Getting Started with Nature-Based Spiritual Practices: A Beginner’s Guide
In the fast-paced world we now live in, many people have started to feel a quiet pull towards nature. Nature-based spiritual practices offer a gentle way to reconnect with the earth, your inner self, and with a sense of meaning that doesn’t rely on rigid rules or religious beliefs.
If you’re a beginner, the good news is that these practices are simple, flexible, and deeply personal to each individual. You don’t need special tools, advanced knowledge, or a specific belief system - just curiosity and an interest in cultivating a better connection with nature, yourself, and the universe.
What Are Nature-Based Spiritual Practices?
Nature-based spirituality is an umbrella term for practices that find spiritual meaning and grounding through the natural world. This might include spending mindful time outdoors, observing seasonal changes, honouring the natural cycles of the year, or simply feeling a sense of connection with plants, animals, and your local landscape. Some people approach it spiritually, others emotionally or reflectively. There’s no ‘right way’ to do it.
At its core, this path is about learning to listen to nature and noticing how it reflects what’s happening within you.
Start with Time and Presence
The simplest way to begin is by spending regular, intentional time in nature. This doesn’t require wilderness or dramatic landscapes. A park bench, a back garden, a balcony with plants, or even an open window can be enough.
When you’re outside, take time to slow down. Stop the podcast. Put your phone and headphones away if you can. Take a few deep breaths and notice what’s around you. What do you hear? What do you see moving? What does the sun feel like on your skin? Presence is more important than duration, so even ten minutes can be meaningful.
Practice Grounding
Grounding is a common beginner-friendly practice. It means bringing your awareness into your body while connecting with the earth. Stand or sit comfortably and imagine your feet or body supported by the ground beneath you. Notice the sensation of gravity holding you.
Some people like to place their hands on the ground, a tree trunk, or a stone. You’re not trying to do anything, just noticing how it feels to be supported by something steady and ancient.
Alternatively, you can purchase crystal tumbled stones such as Moss Agate that are great for grounding your energy. Sit with one when you meditate or keep one in your pocket or bag (or bra).
Observe Natural Cycles
Nature is always changing, and learning to notice these changes can deepen your practice. Pay attention to the time of day, the weather, the phases of the moon, or the shift from one season to another. You might reflect on questions like: What feels as if it’s beginning in my life? What feels as if it’s ending or resting?
Keeping a small journal can help. Write a few lines about what you notice outdoors and how it connects to your mood or thoughts. Over time, patterns may emerge.
Create Simple Personal Rituals
Ritual doesn’t have to be complicated. A ritual can be as simple as starting your morning by stepping outside, taking three deep breaths, and setting an intention for the day. Or ending the day by watching the sunset and reflecting on one thing you’re grateful for. Other rituals can involve lighting a candle or running a bath with flower petals in.
The key is repetition and doing something with a personal meaning to you. Choose actions that feel calming and authentic to you, not what you think a spiritual practice ‘should’ look like. What works for others won’t necessarily work for you.
Be Open and Curious
As a beginner, it’s important to release expectations. You don’t need to feel anything profound every time. Some days you might not even touch your altar space or do any meaningful rituals for an entire week - and that’s okay. Nature-based spirituality grows through patience and openness.
Let curiosity guide you though. Read, observe, ask questions, and most of all, listen - to nature and to yourself.
Getting started with nature-based spiritual practices is less about adding something new to your life and more about remembering something old: that you are part of the natural world, and it’s always available to meet you where you are.
If you’d like to explore a way of living more deeply and learn simple, nature-based spiritual practices you can do at home, you’re invited to join The Solstice Circle.
It’s an online learning space with self-paced short courses and exclusive content, designed to help you reconnect with the natural rhythms of the year.
✨ £7.77 a month
✨ Learn gently, in your own time
✨ Live in alignment with the seasons
