Research shows feeling connected with nature can lower our stress response. This visualization meditation can help you feel at ease, no matter where you are.

Link to episode transcript: http://tinyurl.com/2k6pdh7n

How to Do This Practice:

It is encouraged to try this practice outdoors

1. Begin the practice by focusing on your breath, and relaxing your body, noticing how it feels supported, particularly by the earth.

2. Allow yourself to let go of anything you are mentally or emotionally carrying, visualizing it going into the earth, letting the ground continue to support you.

3. Draw on imagery from nature to cultivate feelings of strength and sturdiness to support you. For example, imagine that your own body is rooting into the earth to become as unshakable as a tree,   imagine that you are as steady as a mountain, your breath is the breeze and your mind is as open and boundless as the sky.

4. End the practice by placing your hand on your heart, offering yourself kindness, well-being and joy.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Spring Washam is an author and meditation teacher based in Oakland, California.

Learn more about Spring’s work: http://tinyurl.com/3bbshnn7

Read Spring’s books here: http://tinyurl.com/4hkft4js

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Happiness Break: What To Do When You’re Struggling, With Spring Washam: http://tinyurl.com/mrx8t9st

What Happens When We Reconnect With Nature: http://tinyurl.com/553xwm47

Why Is Nature So Good for Your Mental Health? http://tinyurl.com/ycx9ns4p

How Nature Helps Us Heal: http://tinyurl.com/2p93682j

Why You Need More Nature in Your Life: http://tinyurl.com/28z27wb2

We love hearing from you! How do you connect with nature? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus

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We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.