Here's one of the more contemplative and laid-back activities that I get up to when I go out into nature. It involves finding a beautiful place, observing my surroundings, and composing a Haiku. I like the idea of a Haiku because it is about what you are observing, it doesn't have to rhyme, and it's very short, so I can compose the whole thing without worrying about forgetting it.
To me, this exercise is the perfect transition from my busy everyday mind state, to the contrast of being quiet and receptive in nature. I use it as a way to set aside what I am thinking about in my day-to-day life, and get into a fresh mind state.
Composing a Haiku occupies that busy-mind, but in order to come up with the inspiration, you need to quiet the mind and observe the nature around you. It takes focus to remember the first and second lines while I think of the second and third, which leaves no room for thinking about your life stresses.
The more distracted I am by my life, the longer it takes to finish my Haiku, but by the time I'm finished and I recite the entire Haiku in its totality, I always feel centered, calm, and connected to my environment.
You can click here or on the image in this article to watch the video where I explain this practice and demonstrate how it's done.
And this whole thing is inspired by something I saw in a video game… Thanks, Ghost of Tsushima! 😁