Beyond the Meditation Cushion: Nature's Role in Everyday Mindfulness

Why nature is a mindfulness catalyst

Photo by Masaaki Komori on Unsplash

When it comes to interpersonal communication, mindfulness is woven through the curriculum like stars in a constellation, creating meaningful patterns across seemingly disconnected points. In my class textbook, mindfulness emerges as the foundational step in effective listening, a powerful tool for navigating emotional complexities, and a practice that enables us to regulate our responses rather than succumb to reflexive reactions. In both our relationship with ourselves and with others, mindfulness illuminates the path forward—transforming how we communicate, perceive, and relate.

Today there are countless definitions, articles, videos, exercises, and apps to help us be more mindful. This fact makes me smile! When I taught this topic in the 90s, mindfulness was regarded as a sort of woo-woo New-Age concept. (Think: skinny guy dressed all in white on a meditation cushion wearing mala beads). The first semester I introduced the topic, one student wrote on her class evaluation, "I enjoyed the class overall but considered the mindfulness module better suited for a yoga retreat."

I'm happy to say that my students in 2025 embrace mindfulness curriculum because the concept has gone mainstream and they recognize its broad applicability. My challenge now is to harness the best mindfulness content, create effective exercises, distill it into bite-sized pieces, and make it accessible. Since entire classes and even educational programs focus solely on mindfulness, I always end the semester wishing I had more time to explore this topic in class.

This desire, along with my current living situation, is the impetus for this post: Nature as a mindfulness catalyst.

The connection between nature and mindfulness represents just one facet of a mindfulness practice, but I find it uniquely transformative and profound. It's also readily accessible—all it requires is turning off our screens and stepping outside with intention.

When Nature Becomes Your Teacher

What does my current residence have to do with my understanding of nature and mindfulness? Since the pandemic, I've split my time between Sacramento, California and Dorado, Puerto Rico. While California's fall months are lovely, the spring months I spend in Puerto Rico make me feel closer to nature in numerous ways. Last week, for example, I experienced a rainstorm that created flash flooding around my neighborhood.

[This picture was taken by my neighbor’s drone the morning after the storm. The road to my community was completely flooded!]

When you live on a tropical island (especially one with an unstable electrical grid), you quickly learn to appreciate—and respect—the forces of nature.

While nature-related challenges abound in Puerto Rico, this place supports my daily mindfulness practice like nowhere else I've lived. The island's beauty is breathtaking—the endless sky and turquoise ocean are truly the stuff of poetry.

In Puerto Rico, I'm blessed to live at the edge of the Atlantic. Each morning, when I sit on my porch to watch the sunrise, my senses automatically shift to the present moment. My fascination and wonder with the unfolding beauty provides mental clarity. I listen to the birds, the waves, the wind rustling through palm fronds, and I breathe out the distractions floating through my mind. Nature fills me with "soft fascination" and guides my attention to the now.

[Sunrise this morning from my porch.]

The Power of "Soft Fascination"

My "soft fascination" with the sunrise exemplifies the kind of gentle, effortless attention that natural environments evoke. Unlike "hard fascination" (which demands our complete attention, like watching an action movie or solving a complex problem), soft fascination requires minimal mental effort, creates a sense of balance, and leaves room for reflection and mental processing.

Of course, you don't need to live by the ocean to access nature in a way that supports your mindfulness practice.

Observing leaves swaying in a light breeze, gazing at a sunset's changing colors, listening to gentle rainfall, noticing the movement of clouds, or watching a stream flow over rocks are just a few ways we can use nature as a catalyst for mindfulness.

"Soft fascination" is a concept from Attention Restoration Theory (ART), developed by environmental psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in the 1980s. According to this theory, benefits include:

1. Effortless Attention: Our attention is held by stimuli that don't require intense concentration—like leaves rustling, clouds moving, or water rippling.

2. Cognitive Rest: The prefrontal cortex (responsible for directed attention and executive function) gets to rest while we remain pleasantly engaged.

3. Mental Space: Unlike hard fascination that fully occupies our attention, soft fascination leaves cognitive resources available for reflection and internal processing.

These benefits put us in a receptive state for both internal awareness and external connection. In short, they guide us toward spaces where intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships deepen and thrive.

When our attention isn't depleted by forced focus, we're better able to truly listen, process emotions, and respond thoughtfully. Consider trying one of the exercises I share with my interpersonal communication students:

Exercises

1. "Attention Reset" Micro-Practices (1-5 minutes)

Window Gazing Exercise:

• Take a 2-minute break to gaze out a window at natural elements (trees, sky, clouds)

• Simply notice without analyzing or judging

• Use this as a reset before difficult communication events or discussions

• Notice how your listening capacity changes after this brief reset

Nature Sound Breaks:

• Listen to a 3-minute audio track of gentle nature sounds (rainfall, forest sounds)

• Play it between communication activities (meetings, classes, phone calls) as a mental palate cleanser

• Notice how your attention shifts from "pushed" to "pulled"

Nature-Based Preparation Ritual:

• Create a pre-communication ritual using soft fascination—perhaps sitting with the sunrise each morning before work or watching clouds each afternoon before driving home

• This practice can also be event-specific: Before important conversations or presentations, spend 5 minutes connecting with natural elements

• This exercise supports attention restoration and emotion regulation

Do you have suggestions for increasing mindfulness? What are your experiences, or thoughts, on the relationship between nature and mindfulness? I'd love to hear from you!

Hey there! Our monthly newsletter drops wisdom, inspiration, and actionable tips—all for free. Hit subscribe and join the Life Talk community!