Mindfulness & Well Being in Nature

ACTIVITY: Notice a Plant

You can engage your clarity and focus by bringing your full attention to a nearby plant. Choose a plant that interests you in some way, one that inspires your curiosity. 

NOTE: We have three plants that would be best not to touch: poison oak, poison hemlock, and stinging nettles. The links and below photos will help you identify them. 

Move closer to your plant, and carefully observe a leaf. Notice the color, the texture, and the patterns of the leaf. Take in as many details as you can, perceiving features that would typically escape you. 

Then expand out to explore the form of the plant as a whole. How do the leaves attach to the stem? What can you see, with sustained, inquisitive attention, that is novel or surprising? 

If it is safe to do so, engage other senses: what does the plant feel like? Is there a scent? 

If you would like, you can use your phone magnifying glass to explore the invisible details of the plant. 

Finally, if you have paper and a pen or pencil, spend some time drawing your plant: you’ll be amazed at the additional detail that you notice through drawing.

Avoid These Plants

	Poison Oak
	Poison Hemlock (Photo by: MN Dept. of Natural Resources)
	Stinging Nettle (photo by BrewBooks)

Transcript

Welcome to the Copeland Creek corridor. I am going to lead you through a short invitation to become more aware of your body immersed in and connected to the natural world around you. This is inspired by the practice of forest therapy, otherwise known as forest bathing. Forest bathing is a direct translation from the Japanese, Shirin Yoku. Bathing here means immersion in Nature. Studies show many health benefits from regularly immersing ourselves in the natural world, especially when we slow down and pay attention to the spaces around us.

In this exercise, we are going to pay attention to our senses, one by one. I invite you to begin by finding a place that feels safe and comfortable to you. Gently look around and notice things from the natural world that surround you, look side to side, up and down, near and far.

Now, pay attention to your body’s point of contact with the ground - perhaps rock back-and-forth on your feet. As you bring awareness to your body, does it want to move or shift positions? Feel free to move as needed.

Bring your attention now to your skin - notice where your clothing touches your skin. Also notice the air around you and how that feels on your skin - your hands and arms, or your face. Can you feel the wind blowing over your skin? Perhaps hold your hands out and splay your fingers. If you feel comfortable, pick up something natural from the ground, or, feel the fabric of your clothing on your own skin. Consider what it feels like to be touching something - the temperature, the shape, the texture.

Now bring attention to your breath, there’s no need to change your breath, but rather pay attention to the air as it passes in and out of your lungs. Consider where the air is coming from. Can you detect any smells as you breathe in? Do they change if you move your head from side to side, or up and down?

Now let’s bring attention to the sounds around you. There may be many sounds around you - some louder, some softer, some near and far, human and non-human sounds. Spend several seconds paying attention to all of the sounds that you hear. Consider, is there a rhythm to any of the sounds?

We will now bring our attention back to our eyes, please refocus your gaze. Look all around and notice a being from nature that your eyes are drawn to. Perhaps it is a plant, a tree, or a rock. Perhaps it is something else. Consider what you are looking at - tune into the connection of your body to the natural world, here and now, on this Earth.

Transcript

Sometimes it’s hard to explain why we come to places like this. Maybe it’s to clear our heads… or maybe it’s just to be somewhere quieter for a little while.

Life can start to feel heavy sometimes. Sometimes it’s just there in the background. At times it’s just exhaustion... or feeling disconnected… or like your mind has been carrying too much for too long. And when that happens, even small things can begin to feel distant. But being out here can help bring some of those things back into focus.

As you walk, take a moment to notice what’s around you. The sound of leaves moving in the wind… the light coming through the trees… the feeling of the ground beneath your feet. Maybe there’s a breeze… or the sound of water nearby… or a part of the trail that catches your attention for no particular reason.

Try noticing five things around you right now — One sound. One color. One movement. One texture. One smell. There’s no right way to do this. Just notice what’s here.

Now take a slow breath in… and let it out. Again… in… and out.

See if anything feels even slightly softer than when you started. Maybe your shoulders relaxed a little. Maybe your breathing slowed down. Maybe nothing changed much at all. That’s okay too. Sometimes the smallest shifts matter the most. Sometimes it’s just a small moment where things feel a little less far away.

As you continue walking, think of two small things you appreciate right now. Maybe one thing from nature — the shade from the trees, the fresh air, the sound of the creek. And maybe one thing from your own life — Something simple. A person. A memory. A warm drink this morning.

The fact that you made time to be here at all. Small things still count. For me, walks like this are a reminder that I don’t always need to solve everything at once. Sometimes it’s enough to just keep moving forward quietly… one step at a time. This trail doesn’t rush you. It just continues. And maybe you can let yourself do the same.

Before you leave, take one last look around. Notice something you didn’t see when you first arrived. Maybe that’s part of this too — remembering that even when life feels heavy, there are still things waiting to be noticed. And maybe, for now, that’s enough.

Transcript

In this practice, you’re going to work with extending a feeling of connection to the animals around you. To begin, walk across the Creek Trail toward the oak tree that overhangs the pond, and find a comfortable place where you can feel supported for the next few minutes, either standing or perhaps sitting on the ground with your back against a tree for support. Pause the recording as you find your spot.

Now that you’re settled in, take a couple of nice, deep breaths into the heart. Let your awareness start to settle, so that you're less distracted by thoughts and self-talk. And as your mind starts to quiet down, become more aware of what's happening around you. Many animals tend to congregate here: geese, ducks, and a variety of other birds, squirrels… perhaps you can spot a turtle in the water.

As you're bringing your awareness more fully to this place and the animals that live here, I invite you to focus on one in particular. This can be a mammal, bird, or insect: any of these are good starting points. Choose one who is currently here with you. And as you do so, bring to mind that despite whatever differences there are between you and this other being, there are also some basic commonalities, such as that just like you, this being wishes to thrive, basically wishes to be happy. Of course, happy means something different for a bird or a squirrel or a butterfly. But in whatever inner sense that this being has, they wish to flourish, to be well, to have their needs met. So just taking some time to really bring into the forefront of your awareness, this similarity between you and this other being. Just like you, they want to thrive, they want to be happy. And taking some time to really explore that, to contemplate it.

And that along with that, consider that just like you, this being wishes not to suffer. And again, suffering means something different to a turtle or a goose than to a human, there are different versions of this feeling, within different beings. But we all share the essential sense of avoiding what is harmful and the feelings that go with that. So in that respect, this being, just like yourself, wishes not to suffer.

In fact, this wish to thrive, and this wish not to suffer, unite all beings. By bringing this to the forefront of our awareness, we can start to bridge whatever unconscious sense of separation that we've developed with those around us who aren’t human.

And after this recording is over, I encourage you to continue the practice with a diverse array of different beings. Animals, even plants, whoever happens to be around you in your field of awareness, remind yourself of this shared experience with the phrases, “just like me, they wish to thrive.” “Just like me, they wish not to suffer.” And let it be more than just a repetition of the phrases, but to really lean into that awareness, and feel it as fully as you can.

Transcript

Hi… I’m really glad you stopped here. If you’re a student — or someone who’s been feeling overwhelmed — this space is for you.

Life can get really busy. There’s always something to do, something to worry about, something you feel like you should be working on. And sometimes anxiety makes it hard to slow down. Your thoughts keep going… even when you want a break.

That’s why places like this matter. Right now, you’re surrounded by nature — the trees, the air, the sounds around you. Take a moment to really notice it.

Look at the way the light moves through the leaves… Listen for the creek, or the wind… 

Now take a slow breath in… and let it out. Again… in… and out.

Nature has a quiet way of helping us reset. It doesn’t take your stress away completely — but it gives your mind and body a chance to rest. Your heart rate can slow down. Your breathing can become deeper. And your thoughts don’t feel quite as loud.

For students especially, this can be really important. You’re often expected to always be “on” — studying, planning, thinking about what’s next. But you’re allowed to pause. You’re allowed to step outside of that for a moment.

Right here, the trail splits into two paths. And in life, it can sometimes feel like that too — like you’re standing at a point where you don’t know which way to go. That feeling can be stressful. But just like this trail, there isn’t always one “right” path. Both directions keep moving forward.

So instead of trying to figure everything out right now, just focus on this moment. Feel your feet on the ground. Notice your breathing. Look around at something simple and real.

Even a few minutes like this can help you feel more grounded. For me, being in places like this is a reminder that I’m more than my stress… more than my to-do list. And you are too.

As you keep walking, see if you can carry a little bit of this calm with you. You don’t have to have everything figured out. You just have to take the next step. And wherever you go… there is still something good waiting for you along the way.

Transcript

Welcome to Copeland Creek! We invite you to take a moment to connect with this place, to let go of stress and savor the beauty around you.

If you’d like, you can take a seat on the nearby bench. Take a couple of deep breaths, slow and easy into the belly. With every breath in, imagine that you're bringing vitality into your body, and with every breath out, you're releasing anything that preoccupies you.

Now, bring attention to the sounds happening around you. You might hear birds, or dogs barking, the rustle of leaves, or the sounds of the creek during the wet season. Let yourself slow down and savor whatever you are hearing, taking in the feeling and texture of the sounds. There might also be sounds of people. You might hear the voices of people walking by, or the sound of footsteps. You might also notice sounds of machinery such as an airplane going overhead or cars on the road. Simply notice them all. You might find some of them more pleasant, and others less so. But no matter. You don't need to seek out some of them and push away others. Just rest your attention on the sense of sound. Letting the sounds wash over you. Noticing when a sound arises, and then when it goes away. You might also notice that some sounds come from far off, and others from close by. It's like a tapestry of sound. And if you find your mind wandering into thoughts and memories, just simply notice that this has happened. And when you notice it, very gently and kindly bring your attention back to sound. And I'm going to be quiet for a few moments, so that you can focus on all the other sounds around you, and not on my voice.

And now, we're going to move on from sound. Let the sense of sound fall into the background of your mind. You're still hearing. You're hearing my instructions and you'll hear other things too. But your focus now is going to move to the sense of touch. And for the sense of touch, I invite you to start by noticing the contact of your feet with the ground. The pressure against your shoes or socks. And from there, just noticing whatever else you're taking in through the sense organ of your skin. Maybe it's warm or cold. Maybe there's a breeze blowing against you. Notice what direction the breeze is coming from. And you probably also feel your clothes against your skin. Maybe you feel the warmth of the sun on your arms. Just notice all of these sensations of touch. Sound is now in the background, along with all the other senses other than touch. Just fully inhabit the sense of touch. And if you’d like, move on to reaching out and touching some of the trees around you. There are redwood trees here: let yourself feel the rough texture of their bark. And there are smooth-barked madrone trees. What do those feel like? If the creek is running, maybe you’d like to walk down to the creek and gently place your hands in the water.

And when you move on from this place, continue to keep your senses open to savor the beauty around you.