Wild meditation, AKA meditating outdoors, AKA meditating in nature… try this!
Getting outside is a BRILLIANT way of boosting your meditation energy. When your regular practice is feeling stale and stuck getting outside is a really simple way of refreshing it. If you don’t yet use a meditation practice then just go out onto the woods today and try some mindful time outdoors. I think you’ll love it!
Here’s how wild meditation works:
You’ll feel curiosity and interest just by being in a different place. That lifts your energy.
Being outside doubles as an opportunity to absorb nature’s good vibes. That lifts your energy.
Being out in sunlight boosts your serotonin and that boosts your mood (and lifts your energy!).
When you get to your chosen outdoor space, practice your regular meditation and see how it feels under wild meditation conditions.
And try something different. Use a sense that perhaps you don’t often take much notice of, your sense of smell as your meditation focus.
Use a different sense – sniff a tree
In the video, I’m using a sense I rarely use mindfully – my sense of smell. Here I’m sniffing a Pine, but you can choose any tree in your garden, woodland or parkland.
Sniff the leaves.
The trunk,
The roots,
The ground under the tree (very yummy during autumn with fresh leaves on the ground).
Once you start thinking about using your sense of smell as a focus in your wild meditation, the world’s your oyster. You can sniff different flowers and compare the leaves to the flower itself. You can smell different fruit, different vegetables, the air outside after rain. Let your imagination run free and just try anything you think of.
Outdoor wild meditation locations
In the video, I’m meditating in woodland under the Orwell Bridge in Suffolk. I’m just off the footpath network and I’ve chosen a time of day when it’s not busy with dog walkers or joggers. I can do my wild meditation in peace and not feel self-conscious about any strangers giving me bemused looks (!)
Other places you try:
A beach.
Next to a river or stream.
In a park.
On your local network of rural footpaths.
In your garden.
I don’t always have time to drive to the woods or a beach so in summer you’ll find me meditating on the decking in my back garden.
Outdoor wild meditation kit
For the cooler weather, I wear a wind and waterproof jacket with waterproof leggings (just like in my video). This means I can sit on the woodland floor or wade through the undergrowth to find a secluded, secret place without getting damp, stung or prickled. If I’m meditating in the garden, I may just wear a puffa jacket for warmth and use a blanket to wrap around my legs.
In summer it really depends how hot it is. I can start meditating at about 8 am and need layers to keep the chill off initially. Usually a shirt over a T-shirt or blanket wrapped around me. By 8.15am, the sun has often risen high enough to be pushing out more heat. Then I can take layers off and still be comfortable. When it’s bright, I always have sunglasses and a cap with a big brim. This keeps the sun out of my eyes as I meditate with my eyes open
Let me know how you get on with any of the above ideas, I’d like to know I’m not alone in this wild meditation obsession!
If you’ve any questions, I love to hear from you! Email me and I’ll respond as soon as I can.
xx Annya
PS Try the free Nine Breaths Meditation next to a tree … it’ll make you feel AWESOME!
