MINDFUL BIRDING

Discover a simple yet potent way to cultivate relaxation, a quiet mind, and a deep love for birds.

Learn the secret language of the birds along the way.

Mindful Bird Sits

Enjoy watching birds? Did you know that birdwatching is a gateway to a powerful mindfulness practice? It’s called a “bird sit.”

A bird sit is like an outdoor meditation with a focus on birds. Bird sits provide similar benefits to mindfulness practices, including relaxation and quiet mind. They also cultivate a deeper bond with the birds around us and reveal the birds’ secret languages.

The stillness of a bird sit invites our avian friends to come closer to us because they don't feel afraid. As a result, we experience beautiful intimate moments of their lives and a strong sense of kinship with birds.

Bird Language

Birds pay close attention to everything that happens in the landscape because their survival depends on it! They communicate to announce food sources, declare territory, attract a mate, coordinate within a flock, and sound the alarm when danger appears. We can learn to decode their language – and quickly – with a little bit of practice. You'll be amazed.

Perhaps you have already noticed this subtle conversation:

Do you feel the ease and peace in your body when the birds are singing?
Has your body ever picked up on the tension that comes when the birds suddenly go quiet?
Can you walk down the street without making the birds fly away from you?

Over time, you’ll discover what the birds are saying to each other and how their behaviors are driven by predation, feeding, mating, and nesting in the landscape. You’ll begin to understand how your behaviors affect nearby birds as well.

Health Benefits

Studies show that spending time outside is healthy and nourishing for our bodies and minds. Mindful birding can help reduce stress, sharpen concentration, and improve our well-being.

A study by the University of Michigan concluded that if we connect with nature for at least 20 minutes at a time, 3 times a week, our cortisol levels will be lowered significantly.

Mindful birding is the perfect way to enjoy time in nature while both activating your senses and calming your nervous system.

"There is a wild avian conversation happening all around us that does not take place using human-made words or language. It exists in sound, gesture, feeling, and silence. It communicates a constantly unfolding story of place that we are all a part of." - Weaving Earth

"Right outside your door flies just what you’ve been looking for to help ease symptoms of stress, pain, depression, and anxiety. All you have to do is look up, take notice, and open your heart and mind." - Tammah Watts, author of Keep Looking Up, Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birdwatching

MINDFUL BIRDING CLASS ON ZOOM

Thursday, January 16th
9:00 - 10:00 am

Location: ZOOM via the Center for the Spiritual Journey

Join us from the comfort of your home for a mindful birding practice—a powerful way to cultivate calm and focus in challenging times. In this 30-minute guided session, we’ll lay the groundwork for grounding ourselves, gently awakening our senses, and tuning into the presence of birds. Together, we’ll explore the “five voices” of birds, enhancing our understanding of bird language. Afterward, we’ll gather as a community to share our bird stories and observations from the experience. You’re welcome to join this ZOOM session either outside or near a window.