How to Actually Slow Down in Nature

This weekend I hosted my first “Snail School” series. A small group of us gathered to hike and then have quiet prompted solo time in Nature for a couple hours. I put together this group because I personally find it hard to actually put my phone down and reconnect with what’s most important - myself, the land, community. We are taking in so much information all the time in the form of news, podcasts, social media, that it can feel hard to get off the information hamster wheel. It’s designed to be addictive. Here’s the thing - we need down time, time to be bored, to let all this data flush through our system. Fall is an invitation to slow down, let go, and reflect. Below are some tips for how to do just that.

1. Sit Spot

Find a square/circle of ground (approximately 10 feet), study it for longer than you might want to. (Approximate 20 minutes), notice contrast, pattern, movement, texture. Does this piece of earth “speak” to you in some way? Notice impacts on your breath, heart rate, or other aspects of your experience.

2. Nature as teacher nature as mirror

Allow yourself to follow curiosity, wonder, and awe. Let it be an intuitive process. Find an entity that resonates. What is it teaching you? What does it want you to know? What does it mirror in your own experience? Notice what happens when you appreciate its wisdom.

3. Snail

Let yourself feel your body make contact with the earth. How much are you part of the earth? How much can you let yourself (physically, emotionally, spiritually) be supported by the earth? Notice what happens when you lie on your stomach vs. your side vs. your back. Notice what happens when you let your body tune into the sensation of gravity pulling your body towards the earth. Notice the waves of sensations, emotions, and energy levels in your body.