Nina Smiley - 30 May

P UBLISHER S N OTE:
T HE G IFT OF M INDFULNESS

Through the Ages:
Mindful Moments and Nature

Exploring Mindfulness in Nature:
Seeking Simplicity, Experiencing Awe

Lose yourself in nature and find peace.

R ALPH W ALDO E MERSON

I have been fortunate to hike the trails of Mohonk, climb its cliffs, and swim its icy streams for most of my adult life.

Living in New York City, Mohonk presented me with the ideal opportunity to escape to nature, less than two hours from my urban home. The breath of life gained by experiencing these woods and wilds and the impressive geologic upheaval of the escarpment opened my visual senses, and was essential for surviving the city and its manmade vistas.

Now more than ever, with the constant distractions that abound in modern lifefrom smart phones to social mediait is absolutely imperative that we be able to seek the solace and comfort of nature. And not only for our own health and well-beingeven more so for the betterment of us all. For it is by partaking in nature that we come to understand our imperative: to preserve our environs for the generations that follow.

In these pages, you will find the wisdom and inspiration to step out of our artificial spaces and bathe in the canopy of nature that stretches from forest to sea, from earth to sky and through to the stars. Welcome this opportunity, and rediscover and restore your connection with the Eternal.

Andrew Flach, Publisher

T o seek mindfulness in nature is a meaningful part of the human experience. Delighting in the natural world, being struck by a sense of awe at the transcendent power of nature, and feeling nurtured by its depth of healing are timeless sentiments.

Mindfulness is simply a state that involves being aware of our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings in any given moment, in a gentle, non-judgmental way. In recent years, huge numbers of scientific studies have shown how a mindfulness meditation practice can reduce stress and enhance daily life in a myriad of ways.

Meditation is the tool or exercise that produces the state of mindfulness. Meditating just means that we practice keeping our mental attention tightly focused on any object of our choice. The best known objects for meditation are ones own breath, or a mantra (a specific repeated sound or phrase).

However, for thousands of years, poets, scientists, and philosophers have been using nature (including the remarkable universe of flora, fauna, mountains, oceans, and cosmos that surround us) as a meditation object with which to build mindfulness, and obtain its benefits. Hence this book.

We can feel the healing power of nature every time we step outdoors, if we can be mindfully open to the moment and are willing to be truly present in the experience with body, mind, and spirit. The combination of mindfulness with nature offers a wonderful opportunity to explore a centered, calm, and joyful state of being.

Close your eyes for a moment and bring to mind how you felt the last time you recall being truly present in nature. Perhaps it was on vacation at a spectacular natural setting, viewing a canyon carved into a wall of rock, or walking through a forest that shaded and surrounded you. Or perhaps it was simply stepping outdoors on a day when the air first felt like spring. Pausing to center within and enjoy this recollection may bring up a sense of spaciousness, stillness, connectedness, and well-being that goes beyond words.

Using nature as a metaphor to deepen our understanding of how we relate to ourselves, each other, and the world, this book seeks to provide inspiration and to suggest simple actions that will help weave the power of mindfulness and of nature into daily life.

Each one of us has the opportunity to choose in each moment to be mindful and to use nature as a touchstone that will center and support us, uplifting body, mind, and spirit.

I n this small book, we explain how to use nature as a meditation practice to renew and refresh yourself, anywhere and anytime.

The quotes in Part I offer a collection of mindful moments inspired by nature, as seen through the eyes of poets, writers, naturalists, philosophers, and scientists across the ages. We invite you to ponder them, whether outdoors in a natural setting, upon waking in the morning, or inside before bedtime. Reflecting on these words brings the spacious and nurturing presence of nature into the moment, no matter where you are with this book as a companion. Or, you can bring your favorite lines with you.