I suggest turning the volume down on those thoughts actually connecting with it.
It’s a pretty broad statement and honestly a little wishy washy.. Sure it sounds lovely but how does one actually do that? What are the practical steps to take to connect?
Here are my top 5 tips on how to maximise the wellbeing effects of connecting to nature
No 1: Go barefoot
I’m starting with this one because it’s super easy but also a super effective "step" to take (get used to the terrible puns). Take your shoes off and go barefoot. By removing your shoes you no longer have the luxury of being oblivious to what's happening under your feet, you notice the textures and temperatures below and are forced to be aware of your surroundings - forced to be conscious of nature. I found a beautiful article by the Planter Hunter that talks in a bit more detail about the ‘benefits of barefoot wandering’ and how “It forces you to slow down, awakens your senses, and increases your connection to the earth and nature (emotionally and literally).
No 2: Engage the senses
Walking barefoot reignites our sense of touch and you can focus on engaging your other senses too. Many cultures practice nature related meditation - Thai Buddhist monks practice walking meditations (sometimes for up to 15 hours a day!) and in Japanese culture there is a walking in nature meditation practice called shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing”. It’s the simple act of using your senses as you walk in the forest and according to countless Japanese studies, it’s been shown to boost immune systems, reduce stress hormones, enhance mental wellness and bolster brain health. One report even claims it lowers blood glucose levels among diabetes sufferers. It’s a well known form of meditation or mindfulness practice. The simple act of reaching out and touching a leaf of flower engages the senses and forces us to pay attention to our surroundings. I don’t know about you, but I worry i’ll look silly standing and patting trees and plants on my walk so I usually pick a little sprig of something - maybe lavender and smell it during my walk (its still therapeutic and you look less creepy). Another really simple activity it to observe nature in detail. Pick up a gum nut or fallen leaf and notice the intricacies of the forms, textures and colours. We see these things every day but many of us have never actually looked at them. 80% of our sensory data actually comes from our vision but because we are so overly stimulated we don’t often practice this simple act of focus!
No 3: Stop with the labels and quiet the mind
This step is based on a meditation belief that when we label all the things we see around us with our thoughts we are actually disconnecting from it. For example - when we take a walk and think “there's that tree” or “heres my street” etc we reduce our surroundings to a label. You’ll notice that we subconsciously do it all the time when you start looking. But when we do this we are not actually taking in our surroundings because our brain is saying “yeah i've seen a tree before and therefore I know what it is”. When we label nature we limit our experience. When you pass a tree for example - you likely didn't notice that it’s actually alive and moving, did you notice it has grown since you last saw it, it is home to birds and animals, it has plants growing on its trunk and the colour of its leaves as the light filters through - it is alive. This little practice is so valuable and as you get better at the small things you can apply it to broader areas and can slowly feel the aliveness of all the living things around you. This is also a great thing to practice with house plants - and its one of the reasons they improve our well being. When we observe our house plants in detail to check their health or monitor their growth we stop for a moment, just long enough to quiet the mind and actually enjoy the experience.
No 4: Go Wild
You can do the above practices with any type of nature but if you have the time - get a little out of your comfort zone and find some nature that's a little wild. Studies have shown that some types of nature is better than others. Evidence has shown that the ‘wild’, uncontrolled and unmanicured nature similar to that naturally found in a forests is actually more restorative for our well being than a perfect groomed park with perfectly mowed lawns and neat edges.
That goes for your house plants too. Try letting them grow wild - instead of trimming you can add supports to let them grow as they please and embrace your house plants unsymmetrical lean or damaged leaf or funny quirks.
Nature is one of the few places we can go where nothing is expected, nature just exists and there's something extremely therapeutic when we sit relaxed looking at some form of nature. Its peaceful because it’s not asking anything in return. We absorb subtle cues from our surroundings that make us feel ease, or unease and what a messy wild surrounding is saying is that that perfection isn’t necessary. Nature isn’t perfect and it’s not meant to be either!
Photography & styling: interior landscapes, Hair & Makeup: Juliet Durham Makeup, Model: Monique Kate
No 5: Bring Plants Indoors
Shocking plot twist! (okay - you might of seen this one coming) Gone are the days of plants simply being something pretty for the garden. And gone are the days of indoor plants being only styling accessories. They’re growing little therapists ready to improve your wellbeing and transform your space. Urban dwellers now spend up to 90% of our time indoors! That’s a crazy high percentage. As Well as increasing how often we go outside we can also starting bringing more plants indoors, which means you don’t have to wait for the weekend for the wellbeing effects of nature - you can experience them everyday. You can also choose certain species that improve your wellbeing in different ways - be it more relaxed, removing dangerous toxins from the air, helping you sleep or helping you concentrate at work. (Stay tuned for a future blog that lists these houseplants and their specific uses!)
And if you want help with that you can always engage a plant stylist. So I dare you - spend some time barefoot this week, bring plants into your home and try really notice your surroundings (even just for two minutes each day) and feel the transformative power of authentically connecting with nature.
