Week 3: Outdoor Meditation
It's Week 3 of the Nature Rx Challenge! This week we're focusing on a big one: meditation. Obviously, learning about meditation and incorporating it into your life is going to take more than a week, but we wanted to focus on it because we think it's a topic that intimidates a lot of people and we are hoping to show that meditation doesn't have to be daunting. So, this week your challenge is to learn about and try out a form of meditation. For more info about different ways to meditate and why we think meditating is important, read on...
I'm sure many of us have read articles or heard stories about the benefits of regular meditation, but, if you're anything like me, you've maybe tried to get into the habit, but always fallen off after just a few days. I think meditating is important and I want to do it more, but I think I need better ways to hold myself accountable (maybe this week's challenge is secretly a selfish way to get myself more into the habit). When researching meditation for this week, I was surprised to learn that many experts actually recommend beginners start meditating outdoors because the sounds of nature are calming and can help to you to form a deeper connection to nature while also forming a deeper connection with yourself. If it's tough for you to find a private outdoor area to meditate, an indoor meditation next to open windows might be a good compromise. What I'm hoping for us to explore this week is that there are many different ways to meditate. Yes, sitting quietly and doing a more formal meditation should probably be what we are all working towards, but we're not going to get there overnight. I've included a lot of bonus articles in this week's email outlining different ways we can try out meditation. Below is one of my favorites, it outlines why meditation is a great thing to do daily and the author emphasizes that those of us just beginning our relationship with meditation should start by trying to meditate for just two minutes per day. I really recommend giving it a read and then checking out the other articles linked below for more meditation inspiration. Would you be interested in participating in a socially distant outdoor group meditation? Click here to fill out a quick interest form and I'll be in touch.
Amazingly, it’s also one of the most simple habits to do — you can do it anywhere, any time, and it will always have immediate benefits.
More meditation resources...
Explore some of the different types of meditation so you can decide which might be best for you.
Breathing is a huge part of meditation, if you don't think getting outside and meditating is right for you, maybe just do some mindful breathing outdoors.
What are the benefits of meditating outside? Read this article for an interesting perspective on why meditation outside is beneficial.
For our younger Challenge participants...
If you're looking for a good introduction to mindfulness and meditation to kiddos, this video does a pretty good job.
This is a simple breathing technique that can help all of us focus on the power of mindfully taking a few breaths.
A short and simple body scan meditation geared towards kids.
You can always shoot me an email (mcurran@imagoearth.org) or post about your experience in the Nature Rx Challenge Facebook group. Have a great week, we'll be checking in soon!
