Outdoor Mindfulness vs Indoor Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice that invites us to be present just as we are, even with our busy minds and overflowing schedules. Then why do many people find sitting still and focusing on our breath to be so very difficult? Our lives can be full of demands and often every minute is accounted for. We rush through our days, through our meals, and evenings trying to get things done and drive kids to where they need to go. It is no wonder so many people feel exhausted, mentally drained, and by the end of the day just wanting to disconnect. We work hard to carve out time to attempt to take care of our bodies, to prioritize our closest relationships, summoning our energy and focus to those we love - sometimes well and sometimes not. With all this rush and busyness, we need to counterbalance with stillness and presence. However, sometimes that can be too far of a reach when we do not have an existing daily practice of training our mind.

What I have heard from many of the folks I work with is that walking out in nature can be an accessible way to move the busy energy through our bodies, while calming our minds. The outdoor setting invites us to take care of our mental health, to process through the challenging events in our day, and to come back to being present with the peaceful nature all around us. The exercise moves us through the tension held in our muscles, and the repetitive motion of walking brings a more trance like state (called bilateral stimulation) which calms the activity in our brain. We then begin to open our awareness and notice the natural world around us. We start to hear the birds, that perhaps were present all along, but now we are more present to take in their soothing melody. We notice the sparkles in the snow drifts we pass by and start to become curious about the tracks left behind in the snow. We feel ourselves become calm, our curiosity and creativity open, and we begin to feel more settled and alive again.

Indoor mindfulness practices certainly are beneficial but sometimes we need some assistance to step into finding inner calm and peace. If you also find sitting mindfulness hard to practice, try walking out in nature and see if that supports your process.

The busy world carries on around us, but we can create moments to come back to the present. While out walking on a winter’s day, in reconnecting with the natural world that we are also a part of, we just might find soothing for our busy minds, whispers of wisdom from the wind, or hidden little sweet reminders of the magic of presence all around us.

Blessings as you go out, to go within.

Sincerely,

Melissa

Melissa Clews-Hunt, MSc, RP, RMFT-SM

Psychotherapist & Clinical Supervisor