Prompts for Mindful Reflection
These are some prompts I’ve found useful when I need to refocus and center myself outdoors:
Close your eyes, take 3 deep breaths.
What sounds do you hear in the natural environment around you right now? Imagine that sound as a shape or a color in your mind.
Take off your shoes and put your feet on the ground. Feel the texture beneath you. Think about the layers of earth directly below you that stack upon each other all the way to the core of the earth. Now think about the air space above you that stretches out into space. Imagine your body is a line bisecting the earth.
Take a moment to pause and observe the sky above you. What shapes do the clouds form? How does the color of the sky change as the day progresses?
Bring your attention to your breath. How does the air feel as you inhale and exhale? Can you sense the subtle shifts in temperature and quality with each breath?
Notice the play of light and shadow in the natural environment.
Take a closer look at the plants and foliage around you. What intricate patterns and textures do you discover?
Try to identify a natural sound, now another. How are they interacting (or not)?
Connect with the elements of nature—earth, air, water, and fire. How do you experience each element in your surroundings? Can you feel the earth's stability, the air's movement, the water's flow, or the sun's warmth?
Contributed by: J.S