Welcome, fellow nature nerds, to the first in a series of eight blogs dedicated to rediscovering our connection with the natural world.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll guide you on a journey through your senses, exploring how each one can be a transformative gateway to mindfulness, calm and a deeper sense of belonging. Maybe even finding, or remembering, your place in the interconnected world of nature-beings.
We’re starting our journey with what is the dominant sense for most of us, our sense of sight.
When we truly see nature, even in the simplest of moments, something softens. A quick glance at a tree outside your window, a flicker of sunlight on a leaf, the buzz of a bee doing its thing – these tiny encounters can calm the nervous system, spark awe and remind us that we’re part of something much bigger.
This is where the slowness and conscious noticing of Nature Connection begins to work its magic, helping us move from a hurried, distracted way of seeing and not-noticing, to one that is deliberate and nourishing.
What to watch out for
In Japan, there’s a word I’ve always loved: komorebi.
It describes the phenomenon of gentle, dappled light and dancing shadows on the forest floor that has no direct single-word equivalent in English. It’s such a subtle, fleeting thing, but it often stops us in our tracks, if the eye is tuned in. A spark of stillness. A breath of beauty. And those moments? They have a surprisingly deep impact on our wellbeing.
This isn’t just a poetic idea; it’s a physiological truth. Science agrees: just looking at the colour green – especially when it’s woven into natural landscapes – can lower stress levels and promote a sense of calm.
Our brains are also wired to love fractals – those repeating patterns found in everything from fern leaves to tree branches to the ripples on a lake. These patterns create a sense of harmony in our minds often without us even realising it and certainly without really understanding why. And do we always need to understand, or is feeling it or ‘sensing it good enough?
My Journey with Nature Connection Through Sight
My personal journey to this practice began during my maternity leave. After years in the corporate world and struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder, I committed to spending time in nature every day with my newborn son. What started as a simple desire to inspire him to love the outdoors became my own therapeutic practice. Through slowing down, being still and truly seeing the world around me, I was able to leave my SAD behind and find a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in years.
After this transformative experience I took the leap and retrained to become a Forest Therapy Guide. I’m now dedicated to sharing this powerful path to wellbeing with others through my events and training programme. This practice of nature connection through sight is where my personal healing began (and it’s good for Mother Earth too).
How to Connect with Nature Through Sight
So, how can you start to practice mindful seeing? It’s not about finding a perfect view; it’s about intentionally engaging with what is already there. Here’s how you can tune into nature connection through sight, wherever you are:
🌿 If you’re unable to leave your house:
Sit near a window and simply watch. Notice how the light shifts through the day – look for your own little moments of komorebi. Watch how the light dances through curtains or glows on a leaf. Explore the patterns in your houseplants or the shadows they cast. Even the slow drift of clouds can be deeply soothing. You can also turn to nature documentaries or a virtual forest walk.
These visual experiences can still transport your mind and calm your spirit, offering a powerful alternative when physical access to the outdoors is limited.
🌿 If you live in the city:
Urban nature is full of hidden wonder. Wander into a park or just walk down the street and let your eyes explore. Look closely at the trees that line the streets, or how ivy winds up an old building. The resilience of a tiny plant thriving in a crack in the pavement holds its own quiet beauty. Look for the play of sunlight on buildings or the perfect reflections in a puddle after it rains. Even looking up at the sky—with its shifting clouds, changing light, and the occasional bird in flight—can provide a vast and calming view.
You will be surprised at how much urban nature you can see once you start truly looking.
🌿 If you can get out into nature:
Check out the visual treats around you. Step outside and simply be still. Let your gaze drift far away to the lines of a distant hill, noticing the shapes, colours, patterns and movements on the horizon.
Then, let your eyes rest on a single nature-being that’s a bit closer to you, perhaps a tree. Notice all the parts of the tree that you can see above ground; the sturdy trunk, the way its branches reach and split and the shimmering dance of leaves in the breeze.
Move closer, to follow the pattern of its bark, study a fallen leaf, or notice the smooth yet sturdy feel of the roots beneath you.
This practice of looking both far and near helps to ground us and connect us to our immediate surroundings.
Let your gaze soften and take it all in – not to analyse or name, but just to witness. In our hurried lives, we often use our eyes to scan, to analyse and to plan the next step. But in nature, we can use them to simply be. Let your eyes guide you into presence, into calm.
The more you look, the more you’ll see.
And what you see just might change the way you feel.
This is the essence of nature connection through sight.
More Nature Connection Activities and Ideas
I’m passionate about spreading the nature nerd word and have a few ways to help you ‘plug in’ and deepen your connection.
Grab this FREE set of Vitamin N (Nature) Adventures that aligns to the wheel of the year and deepen your connection to nature through sight and in many other ways.
Grab your copy here: https://go.adoreyouroutdoors.co.uk/VitNAdventurePlease
Take your practice to the next level with this set of Nature Connection and Forest Bathing Invitation Cards. Whether you choose the digital download or the premium quality boxed set, you won’t be disappointed. Take them with you next time you’re on a walk – it’s like having your very own Nature Connection Guide in your pocket!
Get your cards here: https://adoreyouroutdoors.co.uk/forestbathingcards/
