Over the past couple of years, I’ve thought a lot about how to maintain a consistent spiritual practice as I transitioned from a single working professional to a stay-at-home parent. Whether you have children or not, making the time and space for spirituality is no small feat in today’s busy world. In this instance, the old adage of “every little bit helps” absolutely rings true though. Even taking 5 minutes in the morning to feel grounding and gratitude has a remarkable impact on my entire day.

One practice that I’ve been doing with my children for the past year is greeting nature first thing in the morning. Our living room windows overlook our backyard, and we have lots of trees, plants and often wildlife in view. We sit on the sofa looking out the window and greet the day. My children are only 1 and 2 years old, so they mostly look with wonder out of the window and point out what they see. I really try to approach those few minutes mindfully, connecting with nature and expressing gratitude for its abundance.

Although the words I use are mostly the same day to day, I will add in new things to greet according to the situation; for instance, a new season, “rain” if it’s raining or different aspects of the landscape if we’re traveling and in a different location. Sometimes we say this greeting outside in our backyard, which feels even more experiential and grounding.

Mother Nature gratitude practice

Good morning, sun.

Good morning, trees.

Good morning, plants.

Good morning, flowers.

Good morning, mushrooms.

Good morning, microorganisms.

Good morning, bugs.

Good morning, birds.

Good morning, owl.

Good morning, squirrels.

Good morning, chipmunks.

Good morning to all nature spirits. We honor you and thank you for your protection and love.

Thank you, Mother Nature for your beauty and protection.