May's Mindful Moment - Get Outside!

Since spring is springing all around us, here’s an outdoorsy mini-meditation that can get us out of our heads and into our bodies:

Go outside and find a tree (or plant) you can spend some time with. Settle in very near to this tree (or plant), ideally even resting on or right in front of it.

Spend about 30 seconds observing your tree, memorizing the way it looks right now in this moment. Then, close your eyes and sense the following:

- What are three things you can feel with your body? What does the ground feel like beneath you, or the bark of the tree against your back, or the wind on your skin?

- Name three things you can smell

- Identify three things you can hear (birds? Animals? wind?)

- What three things can you taste?

- And, even though your eyes are closed, note that you can still see. What are three things you see behind closed eyes?

Take three deep breaths, then open your eyes and observe the world around you again. Has anything changed?