What are the essential sensory awareness exercises that will accelerate your journey to deep nature connection?
I’ve been deeply passionate about the process of developing powerful sensory observation skills for many years now.
My studies have led me to many techniques & methods taught by everyone from nature educators looking at wildlife tracking & invisible ‘scout skills’ to psychologists & experts in non-verbal communication.
On this page I’ve gathered together a whole series of practical tips & strategies for people who really want to stretch their senses & awareness of the natural world.
Listening to each of these short recordings will help you:
- Feel more connected with nature and your senses
- Develop strong focus & awareness
- Be a better observer/tracker/naturalist
- Discover a new source of inner peace & vitality
Let’s get started!
Speed Observing 101
On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your observation skills?
The ability to stay alert & make good observations can be one of the most enriching skills to develop in life.
With every step you take towards an increased observational awareness you’ll find that life takes on a new shine as you begin seeing the world around you with new eyes and new ears.
Nature provides a perfect context for us to develop this deeper awareness, but a lot of people feel that they just don’t have good observation skills, or that they don’t even know how to improve.
It can be a challenging thing to measure… especially when it’s not truly known what the limits of our sensory observation abilities as people are.
It is however a skill that anyone can improve with a bit of practice!
So let’s get started with one of my favorite ways to practice that you can then apply and start sharpening up your observational mind.
Slowing Down & Seeing More
Are you moving too fast to be aware of your surroundings & environment?
Most everybody when they stop and think about their level of presence out in nature will admit that they could be noticing more.
All around us there are worlds of birds, trees, plants, insects, life & death.
There are new trails to follow and adventures to be had, but if we don’t invest in our ability to really slow down and take it all in, then it will be as if those things don’t even exist.
In this audio recording on the subject of sensory awareness, I’m going to share one of the easiest techniques that makes the biggest difference for people who want to become more aware of what’s happening in their surroundings.
4 Simple Awareness Questions
What can you do right now to get more from the time you spend in nature?
I’m going to share with you 4 simple questions that will help you do this with our next sensory awareness tip.
Aside from the fresh air… if you’re not focused on using your maximum sensory capabilities then you’re not really getting as much out of your time outside as you could be.
Why is that?
Nature is so much more than just a place to get exercise, but if you tune in and get curious you’ll find endless mysteries & things to observe.
Having a basic sensory connection to life is one of the foundations for a healthy mind & a healthy heart.
So ask yourself these 4 awareness questions and watch yourself transform!
Tips For Improving & Using Your Peripheral Vision
Did you know that most of the visual information you pick up from your environment comes through your peripheral vision?
Most people never take the time to focus on developing this expanded sensory capability.
Yet with practice you can open up & stretch your visual field to take in whole worlds of information that you’re currently missing out on.
In the audio recording below I’m going to share a whole series of my favorite peripheral vision training exercises that will help you push your visual sense to the maximum.
Just click play and you’ll be on your way to discovering your inner ninja.
How To Awaken Your Sense of Hearing With Blindfolding
One of the biggest challenges people have when they get out into nature is listening & using their ears effectively.
Our society is highly conditioned towards being visual and many people get into a space of being so focused on their eyes that they almost can’t really even use their ears.
This problem is not difficult to remedy so I’ve created this week’s sensory awareness tip to give you some strategies for waking up your ears.
You’ll be able to put what I share into use immediately to start tuning into your ears with much greater depth.
30 Seconds of Intensity
Does your mind wander every time you step outside?
If you’re like most people then the answer to this question will be yes.
It’s amazing how much people miss in the natural world when their thoughts are drifting from their job, to their family, and what they’re going to do tomorrow or the next day.
These are important things to think about, but not at the expense of discovering what nature is giving you in the moment.
So how would you like to know a simple technique that you can easily apply out in nature to let go of all all those thoughts and absolutely skyrocket your presence in the moment?
I call this technique, ’30 seconds of intensity’ and it’s the subject of this quick three minute audio recording.
So Listen up, Tune in and Discover a new way to:
- Feel more connected to your senses and to the environment
- Take a break from your thinking mind
- Develop stronger focus & awareness
Is Your Language Blinding You?
Words Are Like Magic!
Did you know that the words you use in your mind have a direct impact on how you pay attention to your environment?
In every moment we either promote or discourage our level of sensory engagement with the world by virtue of the linguistic structures we’re using.
This is highly relevant to people who want to study nature and reach their peak awareness.
Our language is constantly working behind the scenes, and you’ve probably never considered how a single word could be holding you back from access a deeper awareness in the natural world.
Language? Awareness? What?
If this sounds complicated, it’s really not. For example, think about the difference between these two statements:
- I saw a squirrel
- I watched a squirrel
At first glance these seem like very similar statements. They both refer to having visual experiences with a squirrel.
But if you reflect on it, you’ll see that these two ways of interacting with a squirrel actually represent very different levels of sensory engagement.
To see a squirrel only takes a moment in time… but to actually watch a squirrel you have to get a lot more engaged.
This is a fascinating topic that’s completely hidden from the view of most people.
Most people are not aware of the traps their language gets them into when observing nature & using your senses in any context.
So in the audio recording below we’ll look at this whole dynamic & how you can be more intentional about your language.
Our next sensory awareness tip: Building an awareness of how language affects our seeing & hearing abilities…