Journaling is a form of expression that helps you to sift through your perception of things. It is a beautiful way of capturing your emotions, thoughts, and ideas about your experiences and surroundings. Taking time to observe and reflect on what is happening all around you, encourages you to be still, sink into the present moment and reconnect with the truth of things.
In the traditional sense, journaling is understood to be a writing practice. However, journaling can be so much more depending on what you want it to be: an assortment of letters, poems, drawings, symbols, or with this exercise, a glorious exploration and leaning into nature.
Nature Journaling urges us to be mindful of what exists in our own immediate environment. It helps us achieve an appreciation for the intricacies of all living things, but more importantly, it educates us in the simple act of caring for and loving our environment.
Connecting with our wilderness is more important today than ever. Our streets have become more silent, our skies have become clearer, our wildlife has reclaimed their habitats and we have been given the opportunity to search our feelings regarding our desires for our future. At this time, journaling opens up the opportunity to understand our place in the world.
WHAT YOU NEED TO JOURNAL
A beautiful dedicated book. You can indulge in a journal with exquisite covers or you can use a simple exercise book that you can decorate yourself.
You can make individual journals or a large family journal like a nature scrapbook to capture your adventures in nature
A pen or pencil that flows freely across your page. Graphite pencils are good for tracing and rubbing.
Lots and lots of colour to make your soul soar.
You may want to have some glue handy
PREPARE YOURSELF TO WRITE
Choose the nature spot you wish to explore, be it at the beach, a garden, a forest, or your own backyard.
Before you begin your exploration, just sit quietly for a short time.
Close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Use this time to lean into your senses
Invite in whatever you are meant to see today.
When you are ready, walk mindfully in the space you have chosen or sit quietly and absorb what is around you. Allow your attention to be drawn to aspects of nature around you. It may be a jagged leaf, a spider's web, seaweed, or the clouds. Use all of your senses to engage. Watch the movement of leaves fall from the trees; listen to the waves roll in and follow as the seaweed floats up onto the shore. When your senses are saturated, collect a small sample of what you have observed or take a photograph for your journal.
WHAT TO PUT INTO YOUR NATURE JOURNAL
What you put into your journal is entirely up to you. It is your unique response to the beauty around you. Be as creative as you want to be. Use watercolours, paint, pencils, or crayons to record your responses to the aspect of nature that drew you to it. Hold a feeling of playfulness which is highly conducive to creative expression. (Tip: Mark the date on your page as a way to keep track of your nature journeys.)
Some Ideas:
Sketch what you saw whether it is the flower you have brought home or the surroundings you have experienced. Imagine you are seeing it all for the first time. Your drawings do not have to be perfect but they will help focus your attention to detail and the intricate beauty within nature.
If you collected leaves or bark from trees, practice leaf and bark rubbings on your pages. Observe the shapes and patterns, the variety of colours and shading, blemishes and veins. nature is divine!
If you have collected flowers, press them between the pages of a heavy book before sticking them into your journal.
If you collect rocks or seeds from trees, dip them in paint and make stamp art. Notice the ornate markings of something so simple.
Compose poems next to your drawings. Collect Journal quotes or snippets of information you have found on the internet regarding the natural materials you have collected. This is a great way to learn more about what you have seen.
Transcribe your feelings and thoughts in your journal.
What did you hear, feel, touch or smell? How did it make you feel? What memories or dreams did it invoke?
Glue in your photographs and decorate your pages to represent the surroundings you have just visited.
If you take a photo of a tree, draw the same tree in different seasons. Observe the beautiful changes in nature or notice what stays the same.
There is no right or wrong the magic is in the doing!