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Silent Retreats in Nature for Mourning and Reflection

Silent Retreats

Grief is a profound and often disorienting human experience. When mourning a loss, people may feel overwhelmed by thoughts, emotions, and memories that seem impossible to contain. While traditional support systems such as therapy, support groups, or conversations with friends and family are valuable, silence and solitude in nature offer a unique avenue for processing grief. Silent retreats provide space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with both the natural world and one’s inner life. At the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, we recognize the transformative potential of these retreats for mourning, healing, and self-discovery.

The Concept of Silent Retreats

A silent retreat is a dedicated period during which people abstain from speaking and minimize external distractions to focus inward. The practice is not about isolation for its own sake, but about creating a container for deep reflection, emotional processing, and mindful awareness. When conducted in natural settings—forests, mountains, riversides, or gardens—the benefits of silence are amplified by the restorative qualities of nature. These retreats allow people to experience grief in a focused, contemplative environment, offering both structure and freedom for emotional exploration.

Why Silence Matters in Mourning

Silence holds a unique power in grief work. Many people experiencing loss find that grief manifests as mental noise: a swirl of memories, regrets, “what ifs,” and emotional turbulence. The act of stepping into silence through silent retreats provides relief from this internal chatter. It creates a pause in which feelings can surface naturally, without being rushed or suppressed.

In silence, people can notice the subtle shifts in their body, breath, and thoughts. This embodied awareness allows grief to be experienced more fully and compassionately. Often, the simple act of being still and present with oneself in a natural setting offers clarity and insight that verbal expression alone cannot provide.

Nature as a Healing Context

The setting of a silent retreat plays a critical role in its effectiveness. Nature inherently soothes the nervous system, reduces stress, and fosters emotional regulation. Sunlight filtering through leaves, the sound of birdsong, or the gentle flow of a stream can ground attention and create a sense of calm. Being in nature reminds people of the broader cycles of life—growth, decay, dormancy, and renewal—mirroring the rhythm of grief itself.

Natural environments also provide symbolic mirrors for mourning. A fallen leaf on a forest path, a river continuing to flow, or the steady rise and fall of tree branches in the wind can reflect the impermanence of life, the inevitability of change, and the potential for renewal. Observing these patterns mindfully can help people reconcile the reality of loss with the enduring continuity of life.

Mindfulness Practices During Silent Retreats

Silent retreats in nature are enriched by mindfulness practices that guide people through grief and reflection. Some effective techniques include:

  1. Mindful Breathing – Focusing on the rhythm of the breath anchors attention in the present moment, offering relief from racing thoughts or emotional overwhelm.
  2. Body Awareness – Paying attention to bodily sensations helps people notice where grief manifests physically, such as tension, heaviness, or tightness, and fosters emotional release.
  3. Nature Observation – Engaging fully with the environment encourages present-moment awareness. Notice colors, textures, sounds, and movements around you. Observing seasonal changes or subtle patterns in nature can deepen reflection and perspective.
  4. Walking Meditation – Slow, deliberate movement through natural spaces allows people to integrate body and mind, grounding attention in each step and fostering a contemplative rhythm.
  5. Reflective Journaling – Even in silent retreats, writing can be a private, nonverbal outlet for processing grief. People may record thoughts, emotions, memories, or insights as they arise, creating a tangible reflection of their inner experience.

Benefits of Silent Nature Retreats for Grief

Silent retreats in nature offer a wide range of emotional, psychological, and spiritual benefits for people coping with loss:

  • Deep Emotional Processing – Silence allows grief to surface fully, enabling healing rather than avoidance.
  • Clarity and Insight – Removing verbal distractions helps people recognize patterns, emotions, and thoughts with greater clarity.
  • Connection to Nature – Immersion in natural environments fosters a sense of belonging and perspective, reminding people that life continues beyond personal loss.
  • Mind-Body Integration – Mindfulness practices help align emotional, cognitive, and physical experiences, creating a holistic sense of well-being.
  • Ritual and Reflection – Retreats create a structured opportunity for intentional mourning, offering symbolic and practical ways to honor loved ones.
  • Resilience and Renewal – Time spent in reflection and observation promotes acceptance, patience, and the capacity to move forward without erasing memory or emotion.

Practical Considerations

People interested in silent retreats should consider the following guidelines:

  1. Choose a Safe Natural Setting – Select a location that feels comfortable, accessible, and supportive of solitude. Parks, forests, or private gardens can be excellent choices.
  2. Set Intentions – Clarify the purpose of the retreat, such as processing grief, honoring a loved one, or cultivating mindfulness.
  3. Start Small – For first-time participants, even a few hours of silence in nature can be beneficial. Gradually extend the duration as comfort and experience grow.
  4. Minimize Distractions – Silence is most effective when combined with reduced electronic or social interruptions. Leave devices behind or use them minimally for safety or navigation.
  5. Incorporate Gentle Practices – Include mindful walking, breathing, or journaling to guide attention and structure the retreat.

Conclusion

Silent retreats in nature offer a transformative approach to grief and reflection. By combining solitude, mindfulness, and the restorative qualities of the natural world, people can create a safe container for mourning, emotional processing, and insight. Nature provides both a mirror and a guide, illustrating the cycles of life and offering a sense of perspective, continuity, and hope.

At the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, we encourage people navigating loss to explore silent retreats as a complementary tool for grief work. Whether sitting by a flowing river, observing the patterns of the forest, or simply walking through a quiet garden, the combination of silence, mindfulness, and nature supports profound emotional healing. By immersing oneself in these restorative spaces, people can honor grief, reflect deeply, and cultivate resilience, ultimately finding solace, connection, and renewal in the enduring rhythms of the natural world.

The Mindful Ecotherapy Center on YouTube

Subscribe to the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s YouTube channel to bring peace, presence, and healing into your daily life. Our videos guide you through mindfulness-based ecotherapy practices, including forest bathing, tree planting rituals, nature meditations, and reflective exercises for grief, stress, and emotional well-being. Whether you’re seeking to reconnect with the natural world, cultivate inner calm, or find restorative tools for personal growth, our content offers practical guidance, inspiration, and community support. Join us to explore the transformative power of nature and mindfulness, and start your journey toward balance, resilience, and deeper connection today!

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Nature as Metaphor: How Nature Reflects the Grieving Process

Nature as Metaphor

Nature as Metaphor is one of the skills of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy. Grief is a journey that often feels unpredictable, cyclical, and at times, overwhelming. People experiencing loss may feel as though they are swept along by waves of sadness, anger, or longing that come and go with little warning. One way to make sense of this emotional landscape is by turning to the natural world. Nature as Metaphor demonstrates how nature itself moves through cycles of growth, decay, dormancy, and renewal, offering a mirror for the human grieving process through the skill of Nature as Metaphor. By practicing mindfulness in harmony with the seasons, people can cultivate understanding, acceptance, and healing, using the rhythms of nature as both guide and companion.

Nature as Metaphor: The Cycles of Nature and the Cycles of Grief

Each season embodies unique qualities that can reflect stages and experiences of grief. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter are not just changes in weather; they are symbolic landscapes for emotional processing. Observing and engaging with these seasonal shifts mindfully through the skill of Nature as Metaphor can help people recognize that grief, like nature, is a cyclical process.

  • Spring: Renewal and Fragility
    Spring is a season of rebirth and new beginnings. The first buds, fresh shoots, and blooms can symbolize hope and the emergence of life after loss. For people in the early stages of grief, spring may bring moments of lightness or the gradual reawakening of energy and curiosity. Mindful observation of spring encourages presence: noticing the delicate petals, listening to birdsong, or feeling the sun’s warmth can help people experience grief with gentle awareness, acknowledging sorrow while also welcoming moments of growth.
  • Summer: Vitality and Engagement
    Summer represents fullness, activity, and outward expression. In grief, people may find themselves stepping back into life by connecting with others, engaging in work or hobbies, and feeling bursts of energy. Mindfulness in summer encourages people to fully inhabit these moments without guilt or judgment, recognizing that joy and engagement are not betrayals of loss but part of the ongoing healing process. Observing nature’s abundance, such as lush greenery or warm sunlight, reinforces the idea that life continues to flourish even amidst grief.
  • Autumn: Reflection and Letting Go
    Autumn is often the season most closely associated with grief. Falling leaves, shorter days, and cooler air reflect themes of impermanence, transition, and letting go. Mindfulness in autumn invites people to slow down, observe, and reflect. Collecting fallen leaves, watching trees shed their foliage, or simply noticing the changing colors can serve as a meditative practice. These observations remind people that loss is natural and that surrendering to impermanence can open space for acceptance and emotional processing.
  • Winter: Stillness and Contemplation
    Winter embodies rest, quiet, and introspection. For many people, grief may feel most intense in this season, mirroring the stillness and dormancy of the natural world. Mindful attention in winter can be especially healing: sitting quietly in a snowy landscape, observing frost patterns, or listening to the wind through bare branches can provide solace and grounding. Winter teaches patience and endurance, reminding people that even when life seems dormant, transformation is happening beneath the surface.
Nature as Metaphor

Nature as Metaphor: Mindfulness Practices for Seasonal Grief Work

Integrating mindfulness into seasonal awareness allows people to use Nature as Metaphor as a supportive context for processing grief. Nature as Metaphor practices include:

  1. Sensory Observation – Engage all senses with the seasonal environment. Notice textures, scents, sounds, and visual patterns. For example, the crispness of autumn leaves or the warmth of spring sunlight can anchor attention in the present moment, providing relief from ruminative thoughts.
  2. Reflective Journaling – People can write about their emotional experiences in relation to the season. Journaling outdoors deepens the connection between inner and outer worlds, offering a tangible way to track emotional shifts over time.
  3. Seasonal Rituals – Rituals such as planting a tree in spring, collecting fallen leaves in autumn, or lighting a candle during winter provide symbolic acts of remembrance and reflection. These rituals honor grief while fostering a sense of continuity and meaning.
  4. Mindful Walking – Moving slowly through natural spaces encourages embodied mindfulness. Paying attention to each step, the rhythm of the breath, and the surrounding environment helps people feel grounded and present, even in the midst of emotional turbulence.

The Benefits of Seasonal Mindfulness for Grief through Nature as Metaphor

Practicing mindfulness in alignment with the seasons offers multiple benefits for coping with loss:

  • Emotional Regulation – Seasonal awareness helps people recognize the ebb and flow of grief, reducing overwhelm and promoting calm.
  • Connection to Nature – Observing natural cycles fosters a sense of belonging and perspective, reminding people that change and renewal are part of life.
  • Symbolic Processing – Each season provides metaphors for the stages and experiences of grief, supporting reflection, insight, and meaning-making.
  • Ritual and Structure – Seasonal rituals create a consistent framework for grieving, offering predictability and support during emotional upheaval.

Conclusion

Grief is not a linear process, and no single method can eliminate its challenges. However, by practicing mindfulness in concert with the natural world, people can navigate grief with awareness, patience, and compassion. Observing seasonal cycles through Nature as Metaphor from the renewal of spring to the quiet of winter provides a living metaphor for emotional healing, illustrating that sorrow and hope coexist, and that growth can emerge even from loss.

At the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, we encourage people to explore mindfulness and seasonal awareness as complementary tools for grief work. Whether sitting beneath the first blossoms of spring, walking through autumn leaves, or quietly observing a winter landscape, nature offers a reflective, restorative space for mourning, remembrance, and renewal. By aligning grief practices with the rhythms of the earth, people can honor loss while cultivating resilience, perspective, and connection to both themselves and the living world around them.

The Mindful Ecotherapy Center on YouTube

Subscribe to the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s YouTube channel to bring peace, presence, and healing into your daily life. Our videos guide you through mindfulness-based ecotherapy practices, including forest bathing, tree planting rituals, nature meditations, and reflective exercises for grief, stress, and emotional well-being. Whether you’re seeking to reconnect with the natural world, cultivate inner calm, or find restorative tools for personal growth, our content offers practical guidance, inspiration, and community support. Join us to explore the transformative power of nature and mindfulness, and start your journey toward balance, resilience, and deeper connection today!

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Journaling in Nature: A Healing Tool for Coping with Loss

Journaling through grief

Grief is a journey unlike any other. It arrives unexpectedly, unfolds in unpredictable ways, and leaves a lasting imprint on our hearts and minds. When coping with the loss of a loved one, traditional therapeutic approaches can provide valuable support, yet many find that integrating nature and reflective practices deepens the healing process. One such practice is journaling in nature—a mindful, ecotherapy-informed approach that combines the restorative power of natural environments with the emotional clarity that comes from writing. At the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, we encourage people navigating grief to explore journaling in nature as a way to process emotions, honor memories, and cultivate resilience.

The Power of Writing Through Grief

Journaling has long been recognized as a therapeutic tool for coping with loss. Writing allows us to externalize emotions that may otherwise feel overwhelming or inexpressible. When grief is raw, thoughts can spiral, and emotions may feel unmanageable. Journaling provides a safe space to explore these feelings, articulate memories, and make sense of the complex landscape of mourning.

Research shows that expressive writing can reduce stress, improve mood, and promote overall emotional well-being. Writing about grief helps organize thoughts, clarify emotions, and foster a sense of control during a time when life may feel chaotic and unpredictable. Beyond cognitive processing, journaling also nurtures self-compassion, encouraging people to honor their own responses without judgment.

Why Nature Enhances the Journaling Experience

While journaling indoors has benefits, combining it with nature amplifies its healing potential. The natural environment inherently calms the nervous system, reduces stress hormones, and invites a sense of groundedness. Sunlight, fresh air, and sensory engagement with plants, soil, and water help regulate emotions and provide a stable, nurturing context for reflection.

Nature also offers symbolic mirrors for the grieving process. Observing seasonal changes like buds blooming, leaves falling, and trees standing resilient through storms can help mourners recognize that grief, like nature, is cyclical. The external world reminds us that while life involves loss, renewal and growth are always possible. Writing in the presence of these natural rhythms supports both emotional acceptance and hope.

Mindful Journaling Practices in Nature

Incorporating mindfulness into journaling deepens its effectiveness. Mindfulness encourages full attention to the present moment, allowing people to observe emotions without judgment and respond with awareness rather than impulsivity. When journaling in nature, mindfulness can guide each stage of the practice:

  1. Choosing a Setting – Select a natural space where you feel safe and uninterrupted. This might be a quiet park, a forest clearing, a riverbank, or even a garden. The environment should invite reflection and comfort.
  2. Grounding Before Writing – Begin with a brief mindfulness exercise. Close your eyes, take several deep breaths, and observe sensations in your body and surroundings. Notice the rustle of leaves, the warmth of sunlight, or the sound of flowing water. Grounding in this way helps center attention and eases anxiety before writing.
  3. Free Writing – Allow thoughts and emotions to flow onto the page without censoring or organizing them. This practice encourages authenticity and catharsis. You might start by acknowledging your grief directly, writing letters to the loved one you lost, or recording memories and emotions that arise spontaneously.
  4. Sensory Integration – Engage all five senses as you write. Describe what you see, hear, smell, touch, and even taste. Sensory journaling strengthens the connection between mind and body, helping the grieving process feel embodied rather than abstract.
  5. Reflective Questions – After free writing, consider guiding prompts such as: “What am I feeling right now?” “What memories bring me comfort?” “What small steps toward healing can I take today?” Thoughtful prompts help structure the journaling session while still honoring spontaneity.
  6. Closing Ritual – Conclude your session with a moment of reflection or gratitude. You might fold the journal and place it somewhere safe, offer a silent prayer, or simply sit in quiet observation. This closure signals the end of the session and integrates the emotional work completed.

Therapeutic Benefits

Journaling in nature offers multidimensional benefits for coping with loss:

  • Emotional Release – Writing allows grief, sadness, anger, and longing to surface in a contained and safe way.
  • Perspective and Clarity – Observing nature while journaling helps mourners contextualize their loss within the broader cycles of life and change.
  • Mind-Body Integration – Sensory awareness in natural environments fosters embodied processing of grief, reducing tension and promoting calm.
  • Ritual and Routine – Establishing regular journaling sessions creates a sense of predictability and structure, which can be stabilizing during emotional upheaval.
  • Legacy and Connection – Writing about a loved one preserves memories, celebrates life, and strengthens the sense of ongoing connection.

Practical Tips for Starting

  1. Keep a dedicated journal for your outdoor writing sessions.
  2. Schedule regular time for journaling in nature, even if brief.
  3. Dress comfortably and bring any supplies you may need, such as water, a blanket, or writing tools.
  4. Allow flexibility—some days may invite deep emotional expression, others gentle observation or gratitude.
  5. Consider pairing journaling with mindful movement, such as slow walking, yoga stretches, or forest bathing, to integrate body and mind.

Conclusion

Grieving is a deeply personal, often nonlinear process. While no single method can erase loss, mindfulness-based journaling in nature provides a supportive, restorative pathway. By combining reflective writing with the healing rhythms of the natural world, people can process emotions, cultivate self-compassion, and find symbolic and literal space to honor what has been lost.

Through this practice, grief becomes not only a journey of mourning but also an opportunity for connection to oneself, to loved ones, and to the world around us. Nature’s presence, combined with the introspection of journaling, creates a sanctuary for emotional healing and growth. At the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, we encourage people coping with loss to explore journaling in nature as a daily or weekly practice, offering both solace and insight on the path toward resilience and renewal.

The Mindful Ecotherapy Center on YouTube

Subscribe to the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s YouTube channel to bring peace, presence, and healing into your daily life. Our videos guide you through mindfulness-based ecotherapy practices, including forest bathing, tree planting rituals, nature meditations, and reflective exercises for grief, stress, and emotional well-being. Whether you’re seeking to reconnect with the natural world, cultivate inner calm, or find restorative tools for personal growth, our content offers practical guidance, inspiration, and community support. Join us to explore the transformative power of nature and mindfulness, and start your journey toward balance, resilience, and deeper connection today!

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Mindful Moments: Now Weekly!

Mindful Moments

Mindful Moments: Weekly Inspiration for Mindful Living

Mindful Moments are times to pause and reflect in our daily lives.

It is easy to become overwhelmed by constant distractions, unending to-do lists, and the pressures of daily life in modern society. Many people feel disconnected from themselves, their communities, and the natural world around them. To help address this growing need for grounding and balance, the Mindful Ecotherapy Center created a YouTube series called Mindful Moments.

Originally launched as a monthly offering, Mindful Moments has recently expanded into a weekly series, giving viewers more frequent opportunities to explore mindfulness-based tools for stress relief, resilience, and inner peace. With short, practical practices that can be easily integrated into daily life, Mindful Moments is designed to meet you exactly where you are, whether you’re new to mindfulness or an experienced practitioner seeking fresh inspiration.

What is Mindful Moments?

Mindful Moments is about bringing mindfulness into everyday life. Each episode provides viewers with simple, accessible practices rooted in mindfulness and ecotherapy. These practices encourage you to pause, take a breath, and reconnect with the present moment.

Unlike long courses or retreats that require a major time commitment, Mindful Moments episodes are intentionally short (usually five minutes or less) and approachable. The goal is not to overwhelm viewers with theory, but rather to share small, meaningful steps that can help cultivate peace, clarity, and resilience.

The series blends mindfulness techniques such as breathing exercises, grounding practices, and mindful awareness with nature-based wisdom. By drawing on the cycles of the natural world, Mindful Moments invites us to remember that we are part of something larger than ourselves, and that healing often comes through reconnecting with nature.

Mindfulness and Everyday Mental Health

One of the unique aspects of Mindful Moments is its focus on real-world mental health issues. While many mindfulness resources stay on the surface level, this series explores deeper topics such as anxiety, depression, stress management, and trauma recovery. Each episode highlights how Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy can support mental health and emotional well-being.

Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy is an approach developed by the Mindful Ecotherapy Center that integrates the principles of mindfulness with the healing power of nature. This approach is grounded in research showing that both mindfulness and time spent in nature can improve mood, reduce stress, and promote resilience. Together, they form a powerful combination that helps people reconnect with themselves, with others, and with the natural world.

Episodes of Mindful Moments often include practical applications of these ideas. For example, a session might guide you in noticing the sensations of your feet as they touch the ground during a mindful walk, or invite you to spend five minutes observing the cycles of nature as a metaphor for the cycles of your own life. These practices remind us that even simple shifts in awareness can have a profound impact on mental health.

Advocacy for Mental Health and Social Issues

Beyond individual well-being, Mindful Moments also emphasizes the importance of advocacy. The Mindful Ecotherapy Center has long been a voice for mental health awareness and social justice, and the series reflects this commitment.

Episodes may highlight broader issues such as:

  • Reducing stigma around mental health
  • Advocating for accessible mental health services
  • Addressing the impact of social and environmental challenges on psychological well-being
  • Building compassionate communities rooted in connection and mindfulness

By linking personal mindfulness practices with larger social and environmental issues, Mindful Moments encourages viewers to see the ripple effect of their actions. When we cultivate peace and resilience within ourselves, we are better equipped to contribute to a healthier, more compassionate society.

Why Weekly Matters

When Mindful Moments was first launched, episodes were released monthly. While this schedule provided valuable content, viewers expressed a desire for more frequent inspiration. Responding to this need, the Mindful Ecotherapy Center expanded the series into a weekly offering.

This change means that every week, you can expect a new episode filled with guidance, encouragement, and practical tools for mindful living. Regular practice is the cornerstone of mindfulness, and having fresh weekly content helps support consistency. By weaving these short practices into your routine, mindfulness becomes less of a concept and more of a lived experience.

How Mindful Moments Can Support Your Journey

No matter where you are on your journey with mindfulness, Mindful Moments offers something for you:

  • Beginners can learn simple, accessible practices without feeling overwhelmed.
  • Experienced practitioners can find fresh perspectives and new ways to integrate mindfulness into daily life.
  • Therapists and helping professionals can gain ideas for introducing mindfulness and ecotherapy techniques to their clients.
  • Anyone under stress can find a calming space to pause, reflect, and reconnect.

The series is designed to be practical and inclusive, offering tools that are adaptable to a wide variety of lifestyles and needs.

Subscribe and Stay Connected

Mindfulness is about the way we live our lives moment to moment. With Mindful Moments, you’ll find weekly reminders to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with what truly matters.

Subscribe to the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s YouTube channel today and join us weekly for your dose of mindful living!

By bringing together mindfulness, ecotherapy, mental health awareness, and social advocacy, Mindful Moments offers a holistic approach to healing and growth, one short, meaningful practice at a time.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE

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AIM for Happiness

Ecospirituality Group Program

What is your aim in life? Are your beliefs helping you to achieve your aim? Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees. We let our beliefs get in the way.

Our beliefs are a result of our thoughts and feelings. Our choices are a result of our beliefs. If our choices are leading to consequences that we don’t want, we can consciously change those thoughts and beliefs to create consequences that we do want. The easiest way to make better choices is to take a solution-focused approach using the power of intention. Before making any choice, first ask yourself, “What is my intention? Is the choice I’m about to make going to achieve my intention, or is it going to make things worse?”

By focusing on solutions instead of problems we make better choices. We can consciously choose which beliefs to hold to, and which beliefs to change.

The consequences we get in life are based on how we choose act upon our beliefs. Those choices lead to behaviors. If our choices are leading us to behave in emotionally aggressive ways, it may be time to make different choices! Remember, if what you’re doing isn’t working, doing more of the same isn’t likely to work either!

AIM: Choices and Beliefs

Our beliefs (memes) are a result of our thoughts and assumptions about the way the world works. Our choices are the result of our beliefs (memes). We make choices that we believe will support our intentions. The consequences we get in life are based on how we act upon our beliefs (behavior). If our choices are supporting our intentions, then we’ve made the right choices. But if our choices are not accomplishing our intentions, it is time to change something.
Choices consist of three separate elements: Assumptions, Intentions, and Motivations.

Here’s a description of these three elements:

Assumptions
Assumptions are educated guesses that we make about the meaning and purpose of events and circumstances. If these assumptions are supporting our intentions, then nothing needs to change; but if our assumptions are leading us to make poor choices, we may wish to re-evaluate those assumptions to see if they reflect the reality of the situation. By challenging unproductive assumptions, we are able to change them so that we can get the results we want.

Intentions
Our intentions are the goals we set for our lives. Our choices should reflect these goals. If our choices are not supporting our intentions, then we should either re-examine our choices, or change our intentions. If we are continually making choices that don’t support our stated intentions, we may need to be honest with ourselves about our true intentions in making those choices.

Motivations
Our motivations are the rewards we get for making the choices we make. This is true even if those choices seem to be leading to negative consequences. All behavior is purposeful. By seeking out the true motivations for our behaviors and choices, we are better able to be honest with ourselves so that we can find more appropriate rewards.

For example, acting in emotionally aggressive ways may appear to lead to poor consequences, and poor consequences may seem like poor motivators. But could it be that when we act in emotionally aggressive ways that the hidden reward is that we don’t have to take responsibility for our own emotional states? By finding these hidden motivations we are better able to make choices that lead to better rewards.

AIM for Happiness

If we learn to make choices that allow us to be responsible for our own happiness, then there is no need to act in emotionally aggressive ways in an attempt to get others to be responsible for our happiness. One way to learn to make choices that lead to happiness is to examine our assumptions, intentions and motivations in a given situation. These elements work together to help us determine the proper choices to make in order to achieve our life goals.

The AIM for Happiness tool below allows us to analyze our assumptions, intentions and motivations so that we can make better choices. The problem-focused AIM Worksheet looks at assumptions, intentions and motivations that might be contributing to the tendency to make poor choices.

The solution-focused AIM Worksheet tool us to think about some assumptions, intentions and motivations that might lead to better choices.

AIM for Happiness Tool

Assumptions: If you’re facing a problem, the first question to ask yourself is, “What assumptions am I making that might be contributing to the problem?”

For example, suppose you have a partner, and you’d like your partner to share more of his/her feelings with you. You might assume that constantly asking your partner to share feelings might be the way to achieve this goal, but what if instead it’s only making your partner ‘clam up’ even more?

Intentions: The next question to ask yourself is, “What is my intention?” What are you trying to accomplish? Are your assumptions and motivations working together to help you accomplish your intention? If not, what would need to change about your assumptions and motivations in order to achieve your intention?

If what you’re doing isn’t working to accomplish your intention, is it possible to do something different?

Motivations: Finally, ask yourself, “What is my motivation here?”

All behavior is purposeful. This means that people only engage in a behavior if there’s a reward for it. This is even true of seemingly detrimental behaviors like substance abuse or emotional addictions. If we examine our motivations, we can truly be honest with ourselves about why we tend to engage in certain patterns of behavior. If we change our motivation, does it change our intention? Does it change the underlying assumptions?

To use the AIM for Happiness Tool, think about these questions:

  1. How many of the assumptions you listed were internally motivated? That is, how many of your assumptions were about making choices to change your own behaviors and beliefs?
  2. How many of the assumptions you listed were externally motivated? That is, how many of your assumption were about getting other people to change their behaviors and beliefs?
  3. How many of your intentions were internally motivated? That is, how many of your intentions were about things you have the power to change by making better choices?
  4. How many of your intentions were externally motivated? That is, how many of your intentions were about what other people choose to do?
  5. How many of your motivations were internally motivated? That is, how many of your motivations were about rewards you were choosing for yourself?
  6. How many of your motivations were externally motivated? That is, how many of your motivations were rewards you expect other people to choose to give to you?
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We Value Your Feedback!

help us improve we value your feedback

Your feedback can help us improve the user experience for you and for others. At the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC, we believe in providing an exceptional experience that evolves with your needs. We are excited to share our unwavering commitment to continuous improvement!

Your satisfaction is our priority. We actively seek and value your feedback to understand your expectations better. We are dedicated to hearing your thoughts on how we can enhance your experience.

Expect regular updates and enhancements to our content, features, and design. Our team is continuously working behind the scenes to address bugs, optimize performance, and introduce new functionalities to keep pace with your ever-changing needs.

Your concerns matter to us. Our customer support is here to address your queries promptly and transparently. Your interactions with us not only resolve immediate issues but also contribute to our ongoing efforts to enhance your experience.

We also have a forum where you can ask questions and post suggestions!

You can help us help you by taking the time to respond to the brief survey below. We value your feedback!

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Mindfulness and Control

mindfulness and control

“He who angers you conquers you.”

-Elizabeth Kenny

Mindful Ecotherapy relies on the 7Cs of family resilience. These resilience factors help you to better weather the storms that come with life.

The second ‘C’ of the 7Cs of family resilience is “control.”

If someone has the ability to anger you, then that person just controlled you.

If you allow others to ‘make’ you feel angry, you have relinquished control over your own emotional well-being.

Similarly, anger is often the result of failed attempts to control others. By analyzing our beliefs about control, we learn to manage our moods so that control is no longer an issue.

Once there was a sculptor who was famous for his carvings of animals. Of all the animals he carved, his elephants were the most lifelike and inspiring. One day an art student came to him and asked him the secret to creating such beautiful elephants.

“The answer,” he said, “Is simple. You just get a block of marble and chip away anything that doesn’t look like an elephant.”

When difficulties arise in a relationship, it’s usually because we’ve set out to carve an elephant, but we suddenly find ourselves carving a bear or a donkey or some other animal instead. When this happens, we’ve gotten caught up in the details of living, and we have lost sight of our original goal, the elephant.

Go over your list of standard arguments with your partner, and decide for yourselves which ones will lead to a happier relationship, and which ones involve side issues (i.e., arguments that are not ‘carving the elephant.’) You may disagree with your partner over which ones are which, and that’s okay too.

Maybe your version of the elephant is slightly different from your partner’s version. Just remember that by sharing your vision of a happier relationship with your partner, you can both come to agreement on what sort of elephant you would like to carve together.

The first step is agreeing that you will focus only on those actions that lead to the end result you both want. Once you’ve agreed on that end result, you can both begin to ‘chip away’ anything that doesn’t look like the relationship you both want to share.

Remember to keep it focused on solutions. You can talk about the problem all day if you wish, but that doesn’t do anything to actually solve the problem.

If your intention is to have a happy, healthy relationship, then anything that doesn’t promote that is irrelevant. It’s just marble to be carved away. If you find yourself constantly discussing problems, and never reaching resolution, ask yourself, “What is my intention?” or perhaps, “Is this the elephant I’m trying to carve, or is it just excess marble?”

If both you and your partner have the same intention, then the rest is just details. You’re working towards a common goal, and all that remains is to resolve how you both approach the common goal.

If, on the other hand, you both have different intentions, then you both have different goals. This is the source of a lot of friction in relationships.

Always remember that you can only control your own intentions, and not your partner’s. Use your mindful communication skills to find common ground and to avoid the temptation to try to control others.

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Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Program Facilitator Training Course

Facilitator Certification Program for Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy (MBE)
Click here to purchase this course

About the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Program

Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy combines the skills of mindfulness with the healing power of nature. MBE is used as a framework for helping individuals and families to find deeper connections in their own lives, and to give more meaning and enjoyment to the activities of daily living. By re-integrating ourselves with nature, we are able to tap into nature’s healing power and to heal the earth as we heal ourselves. The Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workbook and the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workshop series were developed by Charlton Hall as a 12-week program to help individuals re-connect with the healing power of nature. The series meets once per week for 90 minutes, usually in an outdoor setting. The first six sessions cover the skills of mindfulness, and the next six sessions cover integrating mindful skills into ecotherapy. The six mindful skills are about “what” to do, and the six ecotherapy skills are about “how” to do it. The Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Facilitator Manual was updated to the Second Edition in January of 2022. A free pdf copy of the manual is included in the materials for this course. If you would prefer a hard copy you can purchase one by clicking on the link. Each of the twelve sessions of the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy program covers a distinct skill that builds on previous skills, and provides activities and interventions that can be used in both group and individual therapy sessions. Since we first began offering the program in 2015, response has been overwhelming, so we began to offer the facilitator training to mental health professionals all over the world. If you are interested in running your own Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy program, this is the course for you!
The Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7022. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Student Forum

We now have a Student Forum. On this forum you can post questions for feedback from the instructor(s) and/or other students, and request clarification and support on course materials. The instructor generally checks the forum at least once per week. The forums are available to all registered users. Click here to visit the forum.

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DISCLAIMER

The Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7022. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The Mindful Ecotherapy Center, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
NBCC ACEP # 7022
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Assumptions, Perceptions, and Reality

We all make assumptions every day about the way the world works and our places in it. These assumptions color our perceptions about the way things work, and these perceptions influence our reality. By changing our assumptions and our perceptions we can create a different reality for ourselves. Let’s talk about how this works.

Assumptions

We all make assumptions every day about the way the world works. I assume when I get out of bed in the morning that the sun has indeed come up again. When I make my way to the bathroom I assume power is on, so I’ll be able to turn on the lights and to hop in the shower. When I get in my truck and drive downtown, I assume that my office hasn’t burned down during the night and that I still have a place to practice. As I make my way through the day’s schedule, I assume my patients will show up for their appointments.

While some of these assumptions are more accurate and valid than others, they are all assumptions. We all have to make a certain number of assumptions every day. For most of us, the vast majority of these assumptions are effective, and they lead to positive results and positive consequences; however, on occasion we might make assumptions that lead us to negative consequences.

So assumptions can be both positive and negative. I assume my wife loves me and that our lives together will be positive and productive. Because of this, we usually have a good relationship. What if I assumed that she was cheating on me? Would that be likely to result in a positive experience for me or for my wife? What if I made such an assumption with zero evidence to back it up other than my own opinion? Would that be more likely to result in a positive, or a negative, outcome?

Our assumptions lead to our beliefs about life and our place in it. Our assumptions also lead to how we interact with others in our lives. Taken together, all of our assumptions about the way the world works create a lens through which we view the world. This lens is our perceptions.

Perceptions

Confirmation Bias is the tendency we all have to look for evidence that supports our beliefs and assumptions while rejecting any evidence to the contrary. This rejection of contradictory evidence doesn’t even have to operate on a conscious level. It can be an automatic process.

World-famous magicians Penn and Teller once did an experiment on perceptions for their television show. The experiment involved how people perceived organically-grown food versus food grown by traditional farming methods. In this experiment they divided a banana in half. Participants in this experiment were told that the two halves of the banana were from different bananas: One grown organically and one grown traditionally. Both halves of the banana were actually from the same fruit, but participants were not aware of this fact. People consistently identified the banana that was supposedly grown organically as having better flavor and texture than the other half of the same banana!

What had happened here was that the people in the experiment had a perception about organic fruit. That perception actually worked to create a different taste experience for different halves of the same banana, based on their assumptions about the superiority of organically-grown fruit.

We all have a natural tendency to allow our assumptions color our perceptions of the world. If I assume my wife loves me, I’m going to automatically look for evidence to support that theory while rejecting any evidence to the contrary. If I assume that my wife hates me, I will likewise look for evidence to support that claim while rejecting evidence to the contrary.

My assumptions about my wife’s feelings for me have created a perception filter that causes me to seek out evidence to confirm my assumptions. In this way, our assumptions and perceptions work together in ways that tend to create the day-to-day reality we experience. Together these assumptions and perceptions form our confirmation bias of our day-to-day reality. That is, we are automatically biased to create a reality based on our assumptions and perceptions.

Reality

We create our reality based on our assumptions and our perceptions about the world and our place in it. By making assumptions about the world, and using our perceptions, based on those assumptions, to look for evidence to support our beliefs, we eventually create a reality that reflects those assumptions and perceptions. We’ll look more closely at how this happens in the next section, but for now consider that each of us has a story.

This story is about us. It is our autobiography, and we are the authors. I can use my assumptions and perceptions to write this story, and I can use this story to create the reality of my life. If I assume I am a happy, well-adjusted person, and I look for evidence to support this assumption, I have set my perception filter to find such evidence.

As I write this story of a happy, well-adjusted person, I create that reality in my life. Such a story is independent of the circumstances in which I find myself. I can be happy and well-adjusted living in a cardboard box under a bridge if I have learned to seek evidence that creates that reality for myself. I can also create a story that would lead me to be an unhappy and miserable person even if I lived in a palace and had all the money in the world.

It is therefore not the external circumstances of my life that create my emotional reality. It is my assumptions and perceptions about who I am and what I choose to be that create my reality.

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

living in the now mindfulness

Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Journal

In 2024 the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Organization will begin the publication of the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Journal, a quarterly publication dedicated to the study of mindfulness and ecotherapy, and the intersection of the two.

We are currently accepting submissions for the journal.

The Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Journal will follow a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout peer review. It is the responsibility of the author to anonymize the manuscript and any associated materials prior to submission for review.

Author names, affiliations and any other potentially identifying information should be removed from the manuscript text and any accompanying files (such as figures of supplementary material).

A separate Title Page should be submitted, containing title, author names, affiliations, and the contact information of the corresponding author. Any acknowledgements, disclosures, or funding information should also be included on this page.

Authors should avoid citing their own work in a way that could reveal their identity.

This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review process for these articles is the same as the peer review process of the journal in general.

If a guest editor authors an article in their issue/collection, they will not handle the peer review process.

Submission of a manuscript implies:

1. that the work described has not been published before

2. that it is not under consideration for publication anywhere else

3. that its publication has been approved by all co-authors, if any, as well as by the responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – at the institute where the work has been carried out

The publishers of the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Journal will not be held legally responsible should there be any claims for compensation.

Authors wishing to include figures, tables, or text passages that have already been published elsewhere are required to obtain permission from the copyright owner(s) for both the print and online format and to include evidence that such permission has been granted when submitting their papers. Any material received without such evidence will be assumed to originate from the authors.

Please ensure you provide all relevant editable source files at every submission and revision. Failing to submit a complete set of editable source files will result in your article not being considered for review. For your manuscript text please always submit in common word processing formats such as .docx or LaTeX.

Authors of research and review papers, excluding editorial and book review submissions, are allowed to provide the names and contact information for, at a maximum, 4 to 6 possible reviewers of their paper. When submitting a paper to the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Journal, authors must provide complete contact information for each recommended reviewer, along with a specific reason for your suggestion in the comments box for each person.

The Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Journal will consider reviewers recommended by the authors only if the reviewers’ institutional email is provided. A minimum of two suggested reviewers should be from a university or research institute in the United States. You may not suggest the Editor or Associate Editors of the journal as potential reviewers. Although there is no guarantee that the editorial office will use your suggested reviewers, your help is appreciated and may speed up the selection of appropriate reviewers.

Authors should note that it is inappropriate to list as preferred reviewers researchers from the same institution as any of the authors, collaborators and co-authors from the past five years as well as anyone whose relationship with one of the authors may present a conflict of interest. The journal will not tolerate this practice and reserves the right to reject submissions on this basis.

To submit a paper, please contact chuck@mindfulecotherapy.com for further submission guidelines.