Mindful Nature Activities for Connecting with Nature in the City

mindful nature activities for connecting with nature in the city

Mindful nature activities to try in the city

Have you been thinking about trying out some mindful nature activities? In today's busy, fast-paced world, it is easy to feel disconnected from the natural world. We spend most of our days indoors, staring at screens and rushing from one task to another, forgetting to notice the power and beauty of the natural world.

But taking the time to connect mindfully with nature can have a profound impact on our wellbeing and sense of peace. In fact, research has shown that connecting mindfully with nature can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, improve focus, attention and creativity and even boost our immune systems.

So, how can we connect more mindfully with nature? Here are a few ideas to help get you started.

Go for a mindful nature walk

This might seem a really simple thing to do, but just going out for a walk - even round your neighbourhood, is a great way to get outside and appreciate the natural world.

Make sure that instead of marching along with your head down and your headphones in your ears, you try to be present and really notice the sights, sounds and smells around you - and if you struggle finding plants or wildlife, turn your gaze up and appreciate the clouds, breeze, sunshine and sky.

Engage your senses and tune in to nature

As you move through and interact with the world, take the time to tune in and engage your senses. Take of your shoes and feel the grass on your toes. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds of a nearby stream. Pick up a leaf and study its shape, texture and colour.

By engaging your senses, you will not only begin to deepen your connection to the natural world, but you will also learn about and develop a deeper understanding of the plants, animals and ecosystems in your neighbourhood.

Be grateful for your nature experience

As you spend time noticing nature, take a moment to think about and feel grateful for all the wonderful things around you. Maybe for the warmth of the sun on your face, the chirrping birds, or the way the leaves rustle in the wind.

By focusing on the positive aspects of your surroundings and the beauty and wonder you experience, you will begin to cultivate a deeper sense of appreciation, joy and connection.

Summary

As we have seen, it is more than possible to enjoy mindful nature activities even if you live in the city. Not only that, but by connecting mindfully with nature, we can tap into the healing power of the natural world and cultivate a sense of peace and wellbeing within us.

So, the next time you are feeling stressed or disconnected, take a moment to walk outside and engage with your surroundings. You will be amazed at how quickly you can unwind when you decide to notice and enjoy nature.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, feel free to leave a comment below and let me know how you get on and don't forget to subscribe below for new articles and nature connection resources.

See you soon and happy nature walking,

Leila x

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Finding Nature in the City: A Guide for Busy Mums

finding nature in the city

Feeling a need for nature?

As a busy mum, finding time to enjoy nature can seem impossible. Between juggling children, home and work, finding time to connect with yourself, let alone taking time to connect with nature can be decidedly challenging. This challenge can seem even greater if you live in the concrete jungle of a city.

However, it is important to make some time to get out and enjoy the natural world both for yourself and for your family and with a little effort, it is possible to connect with nature - even if you live in the city.

In this guide we will explore some of the reasons why it is so important to spend time in nature and think about some practical ways to find and connect with nature in urban areas.

Before we dive in though, let's think about some of the reasons why it is so important to find the time to find and enjoy and connect with nature. 

The importance of finding nature in the city

The main reasons that spending time in nature is so important are the tremendous physical, mental and emotional benefits that come from being in the natural world.

In fact, research has shown that physiologically, our minds and bodies need nature just as much as we need food, water and air.

You see, spending as little as two hours a week in the natural world can help to reduce your heart rate and blood pressure, reduce your stress hormones and increase your relaxation hormones.

It can help you calm down and unwind, lift your mood, improve your sleep, make you feel happy, boost your focus and concentration, improve your creativity and reduce feelings of depression, stress and anxiety.

That is a lot of benefits! But it does not stop there. Because, while just being in nature can help you, actually noticing, tuning in to and connecting with nature, enhances these benefits even more.

You see, when it comes to benefiting from nature, moments matter more than minutes alone.

You can be surrounded by nature but if you do not take the time to notice, appreciate and enjoy it, you may as well be in the middle of a bustling shopping centre without a single blade of grass or ray of sunshine in sight.

Where to find nature in the city

So, how can we find nature in the city? Well, finding natural spaces and nature in the city can be challenging, but it is certainly not impossible. It just requires a little time and resourcefulness to find.

Here are a few examples:

  • Parks and botanical gardens
  • City farms and community gardens
  • Wildlife and nature-based charities
  • Nature reserves and national parks
  • Neighbourhood gardens
  • Doorstep plant pots and bird feeders

A good place to start is by visiting the tourist information website for your town or city and looking at the ‘things to do in outdoors section’. They may even list special effects and activities available throughout the year.

Another way is to search for parks and public gardens, community gardens, city farms, private estates and private gardens that are open to the public, arboretums and botanical gardens.

You can also look for wildlife and nature-based charities such as the Wildlife Trust or RSPB, which will often have events and activities which can help put you in touch with local groups and nature spaces.

Also, look for your closest wildlife reserves or nature reserves, or natural or national parks. Here in the UK and Ireland, you can also search for Forestry Commission visitor centres, Coillte Ireland or Natural Heritage Wales.

Closer to home, take a walk around your local neighbourhood. Especially if you live near houses with gardens, you can often spot a nice variety of trees, flowers, butterflies, bees and songbirds.

If you live in an area without gardens, it is easy to create your own little nature nook on a balcony or doorstep, with a couple of plant pots and bird feeders.

How to connect with nature in the city

Just like in the countryside, once you have found a nice nature spot, there are all sorts of ways to connect with nature in the city.

Some great ideas include:

  • Nature walks
  • Mindful moments
  • Nature sit spots
  • Nature scavenger hunts
  • Nature journaling

You can even get your kids involved too and make it a fun family outing. Have the kids point out any trees, flowers, birds, bees, butterflies, or any other wildlife they see as you walk around and try to identify what you find.

Write notes or reflections about your nature time once you return, thinking about what you most enjoyed and why. You can even write poems about something beautiful, or sketch, paint or draw the wonderful things you see.

Remember - spending time in nature does not need to be complicated or hard. Even a few minutes enjoying a beautiful flower or lovely green tree can lift your mood, boost your spirits and bring smiles to a tired face.

Summary

In this article, we have looked at why it is important to take time out to enjoy nature, even as a busy mum when even self care can be challenging. We also looked at some of the best places to find nature spots and natural spaces in the city. Finally, we looked at some great activities to help you begin your nature connection journey.

Remember - take the time to explore green spaces and get to know the trees, plants and wildlife living an growing around you. By doing so, you will not only improve your own physical and mental health, but also fill your spirit with the wonder and beauty of the natural world.

If you enjoyed this tutorial and would love more ideas and inspiration for learning about and connecting to nature with your family, feel free to subscribe below and be the first to know about new articles and resources.

See you soon and happy nature walking,

Leila x

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Breathing the Magic of Nature - A Tool for Stress Relief

breathing the magic of nature - nature as a tool for stress relief

Nature as a tool for stress relief

Stress is a common experience for too many people in today's world - whether at home or at work. We all face negative, high-tension, stress-filled situations.

However, prolonged stress can have a negative effect on our mental and physical health - and this is where nature comes in.

You see, spending time in nature has been shown to have numerous benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, improving mood and boosting creativity.

In this blog post, we will explore how nature can be used as a tool to help with stress relief and mental health.

The benefits of nature for stress relief

Numerous studies across the world have now shown the benefits of spending time in nature when it comes to managing stress and improving your mental health.

For example, being in nature can lead to:

  • Lower stress and anxiety
  • Happier mood
  • Increased creativity
  • Mindfulness

So, let's see how this happens.

Why nature is useful for stress and anxiety

Both qualitative and quantitative studies have now proven that spending time in nature can directly help our bodies to relax and de-stress by promoting lower cortisol levels and increasing secretion of parasympathetic hormone.

Cortisol is the hormone responsible for the fight or flight response by helping our bodies to tense up ready for action. While parasympathetic hormone helps in switching off the sympathetic drive so we can rest and relax again.

Together, these two actions lead to reduce our feelings of anxiety and put us in a more relaxed frame of mind.

How nature makes you happy

Just as spending time in nature can reduce our feelings of stress and anxiety, it can also have a directly calming effect on our brain and improve our mood. This effect happens in two ways.

First, being in natural environments stimulates the release of endorphins, or  special chemicals, such as serotonin and melatonin that help us relax and make us feel good.

In addition, the body itself also releases these feel-good hormones in response to the excitement and joy we feel in the presence of a beautiful environment or when engaging in outdoor activities.

The beauty of nature for creativity

On top of the directly calming effects that being in nature has on our minds and bodies, being in nature can also helps us by enhancing our powers of creativity.

Because, we soon as we begin to relax and slow down, we also give our brains permission to relax and wander. This allows us to think about solutions to problems that may be bothering us, or consider new perspectives and ideas.

This helps us in an indirect way by letting us see ways out of our stressors - or to think of other ways we can handle them.

The art of mindfulness in nature

Finally, being in nature helps promote mindfulness - the feeling of connecting to and being part of our surroundings and environment, which helps us feel grounded and more content.

Because, being out in nature provides many opportunities for us to focus on and enjoy experiences in the present moment and momentarily forget about our troubles.

For example, when you are out in a natural environment, you cannot help by focus your senses to listen to bird song, smell a beautiful flower or feel the sun or wind in your face and the grass beneath your toes.

Spending time in nature

There are many ways you can try to bring more nature into your daily life, from walking, to active mindfulness, to gardening and outdoor activities.

Nature walks can be done anywhere, whether in your back garden, in a local park, or out in the countryside and they are a really simple and effective tool to help you relax and clear your mind.

Gardening is a great stress reliever too and working with plants, caring for them and watching them bloom and grow, also provides a sense of accomplishment and acievement.

As for outdoor activities... just choose the one you fancy! Hiking, camping, kayaking, cycling or horse riding are a few of the many, many examples. Just remember to relax and enjoy it - competitive activities may not be that effective at stress reduction!

Summary

As we have seen, being in nature can be a powerful tool for stress relief and improving our mental health and by enriching your life with outdoor activities and mindfulness, you can achieve some wonderful benefits.

So, take some time to breathe in the magic of nature and improve your wellbeing today... and don't forget, if you enjoyed reading this blog post, sign up below to recieve email notifications of new blogs and articles x

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Related links and useful resources

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External resources
 

Are Whitebeam berries edible?

are whitebeam berries edible

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links, so I may recieve a small commission if you choose to purchase any item. This will not affect the price you pay, but it will help me keep this site going x

Are Whitebeam Berries Edible?

Whitebeam trees, or Sorbus aria, are commonly found lining our city streets and avenues, parks and gardens with their white-bottomed leaves, their fluffy white blossoms, and their autumnal mass of orangey-red berries. But, the question is, are they edible?

The answer, is yes and no. Whitebeam berries are indeed edible, but like rowan, must be harvested at the right time and prepared in the right way. 

When should you harvest whitebeam berries?

If picked and eaten before they are ready, whitebeam berries can be terribly astringent and really pucker up the insides of your mouth. However, if they are allowed to remain on the tree or hang around until after the first frosts, they lose a lot of their astringency.

Additionally, if they are allowed to hang around until almost about to rot, they become quite sweet to taste. A little like the persimmon fruits.

There is one catch however... if you leave them hanging around for too long, the birds will beat you to it. Since whitebeam berries are a highly loved and highly coveted food source for migrating and visiting birds.

For this reason, it is also important to remember, if you do decide to harvest whitebeam berries, to make sure you take only what you need and leave plenty for our feathered friends.

How are whitebeam berries prepared?

Much like any wild berries, the first steps involved in preparing them for use, are to wash them thoroughly and pick them over - removing any rotting, damaged or suspicious fruit, and then remove their stalks.
 
Next, remember how I said that whitebeam berries lose their astringency and sweeten up after being hit by the frosts? Considering this, the next step in preparing whitebeam berries is to pop them in the freezer for 48 hours to stimulate a good hard frost.
 
After this, they are ready to use! (Just, as with all wild foods, please make sure you are 100% certain about their identity before you consume them. If in doubt, leave it out!)

How to use whitebeam berries

In days gone by, whitebeam was used in a variety of ways. A good source of vitamin C, its fruits were dried, a bit like raisons and eaten as a snack. Or it was combined with other fruits and made into a jam.
 
In addition, it was used as a fall-back food in times of hunger and starvation when the dried fruits were pulvarised to help bulk out foraged grain flours like plantain, or the seeds inside were ground and used as a sort of flour. (It is worth noting that like apples, whitebeam berry seeds contain small amounts or cyanoglycosides, so should be avoided or eaten in moderation).
 
In fact, the German name for whitebeam is mehlbeere, meaning meal berry and even today you can find avenues of whitebeam in many older towns and cities in Germany and across Scandinavia where they were grown specifically for this purpose.
 
But these days (and then, of course) a nicer way to use it was to make whitebeam jams or jelly by combining it with other fruit, such as hawthorn, cooking apples or crab apples.

How to make whitebeam berry jelly

To make whitebeam jelly, you will need:

  • 1kg whitebeam berries
  • 1.5kg cooking apples
  • 3.5ltr water
  • 1.2kg sugar
  • Strainers, jelly bag or muslin
  • A jam pan
  • Sterilised jars

Start by cleaning and preparing the fruit as discussed above. (Don't forget the freezing part!) Then add them to 2.5 litres of cold water and allow to come to a gentle boil.

Simmer gently for about 10 minutes to help the berries soften, then add your chopped up cooking apples. Then allow it to simmer, stirring regularly, for about 35 minutes until everything is nice and soft. To help this along, you can use a potato masher to gently squash it.

When it is ready, strain it through a small-holed strainer or sieve to remove the larger bits, then pour the remainder into a muslin or jelly bag and allow it to filter through. (This may take a while...) Then return the liquid you have collected to your pan, mix it with 1 litre of boiling water, and re-filter it again.

Next, measure out your filteres liquid before pouring it into your pan and reheat it to a gentle simmer before adding some sugar. You will need to add 800g of sugar for every 1 litre of liquid you have collected. Then stir regularly while bringing the sugar-liquid mixture to the boil.

Boil your mixture for about 30 minutes, then start set-testing it. For this, you will need a nice cold plate. Take a little bit of your bubbling mixture and put it onto the cold plate. Let it cool for a few minutes and see if it sets (the surface should wrinkle up if you push it). If it has not set, continue boiling the mixture for another 5 minutes and then try again.

Once you have reached the setting point, remove your pan from the heat and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before pouring it into some clean, sterilised jars.

 

Summary

Well, there we go! I hope you enjoyed this little guide to our whitebeam berries. If you try using them, I would love to know how they turned out. Or, if you know of any other lovely recipes, let me know in the comments below.

In the meantime, don't forget to subscribe to this blog x

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The Benefits Of Mindful Foraging

the benefits of mindful foraging

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links, so I may recieve a small commission if you choose to purchase any item. This will not affect the price you pay, but it will help me keep this site going x

The Benefits of Mindful Foraging

Have you ever stopped by a hedgerow or patch of scrubland in late summer or early autumn to enjoy some wild blackberries, or stooped to savour the taste of a sunripe wild strawberry? If you have, then you have enjoyed a spot of foraging!

Sometimes there is a tendancy to think of foragers as electic, rebellious folks who tramp around the countryside with baskets, trowels and pruning scissors to return with their baskets and pockets overflowing with leaves, nuts, seeds, fruits, roots, shoots and fungi...

But even little moments like nibbling a blackberry in passing straight from the bush, can be considered foraging. And if done with mindfulness, can give us as many, if not more benefits than tramping with dogged and single-minded 'foraging' intention.

So, I thought it would be nice to pause a moment and consider some of the many benefits of foraging.

Foraging is enjoyable, relaxing and meditative

For me, I think one of the best reasons to engage in mindful (and spontaneous) foraging, is the sheer joy of finding something deliciously wild and edible and having been given the gift of that opportunity to enjoy its wildness and flavour.

Mindful foraging with intention is also enjoyable in a different way - it is fun and thrilling. A bit like playing a treasure hunt, where you must pay attention and use all your senses to find what you are seeking.

Once you find your treasure, whether it be sought after or spontaneous, touching and reaching out for the gift offered to you is therapeutic, relaxing and meditative in itself; requiring rapt concentration and focus to nose out the healthiest leaves or the biggest, juciest berries.

Foraging connects you to nature

When you forage, you connect. You recognise the plant, touch it, smell it and taste it and in this way you get to know it. In fact, often this is the closest we get to interacting with and getting to know our wild trees and plants.

Over time, if you are mindful, you get to know the plants throughout their life cycle and in the different seasons of the year. You see how they grow, mature and develop... How they change from seedling to young plant, to flowering plant and to seed heads.

If you are very, very mindful, you will find you knowledge growing as start getting to know their particular quirks and habits, dislikes and preferences too! You will begin to notice which plants like the sun and which like the shade, or which enjoy really damp soil.

Not only is it nice to connect so deeply with trees and plants by getting to know them in this way, but it also makes your future foraging experiences easier - you either know exactly where a particular specimen in growing, or you know what habitats you should be looking for to find the species you are after.

A few considerations when foraging

While it can be tempting to rush out and start foraging, it can be helpful to keep a few things in mind:

When first starting out, only aim to forage one or two specimens which you know you can identify with complete confidence. And, if you have any doubt about a plant's identity whatsoever, seek the advice of someone who has botanical or foraging knowledge - it is better to be safe than sorry.

Always make you sure you have permission to forage on the land you intend to forage upon - sometimes foraging on public land such as nature reserves is forbidden. And remember not trespass upon private property. Also, before you pick anything, make sure there is no restriction or prohibition about picking that particular plant. Sometimes it might look like there is a lot of it - but there might only be a lot of it in that one location and it is actually scarce elsewhere.

Take only as much as you need for your own use and where possible, only harvest the parts of the plant that you need to use. For example, do not pull up the whole plant just to use the flowers, seeds or leaves. Follow the foraging rule of only harvesting from one in ten plants (for common plants) or one in one hundred plants (for less common plants).

Lastly, be aware of your surroundings and try not to foraging in dirty or polluted areas. If you are near running water, think about what might be upstream of that water... And, always be mindful of your plant's neighbours too - you do not want to end up scratched or stung by briars or nettles while intently engrossed upon your target.

Would you love to learn more about foraging?

There are many ways to turn your interest in foraging into reality and sustainably harvest and use wild-foraged plants, trees and fungi.
 
Books are a great way to start learning more about our most common edible fungi or plants, but until you become confident in identifying what you find - and knowing they are in fact truly edible and not a poisonous look-a-like, it is best to find a guide or mentor.
 
If you are looking for online courses with experienced, friendly mentors, The Herbal Academy is a fantastic place to check out. They have some fabulous courses all about botany, foraging, mushrooming and wild-crafting, with in-depth videos, books and recipes to help you learn about, identify and use our most common edible plants.
 
Curious? Why not check them out by clicking the links above or below - and don't forget to subscribe if you enjoyed this post and would love to receive updates about future posts and tutorials x
Botany & Wildcrafting Course by Herbal Academy

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3 Ways To Prepare Medicinal Trees and Plants

3 ways to prepare medicinal trees and plants

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links, so I may recieve a small commission if you choose to purchase any item. This will not affect the price you pay, but it will help me keep this site going x

3 Ways to prepare medicinal trees and plants

Hidden in our gardens, roadsides, meadows, riverbanks and woodlands are hundreds of trees and wildflowers that have been used and continue to be used for their medicinal properties. So I thought it might be nice to talk about some of the ways in which we prepare these medicinal trees and plants.

Some of these herbs, such as willow and St. John's wort are well known. But there are many others, such as dandelion, self-heal, daisy and stinging nettle, which we pass everyday but never even notice or think about.

The three most common herbal preparations

In every culture and tradition around the world, there are many different herbs and many different ways in which to prepare them. And sometimes, the qualities of the plant used and even the part of the plant that is used dictate how that herbs should be prepared.

However, the same methods are often used, over and again with regional or personal variations. Among these, the three most most common ways to prepare medicinal herbs in the Western herbalist tradition, are: 

  • Dried herbs, such as tablets and powders
  • Wet herbs, such as tinctures and teas
  • Externally used oil or wax-bound herbs such as salves and ointments
Let's learn a little more about them...

Dried herbal preparations

Drying is one of the simplest and oldest methods of preserving medicinal - and edible trees and plants and can be achieved with no equipment needed except a gentle breeze and a dose of nice warm sun.
 
However, where we live (usually cold and wet), the process is often helped along by hanging the plants up to dry indoors or by using a dehydrator or an oven set to a low-grade temperature.
 
Some examples of dried herbal preparations, are:
 
  • Capsules
  • Pastilles
  • Tablets
  • Powders

Wet herbal preparations

Wet-type herbal preparations are among the forms mostly commonly used in the Western herbal tradition and can be made with water, alcohol, oil, honey or vinegar. If you see a herbalist, you will often be prescribed one of these forms as they are easy to dose and take.

These wet preparations can be made with either fresh herbs or with previously dried herbs. However, depending upon the preparation and the parts of the plant used, they can sometimes be left to gently infuse and distill their medicinal qualities into the fluid, or they may need pre-treatment by soaking or boiling.

Some examples of wet herbal preparations include:

  • Teas
  • Decoctions
  • Syrups
  • Cordials
  • Tinctures
  • Vinegars
  • Infused oils

Preparations for external use

While the different formats of wet herb - and indeed fresh herbs, can be used externally, there are also a selection of methods for preparing herbs especially to be used outside of the body.
 
Much like with wet herbs, these herbs can also be mixed with water, vinegar, honey and oil. But they can also be mixed together to form emulsions. Some examples of external herbal preparations made in this way, include:

 

  • Creams
  • Salves
  • Ointments
  • Lotions
  • Compresses
  •  Plasters
  • Liniments
  • Suppositories

Which method should you use?

So, with all of these different methods of preparation available, which ones should you use? Well, the answer depends upon personal choice as well as the reason why herbs are being used, the qualities of the herbs, the parts of the plant used and the qualities of the particular preparation to be used.
 
For instance, when using herbs with children, it is easier to administer a syrup or cordial than a spoonful of tincture. Or, people who cannot use alcohol, may prefer to use teas or vinegars. And in some parts of the world, suppositories are seen as more effective and are preferred to taking oral medication.

When using herbs on the skin, lotions and creams are considered to be more cooling than salves and ointments, so one of the other may be preferred for example, warming a strained muscle or cooling a sunburn.
 
Ultimately, the choice of preparation is between you and your herbal provider.

Would you love to learn more about herbalism?

There are many ways to turn your interest in plants into reality and create your own herbal preparations.
 
Books are a great way to start learning more about our most common medicinal plants and how you can use them to manage some of our most common physical or emotional ailments. Another great way is to find a course or herbalist to guide and mentor you.
 
If you are looking for online courses with experienced, friendly mentors, The Herbal Academy is a fantastic place to check out. In fact, they have some fabulous courses at all levels from beginner to intermediate to advanced and even onto setting up your very own herbal practice!
 
Curious? You can check out some lessons from their Introductory Herbal Course below - and don't forget to subscribe if you enjoyed this post and would love to recieve updates about future posts and tutorials x
Begin your Herbal Journey in the Introductory Herbal Course
Preview Lesson from the Introductory Herbal Course

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Engaging Your Senses Mindfully in Nature

using your senses

Engaging Your Senses In Nature

In this article we will consider how to begin engaging our senses to help us tune in to and connect with the natural world - and the man-made world, in a conscious and mindful manner. A way that helps us to feel a part of and one with our surroundings and to notice the beauty and wonder of nature.

Awakening your sense of touch

The objective of nature awareness, is to start acclimatising your senses to notice the world around you and engage and interact with nature. We have five wonderful senseswhich can helps is tune in to our surroundings. But one of the best ways to begin awakening our senses to notice the world, is by using our sense of touch.

Often, we think of vision as our most important nature awareness tool. Afterall, there is so much going on in Nature. It is beautiful, magical and awe-inspiring. But, I think the most important of our senses to apply when we practice mindfulness in nature, is our least-thought-about, but most important connection sense - the sense of touch.

Because, whether it is running our fingers over the bark of a tree, or sinking our toes into the warm sea sand, touch is important for us. Think about how a young child explore the world. They first and foremost use their sense of touch.

So, when you are out and about in nature, close your eyes and feel instead. Feel the wind, the sun, the raindrops, the temperature of the air. Feel the grass, stones and gravel beneath your feet, or the plants, trees, grasses and mosses growing around you. Really pay attention to the sensations, the textures, the temperatures - and how they make you feel.

Using your senses of taste and smell

Now, we will move on to awakening our sense of smell - yet another rarely-thought-about but very important sense.

In fact, this sense comes as a two-in-one package, - both taste and smell together, because, we need our sense of smell to enhance our sense of taste. And, while we might not at first associate these two senses with Nature connection, there is definitely something satisfying about the smell of Nature.

Just thinking about the smell of wild flowers, herbs, cut grass or rain-dampened earth immediately transports and makes you smile. See, it is true, isn't it?

So when you are out and about, practice using your sense of smell. Smell and taste the wind and the air, the scents and perfumes carried on the currents. Notice the smells of damp moss and running water or the salty breeze. Savour the tastes and smells of mint, pine and cut grass. Enjoy the smell of flowers and wild berries.

Your sense of hearing in nature

After waking up our senses of touch and smell it is time to begin tuning your ears to awaken your sense of hearing. Because, even in seemingly peaceful places, there is often much to hear - wind, water, trees, grasses, birds, insects and even animals.

Of course, there are the sounds of human activity to listen to as well. (While you might wonder why listening out for people is important, they can tell you where trails or settlements or landmarks are, which helps in wild wayfinding).

So pay attention to all the little and large sounds, where they are, who they are and what they are doing. For example, notice the sounds of the wind as it journeys towards you through the trees. Listen to the roll and crash of the ripples and waves.

Hear the birds singing - what do they say? Why are they singing? Are they in conversation with other birds? Listen to the hum and buzz of the insects. Notice the sounds of the animals - what are they doing? Why emotions or messages are they conveying? Really tune in and pay attention.

Honing your sense of sight

So, we have practiced waking up our touch, smell and hearing and now it is time to start awakening our sense of sight and tuning our eyes to notice the subtleties and movements of Nature. Because often, even though we think we are walking around with our eyes open, but once we start mastering nature awareness and really begin to pay attention, we realise just how much we gloss over and how much we do not see.

Start by taking a big breath in and out, then shrug and roll your shoulders to help you relax; smile a beautiful smile and this time, keep your eyes wide open.

Look carefully around you - up, down and all around. Notice movement, colours, the play of sunlight and shadows, the way colours merge into one another or the way they are demarcated. Notice the large things and the little things, the overall picture and the tiniest details.

What do you notice? What can you see?   How are things moving - and why are they moving? How does observing nature make you feel? Really pay attention to your environment. Then, reflect on the thoughts, feelings, mesages and emotions they envoke.

Now it is your turn!

What do you think about this exercise? Do you practice any of these activities when you are out and about in nature? Why not share in the comments below. I would love to hear your thoughts and feelings about them. And don't forget to subscribe by clicking the pink betton below to be notified about new blog posts, quizzes and tutorials x

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What next?

If you enjoyed this article, why not check out these related posts and pages:

What are the benefits of nature awareness?

the benefits of nature awareness

What is nature awareness?

Nature awareness is the ability to open your heart and open your mind to notice all the wonderful things around you - and to be one with the wonderful world around you. It gives you space to breathe, find your calm, discover your inner balance and walk with peace and serenity.

Have you ever been on the road somewhere, or waiting around at a bus stop, and you suddenly realise - the time has simply disappeared and you have no idea how many things you have passed - or how many things have passed you? Imagine how much you could have missed - birdsong, wild flowers, sunbeams, rainbows or butterflies...

Because you were lost inside yourself. Your awareness was directed inside of you. Instead of travelling with awareness, you were decidedly unaware of the world living and growing around you.

Why walking with awareness matters

Now, imagine you could walk through the world with your awareness open to the world. By mastering nature awareness, this whole magical world could be yours. The dancing butterflies, the sun-dappled leaves, the scents of wild roses and honeysuckle, the warm, gentle breeze.

Instead of life passing you by, you would be a part of life - beautiful, vibrant and alive. With a smile on your lips and a skip in your step. By walking with awareness, you turn everything around. Now, you become a part of the landscape you are traveling through.

You become a part of Nature. By walking with awareness, you lift the walk from a mere walk into a magical experience. A walk accompanied by birdsong, brightened by butterflies and flowers, touched by sunbeams and raindrops.

Wouldn't this nature walk experience be so much more enjoyable and rewarding? This is the joy of nature awareness. Are you ready to try it?

Nature for health

We have all been told that spending time outdoors is good for us and spending time in nature is even better. In fact, research has shown that even spending as little as 20 minutes a day or 2 hours a week in nature can have a huge impact on our physical, mental and emotional well being - benefits that even trickle down to our social and community well being.

In some countries, medical doctors have even started giving their patients 'nature prescriptions' in an effort to increase motivation and empower health benefits from spending time outdoors.

But have you ever stopped to wonder what 'being in nature' means? Is simply being 'outdoors' or in a 'greenspace' good enough to qualify as being in nature? The answer is both yes and no.

Participants in the studies mentioned above did achieve positive benefits simply from being outdoors and in a greenspace. But, just 'being' in nature is not enough. To truely benefit from being in nature, we need to actually 'be' in Nature. That is fully aware of, in tune with, interacting with and connected to her.

Nature for relaxation

So, we know that being in nature has physical, mental and emotional benefits. It is refreshing, relaxing, rejuvinating and calming. But, why?

Well, being in nature helps to soothe and calm us activating or supressing the hormones that control our nervous systems. It lowers our heart rate, blood pressure and stress responses, which in turn, helps to reduce anxiety, control depression, boost self-esteem and induce feelings of positivity and joy.

Because, being in Nature helps to reduce the stress hormone, cortisol (which is responsible for inducing our stressed, tensed and anxious fight or flight response) and induces secretion of the relaxation hormone, parasympathetic hormone (or PSH, which effectively counteracts our cortisol response by reducing heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate).

In addition, PSH helps in regulating our bodies' inflammatory and immune reponses, thus enhancing  immunity and improving healing. In fact, studies have shown that even having access to images or scenes of nature can improve healing time in patients following surgery.

Not only that, but walking among trees (and the reason forest bathing is so popular) is because the oils and hormones secreted by tree leaves actively promote the release of PSH, increasing its benefit even more.

(It is important to note that this effect can only come into play when we feel safe enough to breathe and allow ourselves to relax and enjoy being surrounded by nature. Otherwise, your fight or flight reponse will overwhelm any attempts at relaxation. So always try to find somewhere where you can feel safe and secure enough to stand still and be peaceful without worrying about your safety or potential dangers around you.)

Nature for knowledge

Okay. So, we have explored some of the pathophysiology underlying the benefits of being surrounded by nature. But, what about the other benefits of being in nature? Specifically, how does being in Nature with mindful awareness help?

Aside from its health benefits, spending time in nature with awareness helps in other ways too. For those interested in growing their knowledge and deepening their nature connection, awareness provides a fantastic tool to achieve this.

Because, as soon as you start spending time regularly connecting to and aware of the nature in an area, you will begin to recognise and identify individual species, their quirks, their changes and their personalities... and even individuals. This encourages you to get hands-on and interact with them on a much deeper level.

As you pay attention, you begin noticing how they change over time too and grow and mature throughout the year, helping you to understand and identify them throughout the changing seasons.

Nature for connection

Imagine, you always see a fuzzy red flower, which is surrounded by bumble bees. They seem to love it! Then one day, you decide to bend down and take a closer look. You bring it to your nose to smell it and turn it over in your fingers. It is made up of lots of little flowers! And, its leaves are all in bunches of three.

 Somewhere in your memory, you remember that clovers have three leaves. So, you go home and look it up. It is indeed a red clover - and beloved by bees. Now, every time you think about this plant, you can immediately recall its smell, its texture, its colours and its identifying features. It has changed from a generic 'flower' and taken on a name and personality.
 

Not only this, but now whenever you encounter a similar flower, you will know in the back of your mind that it resembles the red clover you met before, which will help speed up the identification process. And, by knowing that it is related to the red clover, you will already have an idea of any potential culinary or medicinal benefits - and its value to local wildlife.

What do you think?

So, what do you think? How important is nature awareness in your life and how does it help you? In what ways do you practice nature connection in your day to day life? Drop me a comment below and share your thoughts - I would love to hear from you. And remember, to subscribe to My Nature Nook below for notification about new blog posts, tutorials, quizzes and products x

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8 Delicious Rowan Berry Recipes

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8 Delicious Rowan Berry Recipes

I love trying out new foraging recipes and where we are at the moment, the rowan berries are ripening up and turning a beautifully tempting shade of red. So, I thought I would round up some of my favourite rowan berry recipes from around the internet for you to try out and enjoy too! Jump to recipes...

Now, rowan is a bit of a love it or hate it berry. Mostly because it is quite astringent and a little (okay, very) bitter. But, there are ways to reduce this bitterness and enjoy a wonderfully nutritious and underrated berry. (Did you know that rowan berries contain almost twice the amount of vitamin C as oranges do? Plus they are rich in vitamin E, potassium and beta carotenes.

One of the best ways to enjoy a mellowed down rowan is to wait and pick them after the first frosts. But, well, sometimes that is just too long to wait... So, you can put them in the freezer for a day or two before using them to simulate the mellowing effects of frost. Alternatively, they can be mixed with apples, spices, herbs or lemon juice. Or, you can counter the bitterness by using a lot of sweeteners and sugars.

Rowan trees can be found growing in hedgerows, woodlands, city streets, parks and garden. Just remember to ensure you have correctly identified your tree and never strip it entirely of berries - they are a very important over-winter food source for the birds. I would recommend taking only as many berries as you need.

To prepare your rowan berries, strip them off their stalks and swirl them gently in cool water to remove any bugs and insects. Then, as suggested above, place them in the freezer for a day to two to help mellow their astringent bitterness before trying to use them.

P.S. If you are looking for a way to help grow your foraging confidence, check out this online foraging course by The Herbal Academy.

Rowanberry Chutney

A lovely, chunky and winter-warming rowan and apple chutney from Emi's Good Eating.

Ingredients:
  • 400g Rowan berries
  • 2 Cooking apples, chopped
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • 2 Shallots or 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1tbsp molasses
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1 or 2 star anise
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar

Instructions:

  1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large pan and just cover with water (about 400ml), then bring to a boil.
  2. Once boiling, reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about 30-40 minutes until most of the water has evaporated.
  3. Bottle the chutney once it has cooled down and enjoy!
 

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Rowanberry Jam

Rowan Berry Jam recipe from Adagio Blog Nordic Foraging.

Ingredients:

  • 800g Rowan berries
  • 800g Apples
  • 1kg Sugar
  • 1 Cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 Lemon juice
Instructions:
  1. Mix the rowan berries, apples, sugar and cinnamon in a large pan.
  2. Once it begins to boil, add the lemon juice and cook until the apples are completely softened
  3. Strain the mixture through a cheese cloth or sieve into glass jars, then seal and allow them to cool.
  4. Store in a dark place at room temperature.
  5. They should last for a few months.

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Rowanberry and Apple Jelly

This tart and smoky recipe comes from Sarah Raven, who recommends it to be enjoyed with wenslydale cheese or game.

Ingredients:

  • 2kg Rowan berries
  • 1 1/2 kg Apples
  • Sugar (1 pint sugar: 1 pint juice)

Instructions:

  1. Mix the rowan berries and apples together in a large pan and just cover with cold water. Then allow the water to boil, reduce and simmer gently until the fruit is soft. (About 30-40 minutes)
  2. Strain the mixture through a cheese cloth or muslin overnight, then measure the amount of liquid collected.
  3. Add the same quantity of sugar as the quantity of liquid collected and heat the mixture gently until the sugar has dissolved. Then, bring it to a rolling boil.
  4. Test whether the jam is ready by placing a small amount on a cold saucer or plate. The jam should wrinkle when pushed with a finger once it has cooled.
  5. Once the jam is ready, remove any scum from the surface and pour it straight into warm, sterilised jars. Seal them and allow them cool, then keep them in a cool, dark location. They should last for up to a year if un-opened.

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rowan berries

Rowanberry and Apple Jam

Recipe from the Forager Chef.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups of rowan berries
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 4 cups of apples, diced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions:

  1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large pan and simmer until they are soft (about 30 minutes).
  2. If the mixture starts looking to dry, add a spoon of water.
  3. Blend the mixture together, then bottle up and keep in the fridge or freezer.

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Spiced Rowanberry and Orange Jam

This recipe also comes from the Forager Chef and is the same as the recipe above, with the addition of:

  • 1/8 tsp toasted ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • Grated zest of 1 orange

Instructions:

  1. Follow steps 1 and 2 from the recipe given above for rowan berry and apple jam. However, add in the ingredients above and mix them well before continuing to step 3 and putting the mixture into the blender.

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Rowanberry and Orange Curd

This delicious recipe comes courtesy of the delightful blog, Havoc in the Kitchen and is a lovely idea to use up some of your frosted rowan berries.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of rowan berries
  • 1/3 cup of water
  • 125g butter
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1 large orange (1/2 cup juice)
  • 2/3 cup sugar

Instructions:

  1. Combine the rowan berries and water in a large pan and bring to the boil. Then, simmer for 10 minutes, pressing the berries occasionally to break their skins and release their juices.
  2. Remove from the heat and strain the berries through a sieve or cheesecloth (reserving the liquid). Then combine 2/3 cup of this liquid with the orange juice.
  3. In another pan, melt the butter then add the juice, sugar and egg yolks.
  4. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently until thick (about 10-15 minutes).
  5. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Then sit back and enjoy!

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Rowanberry Turkish Delight

I cannot wait to try out this recipe for rowan berry Turkish delight by Eat Weeds forager and author, Robin Harford once I find some veggie gelatine. In the meantime, why don't you have a go?

Ingredients:

  • 140g rowan berries
  • 500ml water
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 450g sugar
  • 300ml rowan berry juice (see instructions)
  • 1tsp lemon juice
  • 25g gelatine
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1tbsp rose water
  • 1 tbsp pistachio nuts
  • 1oz arrowroot or cornflower

Instructions:

  1. Make the rowan berry juice by covering the rowan berries in a large pan with 500ml of water. Then, bring them to a boil.
  2. As they are boiling, try to crush the berries using a potato masher to break them down as much as possible. Then, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.
  3. Then, mash the berries again and allow to strain overnight through a muslin cheesecloth or strainer.
  4. This should yield about 400ml of liquid. Next, ass an extra amount of water to make it up to 500ml.
  5. To make the Turkish delight, butter  baking tin and set aside.
  6. Then, mix the sugar, rowan berry juice and lemon juice in a large pan and bring to the boil.
  7. Continue boiling until the liquid thickens and forms a hard ball if you drop some into a bowl of cold water.
  8. Once it is ready, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
  9. Dissolve the gelatine in 120ml of hot, boiled water, then add the vanilla and mix well before adding it to the rowan juice.
  10. Mix thoroughly, then pour half of the liquid into your baking tin. Then, cover the surface with chopped up pistachios.
  11. Next, stir the rosewater into the remaining rowan liquid and mix well before pouring this into the baking tray too.
  12. Allow the mixture to cool before placing it into the fridge overnight.
  13. The following day, gently tip the Turkish delight onto a lightly dusted surface, cut into cubes and roll each piece in arrowroot powder or cornflower.
  14. Finally, taking a big bite and enjoy!

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Rowanberry Sorbet

This recipe comes from the Swedish website, Naset Marcusgard and is an interesting and rather different idea which I have not come across before, to make rowan more palatable by turning it into a sorbet. I have not tried this one yet, as we do not have an ice machine, but I thought it sounded intriguing enough for me to share with you x

Ingredients:

  • 1 litre of water
  • 500g sugar
  • 500-700g rowan berries
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 egg white

Instructions:

  1. Make a syrup by combining thr sugar and water and warming gently until the sugar is dissolved.
  2. Next, pour this syrup over the berries and heat until it reaches 70C, then add the cinnamon stick.
  3. Allow the mixture to cool down, then blend and add the lemon juice.
  4. Strain the mixture through a cheese cloth or strainer and pour it into an ice-machine.
  5. Finally, blend in the egg white half a minute before your sorbet is ready.

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Why being in nature won't help you de-stress

why being in nature won't help you de-stress

Why being in nature won't help you de-stress

Have you ever heard that being in nature is good for you and is one of the best things for stress? Well, what if I told you that this is not true and simply ‘being’ in nature is just about as good as not being in nature at all and in fact, being in nature won't help you de-stress.

Well, okay. Being in nature can help you de-stress, but only if combined with mindfulness and connection. 

Imagine for a moment that you are walking through a park. But you are wandering along with your eyes glued to the screen and your headphones in your ears. You flick glances occasionally this way and that around the screen, your thumbs absently scrolling, while your thoughts ruminate over worries and stresses, frustrations and anxieties. 

How would you feel by the end of that walk?

I’m guessing that by the end of this walk, you would be feeling just as stressed as you were when you started it. In fact you probably would not have been aware that you had just completed your walk and wondered how you arrived at the end of it!

How to de-stress in nature instead...

Now, imagine walking through that same park. But this time, with you phone safely out of the way in your pocket and your senses turned outwards. You turn your head towards the sounds you hear - bees humming, grasshoppers strumming and birds singing vibrantly in the trees. You breathe deeply, enjoying the inhaled perfume of roses, lilac and hyacinths, cut grass and recent rain. Joyfully, your eyes wander this way and that, delighting in the sunshine and clouds, the dappled leaves, the fluttering butterflies and the beautiful flowers.

How would you feel by the end of this walk?

I’m guessing you would be feeling pretty good. Definitely less stressed and perhaps more hopeful, energised and content.

These two walks were both in the same place, but the results are so different. This is because while doing the second walk, you were present and aware, using your senses and noticing all the amazing things happening around you. But during the first walk, your attention was directed inside your own head, leaving you unaware of what was going on.

I believe it is this mindfulness, which makes the difference in helping you de-stress when in the presence of nature. Not simply the act of being physically in nature. What do you think?

Why not try it the next time you are out and see if you notice a difference.

Goodbye for now and happy nature walking,

Leila x

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