Into Mindfulness

Nature-based art supports a mindful life. 

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Over the years, I have tried multiple forms of meditation, but the one practice that has been the most consistent is mindfulness through nature photography. When I go into nature, I am fully alive, energized, and in-tune with the world.

Mindfulness and meditation are intended to help us fully drop into our lives. When we practice mindfulness, there are very real benefits:

• Finding inner joy
• Knowing ourselves better
• Focusing on authentic values
• Generating love and compassion
• Finding insight and wisdom
• Dealing with difficult situations clearly and fairly
• Embracing the process of life, from birth to death
• Overcoming greed, selfishness, negativity, and worry
• Feeling intimacy and closeness with ourselves, and life itself
• Experiencing freedom and committing to freedom for all

Don't feel you need equipment, clothes, and/or a "guru." Of course, we all need support and there will be reasons to offer gratitude in the forms of money, but if you're spending an excessive amount of money on meditation/spirituality or if you notice your collection of gear and "gurus" growing exponentially, you are likely contributing to cultural appropriation and spiritual materialism. Be conscious of the impact of your spiritual practices and be aware of who is benefiting at what cost.  If you feel  you need more information, search "cultural appropriation," specifically, "cultural appropriation in the field of wellness," and "spiritual materialism." 

If you become aware that you are causing or have caused harm, it's not too late to turn it around! Quit the practice, re-focus your intentions, make amends, and do better moving forward. 

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​Now that we've gotten the harsh realities out of the way, it is possible to practice meditation and mindfulness without causing harm. In fact, I sincerely believe that, should we all take more time to slow down and become mindful, we would not only benefit personally, but also globally. 

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Since the terms mindfulness and meditation are abstract concepts, here are a few ways one might describe the experience.

• Feeling aware
• Feeling receptive
• Feeling present 
• Feeling grounded
• Feeling connected
• Feeling centered
• Feeling focused

Nature-based art is a wonderful tool in helping us to simply secure our connection to a meaningful, healthy life. Bringing nature-based art into our homes, offices, and social media spaces, we can receive the benefits of a mindfulness practice as we go about our day-to-day lives.

Here are three ideas for beginning a nature-based art mindfulness practice: 

​Choose a nature image that brings you joy. Explore every aspect of the image. What do you see? What might you hear? Smell? Feel? Taste? Now, close your eyes and continue to experience the scene in your mind's eye.

This practice can help develop imagination. As you continue to practice, notice if you see colors and forms, or hear the calming sounds of nature. See if you can tap into a brightness and sense of well-being. Practice regularly to experience deepened awareness. ​

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Choose a nature image that brings you joy. Explore every aspect of the image. What do you see? What might you hear? Smell? Feel? Taste? Now, close your eyes and focus on your connection to and place within that nature scene. Listen, reach out, move around, and touch, smell, taste. Nurture your connection to everything by noticing how things respond to your movements.

​Practicing this way will bring your full attention to and acknowledgement of what it means to be within this world of interconnection and cause/effect.

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Choose an image of your favorite flower and put it in a space where you need a gentle, persistent reminder to stay present. Let the love of these flowers become its own meditation. Let your eyes take in every detail, expression, color, and shape with love.

​This meditation will attune you to the beauty of this world and, when practiced regularly, you will begin to pay more attention to the beauty that is always around you, giving you an experience of the mystical and magical every day.

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Mindfulness is a practice; it becomes easier and more beneficial over time. Nature imagery can make your mindfulness practice simple, accessible, and stress-free. Look around your house for a piece of nature-based art and display it for a reminder. 

Also, remember that mindfulness is a self-care practice to help you stay grounded and focused so that you can take action toward creating a better world - it is not meant to be a consumer product and it is not meant to stand separate from compassionate action. Keep it simple, get centered, and then use that divine Love to fuel the fight for freedom, equity, justice, and peace. 

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How have you used art + nature to stay mindful?