Claire Thompson - Mindfulness and the Natural World: Bringing our Awareness Back to Nature

Mindfulness
& the Natural
World

Bringing Our Awareness Back to Nature

Claire Thompson

For a busy person who loves walking and nature this book is both a joy and a challenge. A joy because it reminds us just what it is to experience the natural world with your mind and your heart, and with your senses open to the experiences around you: the sound of wind in the trees, birdsong and the rustle of tiny creatures, the way the dappled light exposes and then hides the intricacies of the landscape and the freedom to relax and let the pressures of daily life ebb away. This book opens the door to true mindfulness a state that has to be achieved before it can be appreciated. But it is also a challenge especially to busy people like me that we must stop rushing and learn to empty our minds from the clutter of a thousand pressures to allow the world around us to exercise its calming, healing influence.

FIONA REYNOLDS, MASTER OF EMMANUEL COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

FORMER DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE NATIONAL TRUST

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

We all have one thing in common: we are part of the natural world. No matter what our nationality is, what we do for a living, what our interests or beliefs are, we share the same natural home. How would we be here enjoying our everyday lives, if it werent for our bodies, the trees, the sun in the sky and the air we are breathing? The simple answer is that we wouldnt. Nature gives rise to all of life on the planet, including our own, and connecting with the natural world is an integral part of our happiness and well-being.

DISCOVERING MINDFULNESS IN NATURE

One of the greatest problems we face in our lives today is that, somewhere along the way, we have forgotten that we are all part of nature. Since the human race evolved hundreds of thousands of years ago, we have gradually separated ourselves from the natural world. In fact, our modern everyday lives often involve very little contact with nature at all.

W HY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Because it has led us to deprive ourselves of the simple of joy of living, with harmful consequences for our own happiness and well-being, as well as for the well-being of the rest of life on Earth.

This book is an invitation on a journey to explore the innate bond we all have with the natural world, and to discover the infinite happiness and freedom that lies in the simple experience of being alive. Nature is around us and within us wherever we are and whatever is going on in our lives. You dont need to know anything about animals, plants, biology or the environment to enjoy the wonder of the natural world.

We have forgotten that we are part of nature.

I hope to lead you on a path to discover the fulfilling enjoyment, calm, vitality and companionship to be found in nature. How can you do this? All you need is your body, an open mind and a little touch of nature in your life. This is where mindfulness comes in.

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is simply about being aware of our experience of the present moment of our lives. Do you ever feel you spend a lot of your time distracted by your mind worrying about the past, planning for the future or criticizing yourself? Mindfulness is about realizing that, instead, there is happiness in accepting and letting go of these distractions. It is about paying attention and noticing the life within us and in the natural world around us, here and now. Mindfulness will enable you to let happiness into your life along the way, by engaging with your experience more fully. If you are new to mindfulness, be kind and patient with yourself in your exploration of it. It is an enjoyable journey of continuous discovery that requires time and practice.

Mindfulness and the Natural World

As our awareness of the natural world grows, we begin to notice that the separation we have created between ourselves and nature starts to fade and realize that our well-being is intimately interlinked with the well-being of the rest of the natural world. We begin to feel a sense of reverence and affection for all of nature and to understand that we are an integral part of something much larger than ourselves: the web of life.

Mindfulness of the natural world becomes an essential practice in the context of the current destruction we are inflicting upon our planet. As we become more aware of our experience of nature, and develop a true love for the natural world, we are more likely to start to take positive action to protect our universal home.

A Passion for Nature

I have a passion for the natural world. Spending time in nature fills me with happiness, wonder, calm, comfort and strength. It gifts me with a sense of belonging and brings me closer to who I really am. Its infinite beauty, mystery and complexity never cease to amaze me. The natural world is an endless source of discovery that is free and accessible to us at all times. My personal belief is that if we pay attention to nature, we can fall under its spell, no matter who we are. Whether we delight in awe-inspiring landscapes, enjoy the thrill of extreme outdoor sports or quietly retreat to the hills for solitary walks, there is something for us all to enjoy in the natural world.

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high oer vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

DAFFODILS, WILLIAM WORDSWORTH (17701850)

ENGLISH ROMANTIC POET

As you read this book, you may learn about yourself, you may learn about others and you may discover things about the rest of life with which you share the planet. However, embark on this journey with no expectations. Above all, it is simply about appreciating nature with a playful sense of childlike wonder. My hope is that by the time you turn the last page you are left with a desire to sit under trees, roll around in sand dunes, follow streams, climb to the top of mountains, seek out beautiful views and marvel at intimate encounters with other animals and plants. Accept this invitation with openness and curiosity, enjoying whatever you experience along the way.