The joy of meditating in nature

At Beskydy Mountains in Czech Republic: yoga, meditation and sound healing. What a special time we had together!

First of all, thanks to each one of you who took the time to respond to my reader survey during the week. As always, I am most grateful for your feedback which helps keep me on track. I look forward to sharing some of the more interesting results with you during my next video update.

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After the post I wrote last week on the challenging subject of how to live with gratitude in a world of suffering, I thought this week I should offer you something fresh and uplifting.  And, for me, there are fewer images fresher and more uplifting than the ones here!

Heading up this post, and below, are images from our ‘Meditate in the Mountains’ retreat in the Czech Republic’s Beskydy Mountains in 2022.  I just love the pure, vibrancy of these images. There is nothing like the pristine, mountain air of this very special place, not far from the Polish border. The purity of the air and lushness of the lawns and forests make it a perfect place to meditate.

Sitting on the lawn of Pension Jurasek. Does pristine beauty get better than this?!

When we allow nature to stream in through our sense doors, when we focus on what we hear, smell, feel and see, the effect is calming in the most exquisite way.

I feel it is significant that Buddha became enlightened not in a temple but under a Bodhi tree. We could all do well to take a leaf out of his book, if you’ll excuse the terrible pun! Being in nature quite naturally settles mind and body and brings us home to ourselves.

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On the banks of the Africa’s sacred Zambezi River where the prana is palpable!

There are specific places that have always had a special, sacred quality for humans – ‘sacred’ meaning simply ‘set apart.’ They are set apart because of the awe people feel when they are there, perhaps a sense of nature’s power and majesty. One of these places is the banks of the Zambezi River, just above Victoria Falls, where we have taken people to meditate while on Mindful Safari. There is nowhere quite like it!

Sunrise meditation on the deck of Masuwe Lodge, Victoria Falls, where we not only contend with the monkey mind, but also with real life vervet monkeys in the trees above who sometimes shower us with twigs and leaves to see if they can make us move!

Our physiology is adapted to being in nature. For 99.9% of human history, we spent our time immersed in nature. Our survival depended on our intimate understanding of the seasons, the plants, the animals. So, it’s hardly surprising that when we return to nature, we have a sense of coming home to ourselves. Our stress levels fall sharply. All manner of physical and psychological benefits arise. In countries, like Japan and South Korea, it is public health policy to encourage people to spend time among the trees, engaged in the quiet but profound practice of ‘shinrin yoku’ or ‘forest bathing.’

Fascinatingly, of all the many types of vegetation types, Southern Africa’s savannah is considered especially nurturing in a psycho-physical way.

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In the gardens of La Rochelle, Penhalonga. Birds, butterflies, rare orchids, azaleas and cycads make this one of Zimbabwe’s most treasured botanical destinations. And the trees are extraordinary!

Personally, I love being in lush forest glades surrounded by established trees. To me, it is inspiring to spend time in a magnificent environment that existed long before I was born and will continue far in to the future after I am gone. Interestingly, the word ‘inspire’ comes from the Latin inspirare to ‘breathe’ or ‘blow into’ and biologists tell us that the air we breathe under trees contains phytoncides which significantly enhance our own immune system. More reasons for forest bathing!

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Gathered at dawn under the thatch on a chilly lowveldt morning in South Africa.

Certain times of the day lend themselves better to calming the mind - dawn and dusk in particular. When we live indoors, as we must in winter, these moments may pass us by. But when we wrap up and sit outside, even on a chilly morning, feeling the warm sun on our skin is a beautiful, gentle way to bring us into the new day.

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The Place of Reflection in Kings Park: a tranquil vantage above the Swan river, Perth Australia.

During Covid, I ran a few ‘Peace in the Park’ sessions at a pavilion in Kings Park in my hometown of Perth. It was only supposed to be one session, but it proved popular so we held a few in the mid-summer months, as we all adjusted to the strangeness of leading apparently normal lives, while being unable to leave our home state.

Kings Park is the most visited place in Perth for good reason: it offers some spectacular views over the Swan River. The particular spot we chose to meditate was the appropriately named Place of Reflection. The unique light, space and prana of this sacred vantage made our times together there so memorable.

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If there is any message in this week’s post it’s simply this: go outside and be mindful in nature! Whether we ‘bathe’ in the forest, the savannah, the local park or our apartment balcony, we benefit in innumerable healing and uplifting ways when we engage in this subtle but powerful practice.

And my heartfelt thanks to each one of you who have joined me on my meditating in nature adventures!

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For my post about how spending time in nature gently transforms us, click here.

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I hope to be bringing you news of a new meditating-in-nature experience soon - bouzoukis in spring, anyone? Stay tuned!