Calm your Nervous System, Restore your Equilibrium, and Renew your Connection to Mother Earth!
with Katie Dutcher, meditation teacher and Mindful Outdoor Guide
Being in nature brings peace, beauty and healing into our lives. It slows us down, calms us, and helps us feel connected to something greater than ourselves—all key ingredients in fostering optimal emotional and physical health. We can reap and amplify the many benefits of being in nature by consciously practicing mindfulness outdoors. Meditation teacher and Mindful Outdoor Guide, Katie Dutcher, has recorded two lovely and powerful guided meditations that awaken our sense of wonder and belonging, while calming our nervous system and restoring our equilibrium. Enjoy!
TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR
MINDFUL OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE:
We suggest downloading these meditations, putting your phone on airplane mode, and ensuring that you can be hands-free.
Take yourself outside, ideally somewhere you can feel comfortable and safe both walking and sitting quietly.
If you have enough privacy, you can listen aloud. Otherwise, put one earbud in your ear and leave the other one out to hear the sounds of the world around you.
Katie’s Tips for Mindful Connection with the Natural World
SETTLE YOURSELF:
When you first go outside, close your eyes and take a few deep, slow breaths to shift gears and settle yourself in the present moment. Become aware of your feet on the ground, the sky overhead, and your surroundings.
SLOW DOWN:
The more you slow down, the more you will notice, and the more you will experience the pace of the natural world. Follow the encouragement of Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, who invites us to, “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.”
ACTIVATE YOUR SENSES:
Begin by taking each sense in turn: What can you see close by and far away? What can you hear close by and far away? What can you feel? What can you smell or taste? Pause one by one to bring each sense “online,” open and ready to be wowed by the world around you.
LET YOUR CURIOSITY LEAD YOU:
Let yourself ramble without a destination, just going where you feel yourself drawn to go, pausing often. When you hear, see, smell, or feel something that intrigues you, move closer and take it in!
MAKE A CHANGE:
To find the newness in the everyday, find ways to do things differently than you normally do. Change your perspective by lying on your back and looking up at the clouds, or by lying on your belly and looking down at the grass, sand, rocks or soil. Go someplace new, or to a familiar spot at a different time of day—what is it like at dawn or under moonlight?
SENSE INSIDE:
Periodically, take time to close your eyes and send your attention within. What do you feel in your body? What emotions arise? What thoughts do you have? Let yourself feel the impact of the experience.
CLOSING INTENTION:
Take a moment to notice any sense of appreciation that is arising. You might place your palm on the earth or make another sign of connection and gratitude. Include in your gratitude a sense of appreciation toward yourself for making time for this restorative experience. Carry the gifts you received throughout your day and beyond.
Katie Dutcher, Mindful Outdoor Guide
The “WHY” of Connecting Deeply with the Outdoors
by Katie Dutcher, Meditation Teacher & Mindful Outdoor Guide
Why does being outdoors affect us so powerfully? Quite simply, because it is our home.
We belong in nature… because we ARE nature! Only for a fraction of human life on earth have we lived our life inside buildings with electric lights to see, clocks to measure time… Deep within each of us, there is a connection to the Earth and all its beings because we are part of this web of life.
When we take time to remember and to embody this, we gain more access to much-needed experiences of wonder, awe, beauty, belonging and connection.
In the natural world, we are invited to be present, cultivating mindfulness while refreshing mind, body, and spirit. Physically, we’re moving our bodies, taking in fresh air, and we’re also refreshed mentally and emotionally by spacious views and freedom beyond four walls.
Scientific studies link time outdoors to increased attention and productivity, heart rate variability, sense of well-being, and supports our immune system. At the same time, there is a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure, stress & stress hormones, and anxiety.
Sign up for Katie’s free 7 Days of Wonder email series!
More nature practices on Katie’s website
Katie’s blog posts about Mindfulness in Nature
Katie Dutcher is a teacher of mindfulness and meditation and a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee based in Monterey, California. She is the host of Flourish & Bloom—a membership platform offering resources and events for mindfulness, self-discovery, and greater well-being. A regular contributor and consultant with Quest for Eternal Sunshine, Katie is a Qualified Teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, a Certified Mindful Outdoors Guide, and is in the process of becoming certified to teach qigong. Receive Katie’s newsletter and learn about her upcoming offerings.
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