Spring is in full swing here in the PNW: fiddleheads stretch, stretch, stretch their coiled fronds and splay themselves about, birds peck at soil for worms to feed their young, humans are beginning to emerge from their annual bigdarkwet, while the evergreens question what everybody’s been up to for the last few months. Despite each passing seasonal change, humans often neglect nature’s nudges to align with her rhythms of light and energy. Capitalistic values such as efficiency, perfectionism, and urgency leak into our daily lives, causing many folks to feel anxious, depressed, and burnt out – rarely allowing for moments where we get to slow down, relax, and just be. Fortunately, recent studies have suggested there are numerous mental and emotional benefits to experiencing ASMR. Perhaps you too are able to experience this sensory phenomenon in nature.
ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response and is often described as tingly sensations felt along one’s scalp, neck, shoulders, and/or upper back. If you’ve never experienced ASMR, I’d suggest taking a moment to gently drag your fingers/nails along the inside of your forearm/wrist. Now imagine this ticklish/tingly sensation along your brain/scalp. These tingles are often caused by repetitive auditory and visual triggers, which may take the form of someone speaking quietly, gently tapping on various objects, turning book pages, whispering, etc.. That being said, ASMR is continuously expanding and evolving to include more avenues to experience it. While many watch and experience ASMR in the comfort of their own homes snuggled up before bed, it’s possible to experience ASMR out in nature too.
Research has already confirmed going for a stroll in nature can reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, and even improve one’s sleep. This article attempts to bridge and inspire its readers (you!) to experience ASMR while in the forest ecosystem, through what I’m calling ASMR meditations. Below I’ve outlined three invitations to explore ASMR meditations with your senses the next time you’re out in the woods by yourself, with friends/family, or students. While these are specific to a forest ecosystem, you can experience ASMR meditations in whichever ecosystem you find yourself in!
Mossy Tree Meditation
One of my favorite textures to feel and observe while on a walk in the forest are the pristine blankets of moss covering and draping the big leaf maple trees. They don’t call mossy maples mossy for no reason – they are one of the best homes for moss to flourish. This is partially because big leaf maple trees have rough grooves in their bark for moss to live in, as well as it being a damp and shaded area (which many mosses love).
Meditation: Find your favorite mossy tree(s) and situate yourself in a way which feels relaxing and comfortable to you. This may look like sitting under the tree, or even standing next to it. You are welcome to close your eyes or keep them open, depending on which senses you want to engage with and what feels best for you. Taking one or both of your hands, begin to gently trace your fingers along the moss, exploring and focusing your attention on how the moss feels. Is it cold? Soggy? Soft? Where does the moss end and bark begin? Invite your mind to still and focus its attention on the texture and temperature of the air flowing in and out of your lungs. Sit up, sturdy like a tree and let gravity gently pull your shoulders down. Now, take 8 deep breaths in and out at your own pace, with the intention of each breath getting longer and slower as you go. I’ll now invite you to slowly and rhythmically trace your hands along the moss in any way that feels right to you. This may look like moving them in circles, infinity signs, or lines back and forth. After some time, see if you can align your breath with your movements, your out breath serving as a channel for the tree to absorb all that feels heavy. Stay in this moment as long as you wish.
Flowing Stream Meditation
Some forest ecosystems have lively streams to explore – amphibians like frogs, salamanders, and newts enjoy the cool and refreshing waters, while other creatures like salmon make their journey back home upstream to spawn late summer to fall. Their waters stretch over familiar smooth rocks and weave in and out of crevices from fallen tree branches. Streams are a place of movement and tranquility; a place to surrender to ourselves and the magical interconnectedness of all life.
Meditation: Take a moment to find a spot to sit near the stream and situate yourself in a way which feels relaxing and comfortable to you. This may look like sitting on a rock that is close enough to touch the water, or on a log nearby where you can hear the flow of it. You are welcome to close your eyes or keep them open, depending on which senses you want to engage with and what feels best for you. From where you are seated, focus your attention on which parts of you are grounded to what’s beneath you. I invite you to pick up some pebbles and massage them between your fingers, noting their grooves and edges and how they sound rubbing together in your palms. If there are no pebbles nearby, find another element to explore such as sticks or leaves. Notice the trickling sounds of the water and invite your mind to still and focus its attention on the texture and temperature of the air flowing in and out of your lungs. Sit up sturdy, aligning your spine, and let gravity gently pull your shoulders down. Now, take 8 deep breaths in and out at your own pace, with the intention of each breath getting longer and slower as you go. I’ll now invite you to imagine yourself as a stone in the flowing water, rooted in the silt, as light currents gently wash over you. Let them trickle past, listening to their soft whisper, whooooosh plop plip plop, whooooosh plop whoooosh. After some time, see if you can align your breath with the rhythms of the water washing over and around your essence – your out breath an offering to the waters to take with them along their journey downstream. Stay in this moment as long as you wish.
Sunny Canopy Meditation
Looking up through the forest’s canopy I take in the sun peeking through leaves, turning them all sorts of vibrant emeralds and lime greens. Brave birds take flight and swoop through the vast pillars of light, while whispers of wind alter light’s radiance – nature’s kaleidoscope. Plants lean in close and absorb warmth from the sun, transforming her offering into new energy through a process called photosynthesis. The sun teaches us receiving warmth and new energy is just as valuable as releasing what we no longer need to carry.
Meditation: Take a moment to find a spot beneath the forest canopy, preferably in a ray of sunlight. Situate yourself in a way which feels relaxing and comfortable to you. This may look like sitting cross legged on the forest floor, or even lying down on your back with your palms facing toward the sky. You are welcome to close your eyes or keep them open depending on which senses you want to engage with and what feels best for you. Depending on how you are seated/laying, focus your attention on which parts of you are grounded to the earth. Notice the songs of the birds and the texture and temperature of the air flowing in and out of your lungs. Now, take 8 deep breaths in and out at your own pace, with the intention of each breath getting longer and slower as you go. If you’re laying down, feel both the earth grounding your back body firmly to the floor as the sun brings warmth to your face and front body. If you’re seated, feel the earth grounding your lower body while the sun brings warmth to your face and body. After some time, see if you can align your breath with the cyclical currents running through your energy field, creating your own sustainable energy cycle. Stay in this moment as long as you wish.
I hope these ASMR meditations bring you and your surrounding communities some moments of peace and clarity. As always, these practices are adaptable to any given environment, and I welcome you to change the phrasing or location of them to suit your space(s) and needs. While we collectively strive to create the world we wish to live in together, let’s make sure to also attend to our own personal ecosystems (body/mind/spirit). In this way, we are embodying sustainable practices, within and beyond ourselves.
Spring is in full swing here in the PNW: fiddleheads stretch, stretch, stretch their coiled fronds and splay themselves about, birds peck at soil for worms to feed their young, humans are beginning to emerge from their annual bigdarkwet, while the evergreens question what everybody’s been up to for the last few months. Despite each passing seasonal change, humans often neglect nature’s nudges to align with her rhythms of light and energy. Capitalistic values such as efficiency, perfectionism, and urgency leak into our daily lives, causing many folks to feel anxious, depressed, and burnt out – rarely allowing for moments where we get to slow down, relax, and just be. Fortunately, recent studies have suggested there are numerous mental and emotional benefits to experiencing ASMR. Perhaps you too are able to experience this sensory phenomenon in nature.
ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response and is often described as tingly sensations felt along one’s scalp, neck, shoulders, and/or upper back. If you’ve never experienced ASMR, I’d suggest taking a moment to gently drag your fingers/nails along the inside of your forearm/wrist. Now imagine this ticklish/tingly sensation along your brain/scalp. These tingles are often caused by repetitive auditory and visual triggers, which may take the form of someone speaking quietly, gently tapping on various objects, turning book pages, whispering, etc.. That being said, ASMR is continuously expanding and evolving to include more avenues to experience it. While many watch and experience ASMR in the comfort of their own homes snuggled up before bed, it’s possible to experience ASMR out in nature too.
Research has already confirmed going for a stroll in nature can reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, and even improve one’s sleep. This article attempts to bridge and inspire its readers (you!) to experience ASMR while in the forest ecosystem, through what I’m calling ASMR meditations. Below I’ve outlined three invitations to explore ASMR meditations with your senses the next time you’re out in the woods by yourself, with friends/family, or students. While these are specific to a forest ecosystem, you can experience ASMR meditations in whichever ecosystem you find yourself in!
Mossy Tree Meditation
One of my favorite textures to feel and observe while on a walk in the forest are the pristine blankets of moss covering and draping the big leaf maple trees. They don’t call mossy maples mossy for no reason – they are one of the best homes for moss to flourish. This is partially because big leaf maple trees have rough grooves in their bark for moss to live in, as well as it being a damp and shaded area (which many mosses love).
Meditation: Find your favorite mossy tree(s) and situate yourself in a way which feels relaxing and comfortable to you. This may look like sitting under the tree, or even standing next to it. You are welcome to close your eyes or keep them open, depending on which senses you want to engage with and what feels best for you. Taking one or both of your hands, begin to gently trace your fingers along the moss, exploring and focusing your attention on how the moss feels. Is it cold? Soggy? Soft? Where does the moss end and bark begin? Invite your mind to still and focus its attention on the texture and temperature of the air flowing in and out of your lungs. Sit up, sturdy like a tree and let gravity gently pull your shoulders down. Now, take 8 deep breaths in and out at your own pace, with the intention of each breath getting longer and slower as you go. I’ll now invite you to slowly and rhythmically trace your hands along the moss in any way that feels right to you. This may look like moving them in circles, infinity signs, or lines back and forth. After some time, see if you can align your breath with your movements, your out breath serving as a channel for the tree to absorb all that feels heavy. Stay in this moment as long as you wish.
Flowing Stream Meditation
Some forest ecosystems have lively streams to explore – amphibians like frogs, salamanders, and newts enjoy the cool and refreshing waters, while other creatures like salmon make their journey back home upstream to spawn late summer to fall. Their waters stretch over familiar smooth rocks and weave in and out of crevices from fallen tree branches. Streams are a place of movement and tranquility; a place to surrender to ourselves and the magical interconnectedness of all life.
Meditation: Take a moment to find a spot to sit near the stream and situate yourself in a way which feels relaxing and comfortable to you. This may look like sitting on a rock that is close enough to touch the water, or on a log nearby where you can hear the flow of it. You are welcome to close your eyes or keep them open, depending on which senses you want to engage with and what feels best for you. From where you are seated, focus your attention on which parts of you are grounded to what’s beneath you. I invite you to pick up some pebbles and massage them between your fingers, noting their grooves and edges and how they sound rubbing together in your palms. If there are no pebbles nearby, find another element to explore such as sticks or leaves. Notice the trickling sounds of the water and invite your mind to still and focus its attention on the texture and temperature of the air flowing in and out of your lungs. Sit up sturdy, aligning your spine, and let gravity gently pull your shoulders down. Now, take 8 deep breaths in and out at your own pace, with the intention of each breath getting longer and slower as you go. I’ll now invite you to imagine yourself as a stone in the flowing water, rooted in the silt, as light currents gently wash over you. Let them trickle past, listening to their soft whisper, whooooosh plop plip plop, whooooosh plop whoooosh. After some time, see if you can align your breath with the rhythms of the water washing over and around your essence – your out breath an offering to the waters to take with them along their journey downstream. Stay in this moment as long as you wish.
Sunny Canopy Meditation
Looking up through the forest’s canopy I take in the sun peeking through leaves, turning them all sorts of vibrant emeralds and lime greens. Brave birds take flight and swoop through the vast pillars of light, while whispers of wind alter light’s radiance – nature’s kaleidoscope. Plants lean in close and absorb warmth from the sun, transforming her offering into new energy through a process called photosynthesis. The sun teaches us receiving warmth and new energy is just as valuable as releasing what we no longer need to carry.
Meditation: Take a moment to find a spot beneath the forest canopy, preferably in a ray of sunlight. Situate yourself in a way which feels relaxing and comfortable to you. This may look like sitting cross legged on the forest floor, or even lying down on your back with your palms facing toward the sky. You are welcome to close your eyes or keep them open depending on which senses you want to engage with and what feels best for you. Depending on how you are seated/laying, focus your attention on which parts of you are grounded to the earth. Notice the songs of the birds and the texture and temperature of the air flowing in and out of your lungs. Now, take 8 deep breaths in and out at your own pace, with the intention of each breath getting longer and slower as you go. If you’re laying down, feel both the earth grounding your back body firmly to the floor as the sun brings warmth to your face and front body. If you’re seated, feel the earth grounding your lower body while the sun brings warmth to your face and body. After some time, see if you can align your breath with the cyclical currents running through your energy field, creating your own sustainable energy cycle. Stay in this moment as long as you wish.
I hope these ASMR meditations bring you and your surrounding communities some moments of peace and clarity. As always, these practices are adaptable to any given environment, and I welcome you to change the phrasing or location of them to suit your space(s) and needs. While we collectively strive to create the world we wish to live in together, let’s make sure to also attend to our own personal ecosystems (body/mind/spirit). In this way, we are embodying sustainable practices, within and beyond ourselves.
