Mindful Photo Walk

Guest blog, Vicky, Kids Inspire Creative Therapist:

Being out in nature is a great way to reconnect with yourself, your body and release anxiety and tension. We can probably all recognise the positive effect on our well-being of going for a short walk or simply sitting outside for some fresh air.

Engaging with the natural world is a sensory experience, putting you in touch with what you can see, hear, smell and touch, allowing you to come gently back into your body.

There are many ways to engage creatively with the wonderful energy of nature, but here is one idea; a mindful photo walk. This can be done by yourself, but is also great to do with children as it encourages an experience of looking together and being curious.

“Being mindful means paying attention to yourself and your body, without judgement and in the moment.”

Your walk can be as long or short as you need it to be. Before you go, set yourself an intention, or mission, of what you will notice and capture with your camera (I used the camera on my phone).

Some examples could be;

• textures

• the colour green

• signs of Autumn/Spring

• insects

• tree bark

• moss

• flowers

• different shaped leaves

• water

When you get home, you can look at and review your images together. If you feel anxious or worried later in the week, you can look back at your photos to remind yourself of your mindful walk in nature. Take some deep breaths and enjoy the artwork you have created!

“My intention was to focus on ‘water’. I found myself drawn in closer and closer, crouching in the long damp grass to photograph delicate gems of rainwater resting on leaves, spider webs, petals and my washing line. I was able to notice the smell of the wet undergrowth and sound of the rain on my hood as I balanced my body carefully to capture the image. I found a small stream too, which made a satisfying ‘plink’ sound as raindrops fell in, creating ripples. Holding out my hands, I caught raindrops, which were refreshing in the summer warmth.”

You can see Vicky’s photos from her Water mindful walk on our Instagram account here.