Mindfulness in Nature

Start exploring mindfulness in nature - a gentle way to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with the natural world around you.

Taking even a few mindful moments outdoors can help us step away from the noise of busy modern life and rediscover a sense of calm, clarity, and connection.

On this page, I share some of the benefits of practising mindfulness in nature, along with simple ways to begin noticing the natural world more deeply - and how this mindful attention can enrich your nature journaling too.

Spending time in nature mindfully

Mindfulness in Nature for Balance and Calm

I started to create my Nature With Lotti nature journaling project when I truly understood that more than just ‘nature journaling makes me happy’, that how I approached my drawing and nature journaling, (and beyond that, my life as a whole), could affect my emotions… and could also dictate whether I spent my days feeling rushed, overwhelmed, and drained of energy, or whether I felt balanced, calm, fulfilled, and happy.

Before you imagine that I spend all day, every day journaling or drawing in nature - that really isn’t the case...

In fact, although I’m an illustrator and artist professionally, I actually often only spend a few hours a few times a week doing my art - and just a half-hour or so on most days doing my nature journaling.

The rest of the time, I’m working on all the behind-the-scenes part of my business including admin, accounts, marketing, preparing my teaching materials, and running my home.

So it’s being able to set aside this time for my nature journaling that allows me to reap the benefits of mindfulness - and it also forms the foundation for the pages I share throughout my nature journal hub here.

It also sets the scene for me to incorporate tiny moments of being present, noticing, and connections with nature into my everyday life.

I haven’t always got this right – and let me tell you that for many, many years, I got it so very wrong and I did this many times – so I can really tell the difference with how I feel, just in my everyday life, when I’m being mindful, when I’m connecting with nature, and when I’m in a relaxed and creative mindset - and when I'm not!

It’s because of all this that I wanted to share what I’ve learned with you, about how mindful nature journaling and connecting with nature can make such a difference to how we feel every day, in the hope that it can help and inspire you, too, to a happier, calmer, and more balanced life and to maybe start nature journaling too…

Mindfulness in Nature

Let me step back for a moment and explain where this idea of mindfulness in nature began for me...

I get a lot of my inspiration for my drawings and artwork from nature, and I believe that we were meant to be in nature, to live out in the green, as part of nature – and we’ve lost this special connection to nature just a little, these days, in our modern, busy lives.

A gorse walk by the sea!

I love that combining together journaling and nature can really allow us that much deeper connection with nature that’s so beneficial to our wellbeing.

New studies are confirming that experiencing nature can make us happier and healthier - see this study between the Wildlife Trusts and University of Derby...

Time in nature has been reported to help symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other physical and mental illnesses, as well as increasing feelings of life satisfaction, meaningfulness, and happiness.

Nature therapy and wilderness retreats are starting to be recognised treatments for mental ill-health. And in other cultures, such as Japan, nature is more highly esteemed and recognised for its health-giving benefits as an aid to wellbeing.

Forest bathing

In Japan, a practice called ‘forest bathing’ is increasingly used to healing and maintaining good health. Forest bathing involves spending mindful time in a woodland – and it is reported that after as little as a quarter of an hour forest bathing, the stress hormone cortisol drops, blood pressure lowers, mental clarity improves, and the immune system is boosted.

This kind of mindful attention to the natural world is exactly what lies at the heart of both mindfulness in nature and keeping a nature journal.

Of course, this taking time in nature does not need to be a big trip out – in fact, taking just a small amount of time and effort to work a connection with nature into your everyday life takes minutes, costs next to nothing, and makes you feel good. Even looking at photos of nature do make a difference, too!

Just being ‘in the green’ is helpful, but it’s more important that you’re in nature ‘mindfully’ as this is what created the feeling of connection to nature and the greater benefits to health and happiness.

Approaching nature with this mindset will help to develop help to develop this mindful and meaningful connection with nature that is most beneficial to our wellbeing AND makes for meaningful, personal and enjoyable nature journaling, too.

What I want you to know, now, is that it matters how you spend your time… and your mindset matters. The gains that you can achieve by spending time in nature, spending your time nature journaling, and learning a new skill are huge and may be life-changing.

Getting off the merry-go-round of life - why stopping is good for us

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the value of stepping off what I think of as the merry-go-round of life.

I’m going to give you permission to stop, just let go, just be…

In fact, I’m going to try and persuade you to give yourself permission. We all know you don’t need my permission… you don’t need anyone’s permission… except, perhaps, your own! And yet… I know from personal experience how hard it can be, sometimes, to just stop with the ‘busy’.

For me, in order to feel healthy in mind and body, in order to be creative and to be mindful, I need to spend time off the ‘merry-go-round of life’. This is a quiet time, ‘nothing’ time – just stopping and not being busy… learning just to ‘be’ – quiet, no TV, no music, letting the mind-chatter fade.

This ‘nothing’ time is valuable. It’s unendingly precious. It’s the time we allow our bodies to rest and our minds to process our day. And I believe it’s essential for our own self-care.

Rosebay willowherb

This ‘nothing’ time is not the time you use to be creative, journal or connect with nature – but I believe that we need this ‘nothing’ time as down-time – a buffer between the busy and the mindful or the creative – just so that we have this opportunity to decompress and our creative time does not become just another opportunity for ‘busyness’.

Our mind and our soul needs time and space to breathe – so let it.

We can’t be creative when we’re anxious, so we need to practice stillness so that our nature journaling time is mindful, calm, meaningful, and fulfilling – and not just an exercise in getting something done - when I do mine in a rush just to get it done, I don't feel engaged and I don't feel the benefits.

Taking time for ourselves is as simple as believing that we are worth taking care of, we are worth a little self-kindness, and that our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing is our own responsibility and must be our priority.

I’ll show you, now, how to expand your ‘nothing’ time into mindful connections with nature which can lead to meaningful, enjoyable drawing and journaling experiences…

How to Start STOPPING - Being Mindful Out in Nature

When we actually get out in nature, we can learn how to start being mindful in nature, rather than just marching through it. Having an emotional feeling of being connected with nature is what gives nature its physical, mental, and emotional healing benefits for us.

It’s not just as simple as physically putting yourself in a green place – you have to be there ‘mindfully’, ‘be present’ with all your senses – and it’s also this connection that makes your nature drawings and journaling feel so satisfying…

It makes them meaningful for you and it makes the process of drawing and journaling from nature enjoyable and calming.

I’m going to share with you exactly the concrete steps that you can use to get this emotional connection to nature, so that you can enjoy all the benefits of mindfulness in nature.

It’s not difficult and it doesn’t even involve hugging a tree!

Practising mindfulness in nature doesn’t require long walks in wild landscapes - even a few quiet minutes in a park, garden, or beside a window can help us reconnect with the natural world.

Wild garlic woodland

I believe that we have the power within our own minds to choose and change our mindset and our way of being. Nature and nature journaling is a wonderful and very enjoyable way of doing this…

What we’re learning here is just how to ‘stop’, be present, and practice mindfulness in nature.

This stage is so important to any drawing you might want to do in your nature journal, as most of the skill in drawing is just looking – it’s just noticing – and what you notice is what makes your art.

And being mindful and feeling connected to nature is just noticing too.

We can take this sensation of feeling connected to nature and learn to put it into your nature drawings and journalings…

A Simple Mindfulness in Nature Exercise

This small exercise can help you slow down and reconnect with the present moment whenever you step outside.

Try my mindfulness in nature exercise to start feeling more connected with nature and also when you go out to gather inspiration for your nature journal...

This is such an important practice – being mindful out in nature – that I really want you to get the hang of and enjoy, both for the personal benefits and for the difference it will make for your nature journaling practice.

Once you’ve practiced a few times, you will find that you can slip into this feeling quickly and easily when you’re out in nature. You can stop and notice while you’re walking and even as you’re going about your daily life.

It’s such a wonderful and therapeutic habit to get into, not just for your art but for your overall wellbeing, so I hope that you will take the time to do this.

Woodland walk

I hope you'll find benefit in exploring mindfulness in nature. It's so beneficial for our bodies and minds, and it's a great way of getting maximum benefit from our nature journaling practice too.

If you draw or write in your nature journal while you're out and about in nature and experiencing mindfulness, it helps you to feel really engaged and connected with nature.

If you don't like to, or can't, nature journal while you're out in nature, and prefer to take a photo instead to journal from later, taking a few moments to really experience the moment like this before and while taking the photo can help you to reconnect with this feeling when you see the photo again and experience the same feelings while you're making your drawings or writing in your nature journal.

I hope you’ll find benefit in exploring mindfulness in nature. Even a few quiet minutes spent noticing the world around you can help restore a sense of calm and perspective.

Many people discover that mindfulness in nature naturally leads to keeping a nature journal, because writing or sketching helps us hold onto the small moments we notice...

When we bring this mindful attention into our nature journals, something wonderful happens - our drawings and notes become more meaningful because they grow out of real moments of connection with nature.

Read about how these moments of connection are why I keep a nature journal...

Listening is such an important part of feeling mindful and present in nature - if you'd like to use the sound of birdsong to learn to listen more deeply, read about my year of birdsong and listening here...

If you'd like to explore nature journaling further, you might enjoy starting with my guide to what nature journaling is, or visiting my beginner nature journaling hub

You can also explore my main nature journaling section where I share prompts, seasonal reflections, books, and pages from my own journals.

Get your free guide to getting started with your first nature journal here...

Getting Started with your First Nature Journal - free PDF guide

I've also got a 'Gentle Intro' guide to help you gain momentum with your first few pages - find out more here...

Shall we stay in touch..?

Each month, I share stories from my own nature journal, new art from my studio, and simple seasonal inspiration to help you feel more connected with the turning year - if you'd like to stay updated, please sign up with your email address below...

Recent Articles

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2. Quiet Magic - Finding Meaning in Nature & Folklore

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Lotti Brown is a self-taught nature artist and nature journaling educator whose hand-drawn work is inspired by wildlife, folklore, and close observation. With 18 years in creative fields and 10 years creating nature art, she brings deep practical experience to her work. Trained by the Wild Wonder Foundation, she shares nature journaling courses and guides online. Her artwork has been licensed internationally and exhibited at Goole Museum and Bridlington Spa in the East Riding of Yorkshire, UK.