What is a Nature Walking Meditation?
When we hear the term ‘meditation’ most of us visualize a person sitting on the floor, legs crossed, thumb and forefinger touching, back straight and eyes closed. This, however, is not the only way to meditate.
According to merriam-webster, walking meditation can be defined as: ‘a discourse intended to express its author’s reflections …. guided or operated by a person on foot’.
An extended reflection on your own thoughts as you walk your own path. In other words: Bee’nYOUnique in your own YOUnique way. That is fantastic!
Inspiration
Buddhist Thich Nhat Hahn had a beautiful way of teaching the art of walking meditation, and how to give thanks to the earth.
“The practice of mindful walking, says Thich Nhat Hanh, is a profound and pleasurable way to deepen our connection with our body and the earth. We breathe, take a mindful step, and come back to our true home.” www.lionsroar.com
Why a Nature Walking Meditation?
Walking meditations focus on centering, breathing, awareness of your body movements, your surroundings, the earth and the connection of these things. Allowing yourself to redirect your focus on this connection helps to reduce stress and relieve anxiety; thereby calming the mind, aiding improved concentration and better sleep. Other benefits include improved circulation, increase in energy level, enhanced concentration and it can lift your spirits.
How is a Nature Waking Meditation done?
One should not be overwhelmed with knowing ‘how’ to do a nature walking meditation. If we go back to the definition, it is simply to express your reflections, while you walk, in nature. While you certainly can follow formalized walking meditations, which are indeed wonderful, try not to feel overwhelmed by them.
Sometimes it is best to just allow yourself to be with yourself. Making up your own walking meditation can sometimes be the best version for you.
This article is taking a slightly different approach to the topic. It does not detail the steps you should take to complete a Nature Walking Meditation; nor is it a guided walk. It will instead provide you with an example of a nature walk that ended up becoming a Nature Walking Meditation. The intention is to inspire you to create your own Nature Walking Meditation.
Let’s Nature Walking Meditate!
Location: Natural Bridge State Park, Virginia
I had the pleasure of hiking through Natural Bridge State Park in the spring of 2022. So inspiring was my walk that I left feeling like a new version of myself. Somehow, I had managed to meditate through the duration of my nature walk. It became a Nature Walking Meditation.
The Natural Bridge is 215 feet high, 40 feet thick and 100 feet wide. If it were possible to weigh the bridge, it is estimated to weigh about 72,000,000 pounds. The rocks that make the bridge are about 500 million years old.* If you look at the pictures, notice how small the people are as compared to the bridge.
The trail down to the bridge begins at the Natural Bridge Visitor Center. You walk through a stone archway, which is shaded and cool with moisture from the flowing water. I immediately had a feeling of being wrapped up and hugged by the forest. This was the perfect moment for me to strike a mountain pose. I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths in and exhaled each breath slowly out. Allowing my mind, body and spirit to connect with the mind, body and spirit of the forest earth.
An Embracing Greeting
A welcoming committee of songbirds sang along with the flowing water; greeting me with a beautiful symphony of natural music as I made my way down the shaded trail into the gorge. Well hello there birdies! Thank you for the warm welcome!
On my way down I was delighted to pass really cool, old and gnarled Arbor Vitae. These Arbor Vitae were immense but sadly had passed beyond their living years. What they must have seen in their lifetime.
At the base of one I could not help but notice a really cool serpent head! I swear, look for yourself! Who ever said trees are not expressive? Huh, they sure are.
Fun fact: Trees communicate
There are Mother Trees that ‘act as central hubs, communicating with the young seedlings around them. In a single forest, a Mother Tree can be connected to hundreds of other trees’. Click here to read more about mother trees and The Mother Tree Project. It is absolutely mind-blowing fascinating!
I took time to stop and touch one of the old Abor-Vitae. A moment to close my eyes, meditate for a few moments and give thanks for what it had given so others could live.
No Air Freshener Can Capture This
Talk about a playground for your senses!!
As I continued onward, next to me, this beautiful green moss laid like a carpet on the floor with crystal clear water flowing over, under and out. I wanted to walk barefoot on it, to feel it’s softness. I allowed my mind to wander over that thought and to almost feel the touch of the cold, wet moss on my bare feet.
The earthly smell was intoxicating. The air was moist and cool. The sounds of water trickling and birds chirping was all encompassing. It was impossible not to stop, close my eyes, and just savor the moment. So, I allowed my mind to be clear of any thought. For a few moments I stood still in nature and meditated. Inhaling that moist, cool, oxygen filled air. Exhaling my tension, anxiety, worries and everything that no longer served me.
After completing the initial descent, I made a turn to the right and was rewarded with my first breathtaking sight of the Natural Bridge. Wow, it was massive. Pictures do not capture it well; but then again they never fully capture the beauty of nature. Having been something I wanted to see for many years, I found it quite moving and incredibly astounding how massive the bridge is.
I couldn’t help but feel like I was looking into something. After I walked through I felt like I was looking back on something. I had gone through something, experienced something that will remain with me forever.
psst: that paragraph is exactly what I mean when I say get out of your head and into your mind. Sometimes you just have to be in that YOUnique moment with yourself to have such a weirdly, oddly profound moment that maybe you are the only one that can make sense of….
Although an oversimplification; isn’t that what life is? We look in and move into situations. Once there, we are inside and experiencing. As we exit, we are changed. Looking back, we see different versions of ourselves and are changed in some way. This, of course, gave me something to meditate on as I continued to meander on my nature walking meditation.
A Branch In The Wall – Removed
Moving beyond the bridge, I followed a very flat, easy trail to a Monacan Indian Village exhibit. At some point it was a living exhibit. Perhaps I was there too early in the season, but it did not appear to have been active for a while.
It was interesting nonetheless. The ‘walls’ erected, to protect the encampment, were of particular interest to me. I could not help but think of an inspiring analogy.
The fence had la
rge posts, strategically placed at similar intervals. Interwoven between the posts were branches. Many, many branches. They were woven in such a way that they created a wall.
I wondered…. What posts have I erected; and what branches have I fed through to protect myself?
The next step of the Monacan wall building process was to pack mud and clay into the branches. Further securing the wall, providing better protection from danger and that which could cause harm.
Interesting. This gave me more to meditate as I walked. I thought of the walls I erected and firmly packed tight, so that no harm would come. Those parts of me that had been hurt or damaged, that I keep well protected. Ensuring that no hurt can ever come to them again.
I wonder, what would happen if the structure surrounding the encampment also stagnated airflow; and with that; promoted deterioration? Mold and mildew, which inevitably cause sickness and weakness.
Could it be that the building of these walls, the protection from hurt and damage, has an opposite effect? In not allowing anything in, are we promoting our own deterioration?
Indeed, interesting thoughts to meditate on. Maybe it would be healthy to look at those walls I’ve built. Perhaps opening them up would be a good idea. I took a moment to jot down some notes in my journal of some things I might want to take a closer look at.
Sensitive Area. No Trespassing.
The trail continued beyond the Monacan Indian Village exhibit. To my left I came upon a neat little bridge. Of course I had to explore and see where it would take me.
Crossing the bridge, I arrived at a cave. A very dark, scary looking cave with a solid rock ceiling and rock walls. It was big. I could fit with no problem, but the sign said ‘Sensitive area. No Trespassing’. No problem there! I gladly stayed out of that darkness!
Ah yes, but here we had something else to meditate on.
We all have caves, and they are all sensitive. Perhaps it is best not to go into the mysterious caves in the forest, but the ones within us are much different. The ‘Sensitive Area. No Trespassing.’ signs were put up by us. We consciously make the decision that we are not going in. There’s no reason to enter that darkness.
Perhaps we should take down those signs and allow some exploration.
Let’s Float a Minute
Moving just a tad forward I found a lovely bench for my fanny to sit upon. Once again, I found myself next to a wonderful stream playing beautiful music for me. My friends, the songbirds, joined the symphony.
Sitting by the stream, I was overcome by the element of water. I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths and spent a few moments meditating.
I thought of how much I love water. Life giving, we drink it in. I bet that mountain stream water would be delightful to sip.
Have you ever just floated on your back in the water? ‘Dead mans float’ they call it? When your ears are under water, arms and legs loosely outstretched, basically ‘hanging’ in the water with just mouth and nose out? When everything is silent and you can hear the hum of your blood flowing? Or when there are noises, like from a waterfall up the stream, it creates a kind of vibration? I love to be submerged in water.
The feel of water is amazing. It’s like silk. A beautiful, soft, silky wrap.
Yeah, I love water and enjoyed the time I spent appreciating this wonderful life-giving liquid.
Fly With Me To The Falls
Making my way further down the path I was joined by a companion. A pretty yellow butterfly. Fluttering by, wonderful and free.
Aren’t we all our most beautiful when we spread our wings and fly?
I followed my butterfly friend, making my way along the winding pathway. Walking the path that life chose to present me with on that day.
It is so important to see, recognize and follow the paths that are before us.
Much to my delight, my path chose to reward me with some eye candy. A magnificent waterfall. Flowing rivulets of life. It’s called Lace Falls. I sat and savored the flowing feelings of contentment.
I Spy ….
Lace Falls is literally the end of the trail; so I turned around to head back. I love how a trail looks so different when walked in the opposite direction.
What was there and overlooked now makes itself known.
A White Fringe tree. Who ever knew something so cool existed? I was treated to a beautiful sight as the suns rays flowed through the tree.
A cave, with a spring of water trickling through. Legend has it that no one has ever been able to locate the source of the spring.
Thank You Mother Earth
Rounding back to the bridge, I got to enjoy it under new light; literally. The sun had shifted, bringing new awareness to shapes and colors. Walking under the bridge I felt somehow changed, different. Undoubtedly calmer, more centered and content.
Walking up and out of the gorge I felt the familiar coolness of the forest. I heard the familiar symphony of water and birds. Only this time, we spoke to each other. I took a few moments, before leaving the trail, to give thanks to our earth.
My Nature Walking Meditation was complete, and it indeed served a wonderful purpose.
Your Turn!
Every nature walk presents new and beautiful sights. Allow yourself to be submerged in your walk. It doesn’t need to be anything significant like the Natural Bridge. It can be a walk in your local forest preserve, or on a beach. You can even walk through a major city and enjoy the same benefits. A Nature Walking Meditation can be a City Walking Meditation or a Neighborhood Walking Meditation.
The key is that when something intrigues you, or inspires you, give attention to your thoughts. It could be something as simple as a flower, a pretty rock or a funky tree. Stop and allow your thoughts to fully develop. Sit and meditate on your thoughts as they come to you. Explore yourself and your connection to nature. Discover new insight and appreciation for yourself.
Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do a walking meditation. There is only your way.
This article has been about nature walking meditation. I hope you have enjoyed it and found it to be helpful to you on your journey of self-discovery.
See below for more articles I think you will enjoy!
Links to where you can find my favorite day hiking back-pack, my pretty journal and of course gel pens! All you need to make your walking meditation complete!
*Information obtained from sign located at the Natural Bridge, Natural Bridge State Park Virginia
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