Episode 28: Stillness, Zen and Nature
Above: My garden (where I recorded this episode) on the day of making the podcast
In episode 28 of the nature podcast, I introduce the simple practice of finding stillness within nature. I take some quiet time in my snowy garden to simply be with the sound of the winter birds. I also offer you some simple nature-based meditation techniques inspired by Zen Buddhism. Click on the slim black player above to tune in.
Something I don’t talk about too deeply in the podcast is my Buddhist practice, and how this has supported my love of nature over the years. The reason that I don’t dwell on this too much is because I feel that although Zen Buddhism and Nature are such integral parts of each other, I’m also aware of how most other spiritual practices have strong relations to nature too. I want my podcast to be as inclusive as possible, without giving the impression that you need to be a practising Buddhist to try these ecotherapy exercises, because it’s simply not true! Simultaneously, the practices of mindfulness and Zazen (Zen meditation) can offer so much when bonding with nature, and so I felt it was worth talking about this week. Zen and nature are very good friends!
Mindfulness needs no introduction, and as you can see from my website and my podcast episodes, it’s integral to my ecotherapy work. Barely a single ecotherapy podcast of mine is recorded without it being mentioned! However, the practice of Zazen, of simply being physically still and watching our thoughts come and go without either identifying with them or pushing them away, is not as well known as mindfulness.
To practice Zazen in nature is an extremely powerful thing. The concept of ‘me’ as a self that is the centre of my own universe begins to dissolve when I notice everything that’s happening around me, without hanging on to any particular detail. This came up for me in this week’s podcast perfectly when all of a sudden I was surrounded by the chirping and singing of many different kinds of birds in the garden. It was such a beautiful moment that a strong part of me wanted to begin watching the birds, noticing their behaviour, and describing them to you. And of course, that kind of noticing is all a big part of ecotherapy! However, there are many different ways of bonding with nature, and sometimes, being with the sounds, sights and sensations of nature, rather than searching for nature experiences, can help us to experience ourselves as a genuine part of the Earth, rather than having a false sense of being in the centre of it.
If you are interested in trying out a little guided Zazen/Serene Reflection Meditation (as it is known in English), you can try it out on this page of my website. If, however, you simply want to experience stillness within nature, and to really feel yourself as a part of something bigger than we usually are able to acknowledge, then I hope that this week’s nature therapy podcast is inspiring for you. Nature and Zen can be extremely inspiring as a partnership, whether you’re a Buddhist, Athiest or from any other spiritual tradition or religion.
Finally, here’s my usual plug folks! If you are in a position to support the podcast financially (to help me make these free podcasts a permanent part of my working life), please consider supporting the podcast on Patreon.
Thanks a lot for tuning in friends.
Green smiles, Stephen x
