How to Become One With Nature – The Path Back to Yourself
- Brainz Magazine
- Nov 13
- 8 min read
Sara has a unique ability to quickly shift energy into presence and joy through her work as a mindfulness coach, speaker, and yoga instructor. She is also the author of the book One with Nature (published in 2025) and a popular speaker in the field.
You’ve probably, like many others, experimented with the latest trends promising greater happiness, harmony, and a way to reconnect with yourself. You’ve invested time, money, and patience, yet it still feels like something is missing. What if the path back to yourself isn’t about doing more, but about being more? What if something as simple as spending time in nature could actually be the key to inner calm, presence, and joy? The answer is simple: yes, it can.
Why nature?
The day you say yes to living in harmony with Mother Earth is the day she whispers, “Welcome to my infinite library of wisdom.” This doesn’t mean you need to move into the forest and become self-sufficient, or stop living your life as you do today. It means that you begin to remember where you truly come from: nature. It means you start to feel curiosity about what the natural world and its creatures can teach you, and, above all, that you step into a life filled with more gratitude, joy, and harmony.
I believe we all need to pause sometimes, you know, just to breathe again. Because honestly, when was the last time you could sit down without planning, creating, or performing?
We come from nature, and we are made to live in harmony with it. Time spent in nature costs nothing. It is simple, uncomplicated, and offers the chance to reconnect with yourself and your surroundings.
How much time in nature?
Just 5 to 10 minutes in nature is enough to notice a reduction in stress and an increased sense of well-being. A study from Harvard Health Publishing showed that even 20 minutes in nature can significantly lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Spending time in nature has also been shown to reduce anxiety and improve concentration and attention.
Nature strengthens our minds as well, our focus sharpens, our mood lifts, and feelings of worry and anxiety diminish. This creates space to simply be present, experiencing calm and joy. In turn, this can help us connect more deeply with ourselves and with others.
So instead of watching the next episode of your series, why not take a walk in the forest, sit by the water, or breathe for 10 minutes on a park bench? It requires nothing more than your presence, and nature is waiting for you. Of course, you can also spend more time outdoors. The more you give yourself the opportunity to be outside, the deeper your connection with both nature and yourself will grow.
What does it mean to be “One with Nature”?
Being One with Nature means letting go of resistance within yourself. It is the realization that you are part of nature, not separate from it, and that you live more in harmony with its rhythm. It means being inspired by, and learning from, the wisdom of nature as it exists in balance, and following the cycles of the seasons.
You come to understand that life is more than stress, packed schedules, and worry, there is a deeper rhythm to follow and enjoy. Above all, it means accepting life’s constant change, that everything is born, grows, dies, and is born again. Being One with Nature also means letting go of comparison. You operate from your unique self and live authentically. After all, a spruce tree doesn’t compare itself to a juniper, so why do we humans compare ourselves to one another?
When you live in harmony with nature, you learn to appreciate the present moment and discover joy in simplicity, in life itself. And you will then become: One with Nature.
10 simple steps to becoming one with nature
1. Observe with all your senses
By activating your senses, you practice being present in the moment. Go out into nature and let your senses guide you. Listen to the whisper of the wind and the song of the birds, or perhaps notice that everything is still and silent. Feel the texture of tree bark, the ground beneath your feet, your hands in the soil, and the touch of wind or sunlight on your skin. What scents can you detect? Earth, flowers, the sea? What do you see around you? How does it feel to rest your gaze on the stillness of nature, on plants, trees, or the vast open sea? When your senses awaken, so does your soul. So sit down on the ground, simply observe, and use your wonderful senses. Your senses are your connections to life itself.
2. Move with presence and silence
Take a slow walk in nature. Don’t rush, and don’t think about the destination. Simply be present. You might also explore other ways of moving outdoors, practicing yoga, dancing, biking, or working in the garden. Whatever you do, do it slowly, consciously, and with presence in every movement. Let nature set the pace. Move slowly. Put your phone away. Step away from screens and social media for a while. Simply be in silence.
3. Embrace clean living
What comes from nature is pure and wholesome, and the same applies to your diet. When you introduce unnatural or heavily processed foods into your body, it will react. Choose foods that are clean, nourishing, and as close to nature as possible. Always be grateful for the gifts of Mother Earth. Also, be mindful of the clothes you wear and the materials you choose.
Natural fabrics like cotton, linen, and wool are gentler on both your body and the planet. Living purely is about making conscious choices, for your health, for the environment, and for your connection to nature.
4. Walk barefoot
Take off your shoes and walk barefoot. Why? Because it helps you reconnect with the ground beneath you, to root yourself in the earth and feel truly present. Walking barefoot improves blood circulation, strengthens the small muscles in your feet, and enhances your sense of balance and awareness. When I walk barefoot, I become more conscious of each step, each texture, and the rhythm of the earth itself. So go outside, step into the grass or the sand, and ground yourself through your roots, your feet. We need this contact with the earth to stand steady, both in body and in soul.
5. Get to know the wise tree
What do trees tell us? What can they teach us? Consider these questions. How do you look at a tree? Where do your eyes go? What do you think when you see one? Perhaps you’ve never asked yourself these questions before, if so, wonderful! Now you have.
I see a tree the way I see a human being, or any living creature, for that matter. I look without judgment and with curiosity. Each tree is unique, with its own history and future.
Take a moment to truly observe the trees. They carry immense stability, wisdom, and strength. Try hugging a tree, allow yourself to feel its quiet energy and grounding presence.
Spending time among trees and in nature can lower stress levels, strengthen the immune system, and improve your mood. Research shows that when we embrace a tree or simply stand near it and let our hands wander over its bark, our parasympathetic nervous system is activated, stress hormones decrease, and our breathing deepens.
If the idea feels strange, that in itself is an interesting question to ask yourself. Isn’t it a bit funny that we have no problem hugging, eating, sleeping, and even going to the bathroom with our phones, yet hugging a tree seems odd?
6. Flowing with the seasons
Live in tune with the changing rhythms of nature. Eat with the seasons and adjust your own rhythm according to light and darkness, it creates a deeper inner harmony. Perhaps winter is meant for slowing down, embracing more rest and stillness. Follow the natural flow of the day. Our bodies’ processes can also slow down depending on the weather and season.
Pay attention. Feel. Flow with the seasons, and allow your life to move in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
7. Smile more
When you smile, something opens within you, and nature always responds in return. Be curious. Awaken your inner child. Watch the clouds drift by, and let your imagination and curiosity play. Smile at the sun, at the wind, and at yourself. See how those smiles can ripple outward and touch the people around you.
8. Observe the animals
Notice how much you can learn from the animals around you. They exist fully in the present moment, completely engaged in what is happening here and now. Birds, insects, or other creatures lift your gaze, look around, and discover something you haven’t noticed before.
Can the animals offer you clarity or insights? Pay attention to the creatures you encounter. Could they be bringing you a message? And most importantly, what can they teach you?
9. Awaken your creativity
Nature boosts your creativity. To be creative is to be in tune with the life force that flows through all things. Study the colors, shapes, and patterns you see around you. Can you notice them in your home, in paintings, in the forms and materials you surround yourself with?
Whether it is design, textiles, furniture, art, or music, nature offers an abundance of inspiration when you take the time to observe. See if the creativity within you can be awakened while you are outdoors, which shapes, patterns, and colors catch your eye? Feel them, and carry their magical creativity into your life and into your own creations.
10. Outdoor day
Make it a point to plan at least one longer visit to nature each week. Perhaps you go for a longer hike, or visit a lake, a beach, or another natural area. Keep it simple. You don’t need the latest gear for a hike, and you don’t need to plan exactly how your time in nature will unfold. Let go of performance and expectations. Use this time to explore what it feels like to be immersed in nature for an extended period, without looking at your screen. Walk in silence, sit down for a cup of tea, and enjoy the surroundings. You might share the experience with family or friends. Make it a joyful outing. Bring a small notebook with you and write down a few thoughts or observations about your experience. Enjoy.
You are ready to find your way home
If you feel ready to explore the power of nature and, in turn, yourself, I warmly invite you to dive deeper into my book One with Nature, and connect with me for more inspiration on Instagram. I’m here to guide you. And remember: You are never alone, nature is always there for you. I hope you, too, can find your way home.
Read more from Sara Brinell
Sara Brinell, Author, Speaker & Awareness Guide
Sara is an expert in inner harmony and the healing power of nature. She carries a profoundly healing story, having experienced depression in her teenage years and, later in life, the early loss of both her parents. These experiences became part of a deeper journey that eventually led her to guide others back to their hearts through her work as a yoga instructor, mindfulness coach, and speaker. She also shares her insights through her book One with Nature. Her mission is to show that loneliness can become a path to deeper connection, and that nature can heal where words are not enough.
