Walking outside in the winter during a snowstorm or the morning after a big snowfall is one of my favourite times to mindful walk and immerse myself in the atmosphere of the forest.
In the video below, I share some of my favourite winter forest bathing invitations that you can use to brighten your winter day.
These winter forest bathing invitations are a great way to mindfully walk and feel a deeper sense of awe and wonder at the vastness and mysteriousness of the natural world.
Here are a few of the forest bathing invitations covered:
1. The treasure hunt: One of my favourite ways to tap into joyful states of flow and enhancing the felt sense of awe is by following animal tracks deep into the forest and creating a human trail with the first tracks.
2. Falling snowflakes: If it is snowing, observe the snowflakes falling from the heavens like diamonds. See if you look closely at an individual snowflake if you can see its unique fractal pattern and expand your gaze to notice the fractal path of snowflakes falling from the sky.
3. Fractal gazing: Notice the self-similar, branching structure of trees with roots, trunks, branches, needles and leaves. Notice the dormant plants and their similar fractal branching structure. Open your gaze to the vastness of the forest and how all trees join together to create a living, breathing ecosystem.
4. Opening to stillness: Pay attention to the quiet and stillness of a peaceful winter morning. I especially like doing this in the morning when there is fresh snow and the snowflakes on the ground are glistening like diamonds in the awe-inspiring morning light.
5. Feeling awe: Notice how the beauty of notice makes you feel. Ask yourself “how does this make you feel” and pay attention to the embodied sense of awe that arises. Allow yourself to dwell in the mystery of it all of not knowing so wonder can bubble up.
6. Seeing with new eyes: Letting go of the analytical mind and just appreciate, admire and feel the beauty of nature all around you and allow the wonder of curiosity to bubble up in thoughts. Allow those thoughts to arise and pass away, allowing your senses to heighten and go deeper into this feeling of wonder.
He started Mindful Ecotourism in 2016 leading forest meditation workshops in Stanley Park near his home in Vancouver and today he leads hiking adventures in the mountains of Western Canada in the summer and South America in the winter.
Browse his upcoming workshops, hiking adventures or download one of his free educational guides.
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