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Earth Day 2023: Celebrating Earth Day With Mindfulness
| Earth day 2023 | Earth Day Meditation | Grounding Meditation | Four Elements Meditation | Earthing | How To Connect With Nature |
Every year on April 22 more than 190 countries celebrate Earth Day. The goal of this annual event is to support the environment and help protect the Earth. Plastic pollution, climate change, waste disposal – these are only some of the issues Earth Day addresses.
We keep hearing about the problems nature is facing and all the harm we humans cause it. But when it comes to protecting the Earth and the environment, we can all agree that we can certainly do a better job.
If you are someone with a mindfulness-based approach to life and have respect for nature and its resources, then Earth Day is surely an important day for you. And if it’s not, then it’s high time you reconsidered your connection to nature and learned to become one with it.
Earth Day And Mindfulness: How Do They Relate?
Practicing mindfulness on a regular basis comes with many benefits. It helps you deal with your emotions more easily, reduces stress and anxiety, helps ease depression, etc.
But practicing mindfulness also makes us feel present and how we are all connected to the planet we live on. Most importantly, it helps us understand the importance of nature in our life. And though we celebrate Earth Day on April 22 only, we should protect our planet for the rest of the year too.
We keep hearing about the problems nature is facing and all the harm we humans cause it. But when it comes to protecting the Earth and the environment, we can all agree that we can certainly do a better job.
If you are someone with a mindfulness-based approach to life and have respect for nature and its resources, then Earth Day is surely an important day for you. And if it’s not, then it’s high time you reconsidered your connection to nature and learned to become one with it.
Earth Day And Mindfulness: How Do They Relate?
Practicing mindfulness on a regular basis comes with many benefits. It helps you deal with your emotions more easily, reduces stress and anxiety, helps ease depression, etc.
But practicing mindfulness also makes us feel present and how we are all connected to the planet we live on. Most importantly, it helps us understand the importance of nature in our life. And though we celebrate Earth Day on April 22 only, we should protect our planet for the rest of the year too.
Helping The Planet Through Mindfulness
If we’re being honest, we are not doing the best we can to save the planet. The planet Earth provides us with everything we need for a healthy life, including water, land, animals, and plants. With all this, it is astonishing how little we do for the planet that provides us with literally everything – water, food, various natural resources, and a place to live.
Mindfulness is an approach you can take in your efforts to help the planet in its constant struggle with the many environmental challenges we humans make it face. It is impossible for people to change their lifestyle within a day and start living completely environmentally conscious. But there are some small steps every person can take to save the planet through small mindful actions.
Shopping second-hand is another mindful way to contribute to the planet. With landfills filling up and posing as a larger threat to the environment every day, thrifting is a simple way to lighten your impact as a consumer. Our friends at Fourth House Vintage offer carefully curated collections of second-hand and vintage pieces. They take it one step further towards change with the eco-friendly packaging, i.e. compostable mailers, biodegradable tape, wrapping paper, stickers, and reusing cardboard boxes.
If we’re being honest, we are not doing the best we can to save the planet. The planet Earth provides us with everything we need for a healthy life, including water, land, animals, and plants. With all this, it is astonishing how little we do for the planet that provides us with literally everything – water, food, various natural resources, and a place to live.
Mindfulness is an approach you can take in your efforts to help the planet in its constant struggle with the many environmental challenges we humans make it face. It is impossible for people to change their lifestyle within a day and start living completely environmentally conscious. But there are some small steps every person can take to save the planet through small mindful actions.
- Reduce your water waste
- Use as little plastic as possible
- Recycle
- Bike or walk when possible instead of driving a car
- Plant a tree
- Reduce paper waste
- Use non-toxic chemicals
- Eat more vegetables
Shopping second-hand is another mindful way to contribute to the planet. With landfills filling up and posing as a larger threat to the environment every day, thrifting is a simple way to lighten your impact as a consumer. Our friends at Fourth House Vintage offer carefully curated collections of second-hand and vintage pieces. They take it one step further towards change with the eco-friendly packaging, i.e. compostable mailers, biodegradable tape, wrapping paper, stickers, and reusing cardboard boxes.
How To Connect With Nature?
Mindfulness practices are an effective way to connect with nature. They are also a great way to celebrate the incredible planet we live on.
There are simple meditations you can do to enhance your connectedness with Earth. You can simply walk and notice the world around you. The key here is to really take your time to notice the beauty of nature and appreciate it.
Walking barefoot is a great earthing technique as you physically feel the ground underneath you and the support it gives you. Take off your shoes, close the eyes, breath and explore the texture you walk on and how it feels.
You can also sit in nature for some time to connect with it, paying attention to the small details and listening to the sounds of nature, such as waves of the ocean, birds chirping, tree rustling or wind blowing.
Even just looking at the water moving in the river or clouds drifting the sky can be its own form of meditation.
As you do this practice often, you will start noticing the changes in nature and feel more connected to it.
Mindfulness practices are an effective way to connect with nature. They are also a great way to celebrate the incredible planet we live on.
There are simple meditations you can do to enhance your connectedness with Earth. You can simply walk and notice the world around you. The key here is to really take your time to notice the beauty of nature and appreciate it.
Walking barefoot is a great earthing technique as you physically feel the ground underneath you and the support it gives you. Take off your shoes, close the eyes, breath and explore the texture you walk on and how it feels.
You can also sit in nature for some time to connect with it, paying attention to the small details and listening to the sounds of nature, such as waves of the ocean, birds chirping, tree rustling or wind blowing.
Even just looking at the water moving in the river or clouds drifting the sky can be its own form of meditation.
As you do this practice often, you will start noticing the changes in nature and feel more connected to it.
Four Elements Meditation To Connect With Nature
The four elements – earth, water, air, and fire, are the symbols of nature. These elements are not only parts of nature but they also represent aspects of life. Meditating with the elements of nature will help you feel more at peace and connected to the world around you.
This elemental meditation is about bringing awareness to every one of the four elements. And to do this, you need to create something like an elemental altar. This altar should contain a symbol of each element.
You will need a feather to represent the air, a bowl of water, a flower, or another plant from the earth to represent it, and a candle for the fire element.
Here at peaceinside.me we create meditation sets with all four life elements to make your meditations more meaningful and powerful to embrace your fifth element - you!
The four elements – earth, water, air, and fire, are the symbols of nature. These elements are not only parts of nature but they also represent aspects of life. Meditating with the elements of nature will help you feel more at peace and connected to the world around you.
This elemental meditation is about bringing awareness to every one of the four elements. And to do this, you need to create something like an elemental altar. This altar should contain a symbol of each element.
You will need a feather to represent the air, a bowl of water, a flower, or another plant from the earth to represent it, and a candle for the fire element.
Here at peaceinside.me we create meditation sets with all four life elements to make your meditations more meaningful and powerful to embrace your fifth element - you!
How To Meditate On Four Elements?
Once you have gathered all the four elements, here is what you will need to do.
Arrange Your Meditation Space And Get Comfortable
Find a good meditation spot. You can do this meditation at home or outdoors, sitting or standing. The choice is yours. Place your elements in front of you. You can arrange them in line or place them to create a circle.
Get comfortable, close your eyes, and start to breathe deeply. Doing this will help you calm down and get into a meditative state.
Take Deep And Slow Breaths
As you breathe, try to connect with yourself and the world around you without trying to control your thoughts.
When you are ready, start to meditate on each of the elements.
Air Element
Open your eyes and pick up the feather that represents the air element. While holding it in your hands, have a short look at it and close your eyes again.
Feel the lightness of this symbol and all the air around you. Keep breathing while thinking about the air, what it gives you and how it makes you feel. Take deep and slow breaths to allow the air to fill your lungs.
Water Element
Next, pick up the water element. It can be a bowl or a glass of water. Submerge your fingers into the water. If you are using a bowl, you can submerge your hand in water up to the wrist.
The point is feeling the water and being in contact with it. Close your eyes while keeping your fingers in water, breathe and think about the importance of this element for you.
Earth Element
Pick up the plant or flower you have as the earth symbol. If it has soil on it, feel it with your hands. Close your eyes while holding the plant. Think about the importance of staying grounded. Appreciate all the goodness that the earth provides us with.
Fire Element
For the fire element meditation, hold the candle in your hands and stare at the flickering flame. As you watch the mesmerizing fire, imagine it burning inside you. This will make you think about the love and passion you have inside.
Once you have gathered all the four elements, here is what you will need to do.
Arrange Your Meditation Space And Get Comfortable
Find a good meditation spot. You can do this meditation at home or outdoors, sitting or standing. The choice is yours. Place your elements in front of you. You can arrange them in line or place them to create a circle.
Get comfortable, close your eyes, and start to breathe deeply. Doing this will help you calm down and get into a meditative state.
Take Deep And Slow Breaths
As you breathe, try to connect with yourself and the world around you without trying to control your thoughts.
When you are ready, start to meditate on each of the elements.
Air Element
Open your eyes and pick up the feather that represents the air element. While holding it in your hands, have a short look at it and close your eyes again.
Feel the lightness of this symbol and all the air around you. Keep breathing while thinking about the air, what it gives you and how it makes you feel. Take deep and slow breaths to allow the air to fill your lungs.
Water Element
Next, pick up the water element. It can be a bowl or a glass of water. Submerge your fingers into the water. If you are using a bowl, you can submerge your hand in water up to the wrist.
The point is feeling the water and being in contact with it. Close your eyes while keeping your fingers in water, breathe and think about the importance of this element for you.
Earth Element
Pick up the plant or flower you have as the earth symbol. If it has soil on it, feel it with your hands. Close your eyes while holding the plant. Think about the importance of staying grounded. Appreciate all the goodness that the earth provides us with.
Fire Element
For the fire element meditation, hold the candle in your hands and stare at the flickering flame. As you watch the mesmerizing fire, imagine it burning inside you. This will make you think about the love and passion you have inside.
Close The Meditation
To finish off the four elements meditation, close your eyes and take deep breaths. You will still be under the impression of the symbols you have meditated on. Feel that energy and thank nature for everything it gives you.
To finish off the four elements meditation, close your eyes and take deep breaths. You will still be under the impression of the symbols you have meditated on. Feel that energy and thank nature for everything it gives you.
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