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    Mindfulness and the Natural World: Bringing our Awareness Back to Nature
    Mindfulness and the Natural World: Bringing our Awareness Back to Nature
    Mindfulness and the Natural World: Bringing our Awareness Back to Nature
    Ebook140 pages1 hour

    Mindfulness and the Natural World: Bringing our Awareness Back to Nature

    By Claire Thompson

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    About this ebook

    Mindfulness & the Natural World explores what it means to connect with nature and how we can learn from nature to be more mindful in everyday life. Claire Thompson takes us on an engaging journey into the natural world and encourages us to experience its beauty and intrinsic value through the art of mindfulness. Through personal anecdotes and proven insights, she reveals how a deeper awareness of the natural world is key to inspiring us to care about and protect nature, and developing a more sustainable world.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherIvy Press
    Release dateOct 7, 2013
    ISBN9781782401230
    Mindfulness and the Natural World: Bringing our Awareness Back to Nature
    Author

    Claire Thompson

    Claire has been writing for nearly two decades, and has published over 70 novels. She writes BDSM romance and non-con abduction tales, spanning both m/f and m/m genres. Her darker works press the envelope of what is erotic and what can be a sometimes dangerous slide into the world of sadomasochism. Ultimately her work deals with the human condition, and our constant search for love and intensity of experience.

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      Book preview

      Mindfulness and the Natural World - Claire Thompson

      INTRODUCTION

      We all have one thing in common: we are part of the natural world. No matter what our nationality is, what we do for a living, what our interests or beliefs are, we share the same natural home. How would we be here enjoying our everyday lives, if it weren’t for our bodies, the trees, the sun in the sky and the air we are breathing? The simple answer is that we wouldn’t. Nature gives rise to all of life on the planet, including our own, and connecting with the natural world is an integral part of our happiness and well-being.

      DISCOVERING MINDFULNESS IN NATURE

      One of the greatest problems we face in our lives today is that, somewhere along the way, we have forgotten that we are all part of nature. Since the human race evolved hundreds of thousands of years ago, we have gradually separated ourselves from the natural world. In fact, our modern everyday lives often involve very little contact with nature at all.

      WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Because it has led us to deprive ourselves of the simple of joy of living, with harmful consequences for our own happiness and well-being, as well as for the well-being of the rest of life on Earth.

      This book is an invitation on a journey to explore the innate bond we all have with the natural world, and to discover the infinite happiness and freedom that lies in the simple experience of being alive. Nature is around us and within us wherever we are and whatever is going on in our lives. You don’t need to know anything about animals, plants, biology or the environment to enjoy the wonder of the natural world.

      We have forgotten that we are part of nature.

      I hope to lead you on a path to discover the fulfilling enjoyment, calm, vitality and companionship to be found in nature. How can you do this? All you need is your body, an open mind and a little touch of nature in your life. This is where mindfulness comes in.

      What Is Mindfulness?

      Mindfulness is simply about being aware of our experience of the present moment of our lives. Do you ever feel you spend a lot of your time distracted by your mind worrying about the past, planning for the future or criticizing yourself? Mindfulness is about realizing that, instead, there is happiness in accepting and letting go of these distractions. It is about paying attention and noticing the life within us and in the natural world around us, here and now. Mindfulness will enable you to let happiness into your life along the way, by engaging with your experience more fully. If you are new to mindfulness, be kind and patient with yourself in your exploration of it. It is an enjoyable journey of continuous discovery that requires time and practice.

      Mindfulness and the Natural World

      As our awareness of the natural world grows, we begin to notice that the separation we have created between ourselves and nature starts to fade and realize that our well-being is intimately interlinked with the well-being of the rest of the natural world. We begin to feel a sense of reverence and affection for all of nature and to understand that we are an integral part of something much larger than ourselves: the web of life.

      Mindfulness of the natural world becomes an essential practice in the context of the current destruction we are inflicting upon our planet. As we become more aware of our experience of nature, and develop a true love for the natural world, we are more likely to start to take positive action to protect our universal home.

      A Passion for Nature

      I have a passion for the natural world. Spending time in nature fills me with happiness, wonder, calm, comfort and strength. It gifts me with a sense of belonging and brings me closer to who I really am. Its infinite beauty, mystery and complexity never cease to amaze me. The natural world is an endless source of discovery that is free and accessible to us at all times. My personal belief is that if we pay attention to nature, we can fall under its spell, no matter who we are. Whether we delight in awe-inspiring landscapes, enjoy the thrill of extreme outdoor sports or quietly retreat to the hills for solitary walks, there is something for us all to enjoy in the natural world.

      I wandered lonely as a cloud

      That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

      When all at once I saw a crowd,

      A host, of golden daffodils;

      Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

      Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

      ‘DAFFODILS’, WILLIAM WORDSWORTH (1770–1850)

      ENGLISH ROMANTIC POET

      As you read this book, you may learn about yourself, you may learn about others and you may discover things about the rest of life with which you share the planet. However, embark on this journey with no expectations. Above all, it is simply about appreciating nature with a playful sense of childlike wonder. My hope is that by the time you turn the last page you are left with a desire to sit under trees, roll around in sand dunes, follow streams, climb to the top of mountains, seek out beautiful views and marvel at intimate encounters with other animals and plants. Accept this invitation with openness and curiosity, enjoying whatever you experience along the way.

      CHAPTER ONE

      WE ARE NATURE

      Nature and people are simply part of one another. If we bring our awareness to what is around us and within us, this becomes obvious. We cannot be considered separate. The natural world is at the very heart of our being. If we are willing to listen and pay attention to nature, we will begin to recognize our innate sense of connection and belonging. Mindfulness of the natural world is likely to be one of our deepest experiences and our greatest opportunities to feel truly alive.

      WE ARE LIFE ITSELF!

      We are alive. Along with every other living being on our planet, we have been gifted the simple yet wondrous opportunity to embody life. What if the point of our lives were simply to live among all the beautiful life forms that have arisen in the natural world?

      CONSIDER FOR A MOMENT that the joy of being alive could be our only purpose. We belong in the natural world. We are the natural world, just like the trees, the flowers, the sun and the sky.

      When I am out in nature, I feel an innate sense of belonging. I don’t feel alone, I feel alive. Experiencing the mystery of a forest, noticing the sunlight flicker on a tree’s leaves, watching the flow of a stream trickling over rocks or listening to the song of a bird, I always find companionship in nature. We are not separate. We are integral parts of each other.

      As human beings with the ability for conscious thought, it is easy to live our lives wrapped up in our problems, dwelling on the past, planning for the future, caught up in urges of obtaining pleasure and trying to rid ourselves of pain. What if we stopped for a moment and opened up to life as it is right now, in front of us? Live in it. Listen to it, look at it, smell it, touch it and taste it, as often as you can. Feel the simple experience of being alive. It is always accessible, wherever we are, whatever we are doing and whatever is going on in our lives.

      Have you ever just sat down for a moment and felt the warmth of the sun on your face? Appreciated some beautiful flowers in a park on your way to the supermarket? Or marvelled at stunning displays of autumn colours in the trees? Try it. Notice nature around you. Give it your full attention from time to time. Experience it with all your senses, and really look, as if you are encountering it for the first time. You too are nature. You too are alive.

      MINDFULNESS PRACTICE

      IN TOUCH WITH THE EARTH

      When we are in touch with the earth, we can appreciate that we are part of all that is around us. Find some grass, a meadow, a park or a bit of garden where you won’t be disturbed. Lie down on the ground. Become aware of the earth beneath you. Close your eyes and become aware of your breath. Notice what your breathing is like. Bring your attention to how each part of your body feels as it is in contact with the ground. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face, breathe in the scents, notice the breeze against your skin and hear the sounds of nature. Allow yourself to experience this moment and gradually let go of the idea that you are separate – you are connected to the earth and part of life itself.

      FINDING MEANING IN THE NATURAL WORLD

      If you ever

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