Week 8 Meditation - Nature Sounds
This Nature meditation is a beautiful way to tune into sounds and relax the mind at the same time. Being in nature connects us to the present moment because we stop thinking about other things and just notice what is around us.
Nature is also very calming to the body and just being around nature has proven to help the brain and body feel calm - Georgina Manning
Go outside and find a comfortable place to sit near a tree if possible.
• Notice the nature around you – the colours of the trees, any birds, sunlight and shadows, the soil, bugs and anything you can study.
• Close your eyes over.
• Listen carefully and tune in so you can hear as many different nature sounds as possible.
• Can you hear any wind? Can you hear the leaves or branches moving in the wind?
• See if you can hear different bird sounds. Do the bird sounds change, or do they stay the same? Are there different birds you can hear or just one type of bird?
• When you open your eyes, quickly draw as many things as you could hear while continuing to listen to the sounds
Journaling
When we have strong emotions, chemicals are released in our brain. This helps us to take action and protect ourselves. We can learn to be the ‘boss’ of our emotions by first learning what we are feeling, writing it down or talking to someone and then using coping strategies to shift the emotion. We don’t need to let emotions control us!
Journal Prompts
Create your own special journal to write down how you are feeling or any worries that you might have. Writing down how you feel reduces strong emotions and releases stress. If we try to keep everything in our head including our worries, we can feel weighed down which stops us from enjoying things and having fun.
- Today I am feeling…
- I am worried about ...
- I am looking forward to...
- I am proud of myself for...
- Yesterday ..
- Last week…
- I have been thinking about..
- I have been upset about...
- What went well...
If you like to draw, then you can draw how you are feeling or draw any worries.
You could choose to simply decorate your journal pages around your writing.
Did you know that journaling has been scientifically proven to : lessen worries, reduce stress, boost our immunity, release emotions and solve problems easier!
Nicole O'Sullivan
Student Wellbeing and Learning Diversity leader