Mindful Nature Journaling
Long before the words “climate change” and
“global warming” were everyday parlance, Thầy
was teaching us to be grateful to Mother Earth
for her many life-sustaining gifts. When I first put
on my brown jacket in 2001, I knew that the color
represented the Earth. As Order of Interbeing
practitioners, we wear a visible sign of respect
for the planet and the web of life it sustains. What
a critical, timely gift of awareness our beloved
teacher offered to us!
“Everything outside us and everything inside
us comes from the Earth. We often forget that
the planet we are living on has given us all the
elements that make up our bodies. The water
in our flesh, our bones, and all the microscopic
cells inside our bodies all come from the Earth
and are part of the Earth. The Earth is not just the
environment we live in. We are the Earth and we
are always carrying her within us.”1 This profound
teaching is beautiful, reflecting the poet Thầy
was. But it also issues a challenge for the times
we live in, calling us to consciously deepen our
connection to the planet and all its life forms. The
lessons we receive from that connection, born of
regular, dedicated practice, light our way forward.
How can we connect more deeply to our
Mother Earth? There are many ways, but one that
is nurturing increasing numbers of people around
the world is nature journaling. This is the practice
of journaling in words, numbers, and images on
the topic of nature. Journals are as varied as their
creators. They may include scientific data, artwork, charts, poetry, graphs, sketches, quotes, and
much more. A journaling practice may be done in
solitude or in the company of others; it is a joyful
activity for families, friends, and Sanghas. This interfacing with the natural world is a mindfulness
practice focused on interbeing, which employs
all our senses, our hands, and our curiosity.
Mindful Nature
Journaling:
A Practice for
Our Times
Here are some helpful steps:
1 . STO P P I N G
It can be difficult in our daily lives to stop our preoccupying thoughts and become truly present
to reality. But as we begin a nature journaling
experience, it is essential to center ourselves and
set aside our worries and plans for a while. To do
this in a deliberate manner is helpful, giving ourselves the gift of practice for this designated time.
Centering on the breath can support this process
of stopping, simply noting each inhale and exhale
as we have been taught.
2 . SE T T I N G YO UR I N T E N T I O N
As you calm your mind and body, it can be helpful
to set an intention. This might be quite specific,
such as learning about a species of tree, or it
might be general, such as enjoying the beauty before you. Decide what would nourish you during
this time. What truly nourishes you, nourishes the
planet.
3. M E D I TAT I O N
As you continue to deepen your practice of nature journaling, you may wish to meditate. This
can be done before setting out, or while in nature.
Walking meditation is a beautiful way to enter
the natural world, perhaps as you seek the place
where you would like to journal.
4. CO N T E M P L AT I O N
Once you have found your place in nature, you
can turn your attention to the landscape around
you. One by one, invite your senses to explore the
environment. See, hear, touch, smell, and taste
(in ways that keep you safe and that respect all
living beings). These doorways of your consciousness all have information to offer.
Journal pages by Starr DiCiurcio
Order of Interbeing member
Starr DiCiurcio encourages
us to connect deeply with
Mother Earth by sharing
her journaling practice.
- NOTIN G
As you look around you, take note of the panoramic view and its many smaller elements. This
is the time to choose your journaling topic. Will
it be the glowing sunrise, the lapping lake, or the
tiny ladybug climbing a blade of grass at your
feet? Will it be one subject or several? Take your
time selecting what strongly connects with your
heart and mind. - INVES TIGATIN G
Now it is time to take out your materials. They
may be as simple as a notebook and pencil. Or
you may wish to use other favorite tools such as
colored pencils, paints, a camera, or a magnifying
glass. There are many choices, but few necessities. Open your journal and record what you have
chosen. This may include words, numbers, and/
or images. You might also have questions. They
can be added too. What do you want to learn
more about? What do you want to remember? - R E FLECTIN G
Your journaling can slow now as you reflect on
your experience. What have you learned and what
do you wish to learn more about? As we deeply
enter into the physical world of nature, interbeing
becomes our reality—not just an idea. We open to
wonder and a deep, quiet joy. We come to truly
love the Earth, and out of that love comes our
dedication to her protection.
8 . E X PRESSIN G GRATI TU DE
Before bringing this practice of nature journaling
to a close, we bow deeply in gratitude for this opportunity we have had to commune with life and
deepen our appreciation of interbeing. We are
humbled and strengthened by the practice and
we continue our day refreshed with greater clarity
and openheartedness.
Thầy taught us that the Earth has a number
of virtues: stability, creativity, nondiscrimination,
strength, patience, and compassion. But how can
we learn from her if we do not slow down and
consciously enter the deep connections that underlie all phenomena?
Nature journaling offers a pathway to understanding the Earth and her virtues. It also offers
an opportunity to better understand ourselves.
We live in relationship to all other life forms.
Practicing right relationship comes with deliberate centering and the cultivation of our bodhicitta. Nature journaling is a powerful mindfulness
practice that nurtures both our personal inner
joy and the well-being of this precious planet.
As Sister True Dedication taught us, “Cultivating
a strong training in meditation and mindfulness
is not an opiate to escape what’s going on but a
way for us to truly still the mind and look deeply,
in order to see ourselves and the world clearly.”2
1 Thích Nhất Hạnh, Love Letter to the Earth (Berkeley:
Parallax Press, 2013), p. 8.
2 Thích Nhất Hạnh, Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet
(New York, NY: HarperOne, 2021), p. vi.
Starr Regan DiCiurcio, True Understanding of the
Sangha (pronouns she/her), lives in Upstate New York,
US where she has practiced with Kingfisher Sangha for
twenty-three years. She became a member of the Order
of Interbeing in 2003. Starr’s latest book is Dwelling in
Wonder: Nature Journaling as a Spiritual Practice.