Time for Outdoor Stress Management

19th March, 2011 - Posted by L. John Mason -

Some people think that anytime is the right time for outdoor activities including stress management. Many people believe that the Winter may be too cold (or too wet) or the Summer may be too hot for outdoor activities but I tend to believe, with moderation, any time can be the right time to be outdoors doing stress management. (The exception might be 20 below with the wind howling but for me this is very infrequent…) Appreciating the “outdoors” is in its own right a practice of Zen meditation. Watching the waves break on the beach or a stream playfully moving downhill or seeing the trees gently swaying in the breeze are all forms of meditation and can be relaxing. For all of mankind’s history, watching a campfire burning has been a focusing meditation. Observing as the clouds blow by is meditative.

Now combine this with feeling your footsteps as you walk through sand at the beach or some fresh snow can be the next step (pardon the pun) in practicing ZaZen meditation. Hiking through a forested landscape or on a path through an Alpine meadow beneath glaciers which rise above timberline have been powerful stress management experiences for me. Anytime you can appreciate nature and the beauties of the world around you, you can find your spirit shining in the light of inner peace and the unconditional love of the “collective unconscious.”

Usually, being outdoors in nature requires that you are not sitting indoors watching your TV or your computer monitor. There are times when you can sit inside and view the beauties of nature through windows but I find that breathing the freshness of the air while out of doors makes the experience more complete, for me. Activities such as hiking, jogging, swimming, biking (I was thinking on a bicycle, but…,) skating, riding a horse, or skiing are all activities that I believe are natural and can enhance a visit into natural environments. It may not be how far you go but the quality of the connection with nature that makes this a powerful meditative experience.

No matter where you are, I hope that you will consider a healthy trek into a pleasent outdoor environment. This may help to “ground you out” offer a “centering” or balancing experience that will help you thrive. Appreciation of our natural world is a great chance to meditate on the essence of life.

If you would like assistance or coaching on how to bring this activity into your life, consider contacting the Stress Education Center at www.dstress.com

Please take time for yourself and take GOOD care of yourself.