6 Meditation Tips to Lower Stress When Hiking and Exploring

Hiking is a beloved pastime. Over 61 million people in the US alone enjoy getting out into nature, watching birds soar through the sky, and experiencing the wonder the world has to offer. From challenging uphill hikes requiring security ropes to relaxing walks around the local lake, hiking provides a wealth of health benefits that will reframe your mindset.

The only challenge is getting to that “zone” where you feel truly relaxed. The hike you take should also improve your sense of well-being. Incorporating meditative tips during your exploration is a surefire way to boost the enjoyment of your journey. 

The basics of meditation involve using a practice like meditation music or guided meditation to focus the mind and achieve a state of clarity. In return, this cultivates an emotionally calm state in your mind, providing stability and relaxation when you need it most.

When you combine meditation with going for a hike, you exponentially boost the benefits you receive like:

• Calming the mind and lowering anxiety levels due to stressful living.
• Sharpening the focus you feel so you can concentrate on multiple things at once.
• Boosting your physical fitness lowers blood pressure, improves heart rate, and elevates immunity.
• Feel a greater sense of living “in the moment” instead of worrying about the future or past – which always leads to anxiety.

The only thing remaining is learning how to engage in the practice of meditation sleep before or during a hike. 

One of the best parts of taking any hike is finding those unique locations far from the impact of humans. These are untouched areas with unique rock formations, flowing streams, waterfalls, shaded trees, and more.

Close your eyes and find a comfortable place to sit, allowing your body to soak up the natural wonder around you. Focus on the sounds and smells of nature or play meditation music on your mobile device as you get a solid 10-30 minute break from your hike and rejuvenate your mind and focus.

While there is nothing wrong with goal setting, it can sometimes get in the way of living. We get so focused on achieving a certain goal that we forget to enjoy the journey to reach such an achievement.

While you’re hiking, don’t just focus on reaching the summit. Allow yourself the mental space to let nature into your mind through meditation. Feel the sun's warmth on your skin or the earth beneath your feet and embrace the tranquility all around you. Exposure to nature is one of the best ways to improve attention, lower stress, and improve mood. 

The idea of mindful breathing is simple. You distract your overactive imagination from all the other anxieties in the world by focusing on your breathing instead. Every breath you take becomes a journey, from deeply inhaling to filling your lungs and slowly exhaling through your mouth.

When done well over 5-10 minutes, you help regulate your heartbeat and reduce anxiety by staying focused on the trail and how you feel. This breathing technique is helpful not just on the hike, but when you’re out in the world giving a presentation, dealing with conflict, or simply wanting to stop feeling overwhelmed. 

Like Thanksgiving is a feast for your appetite, the outdoors is a cornucopia of benefits to your senses. Learn to unlock them individually by focusing on what they are experiencing.

• Sight: Look around and take in all you can see, from the massive canvas of nature to the minute details like water droplets on a leaf. Consider the colors, textures, and images you may never see again in that specific configuration.
• Smell: The natural world smells amazing – especially after a rain shower. As you inhale to relax, consider the scent all around you, from sunscreen on your arms to pollinating flowers.
• Sound: What you hear will be remembered. The way a bird trills in the early morning or how a small waterfall crashes over rocks are fantastic ways to relax in the future. That is why you can find so many sound machines using meditation music mixed with natural sounds.
• Touch: As long as you’re safe, touch the world around you. The way a leaf feels or a walking stick moves in your hand is incredible. Even the breeze tickling the tiny hairs on your arms relaxes your body.
• Taste: Enjoy fresh mountain water through a hiking filter or taste the dew in the air before and after a rain shower. 

Walking meditation combines the physical movement and health benefits you want with the clarity you need. Focus on every step you take and feel the rhythm of your movement. You can also use a guided meditation application to help regulate breathing and emotions while walking.

Over time, you’ll feel yourself slipping naturally into this new state of exercise. Pretty soon, you may want to join local hiking groups or clubs, so you always feel that level of relaxation. 

When you go on the hike you like, you will need breaks. Use these moments to practice tree pose, mountain pose, or even downward dog. Integrating Yoga into your hiking practice improves your natural flexibility and enhances the relaxation and connection you’ll feel with the world around you.