March 05, 2022

Quote of the Week

"In the wild breath of nature feel the hush of presence." --Angie Weiland Crosby

Being Mindful In Nature

One way to help children cope with the stress of their lives is actually a gift they can use throughout life—mindfulness. When we share mindfulness with children, we are helping them develop their own personal tool for managing life’s uncomfortable and challenging moments. We are helping them develop resilience.

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to your feelings and how your mind and body experience them in the present moment. It can be a valuable tool to help children (and adults!) process feelings. By bringing mindfulness into a child’s routine, children can become more aware of physical sensations, notice how their bodies respond to emotions, and develop greater compassion towards others.

One of the best places to practice mindfulness is in nature. Nature is a place of regeneration, resilience, learning, peace and escape. The cycle of nature still carries on despite the latest headlines in our world. Tuning in to the sights and sounds of nature’s steady beat draws a child’s attention to the here and now. [...] Being mindful in nature can help children see the strength and beauty of nature through trees, wind, clouds, and the sun. When practicing mindfulness, children can feel strong like the tree, flowing like the wind and warm like the sun. Children feel stronger and more confident by aligning themselves with nature. [...]

Another benefit of practicing mindfulness in nature is developing empathy. By tuning in deeply into the rhythm of the natural world, a child’s focus shifts from “I” to “we.” Children will become more aware of their relationship with other living things, feeling more of a part of a community, rather than the center of it. This helps children develop a sense of empathy for the natural world. Read more in this week's featured article.

Reading Corner

Title: Rewilding
By: Micah Mortali
Ages: Adult

"Rewilding is a return to our essential nature. It is an attempt to reclaim something of what we were before we used words like 'civilized' to define ourselves." --Micah Mortali

"In his long-awaited book Rewilding, Kripalu director Micah Mortali brings together yoga, mindfulness, wilderness training, and ancestral skills to create a unique guide for reigniting your primal energy--your undomesticated true self--and deepening your connection with the living earth. For hundreds of thousands of years, humans lived intimately with the earth. We were in the wild and of the wild.

Today, we live mostly urban lives--and our vital wildness has gone dormant. As a result, we're more isolated, unhealthy, anxious, and depressed than ever, and our planet has suffered alongside us. With Rewilding, Mortali invites us to shed the effects of over-civilization and explore an inner wisdom that is primal, ancient, and profound. Whether you live in the middle of a city or alongside the woods, the insights and practices on these pages will bring you home to your wild, wise, and alive self." --Publishers

Be the Change

This week, try out any of the ideas mentioned here to invite mindfulness into your time in nature with kids.  Want better talks with your kids? Take them outside, as suggested in this article from National Geographic magazine.