Practising Self-Love: 7 Ways to Use Nature to Open Your Heart

I love watching motivational videos as part of my early morning ritual, and today's one struck a chord with me. The speaker was talking about healing his panic attacks and anxiety through meditation and was told to open his heart. He admitted that he had no idea what that looked or felt like. I knew what he meant!

For a long time, my body was in survival mode, and that made my heart shut down. I learnt not to show my vulnerability or trust anyone with my love or joy. On the day I chose to love and feel safe again, I realised my heart needed serious nurturing and gentleness!

My self-love journey started, and here are some ways I use to open my heart again.

7 Ways to Use Nature to Open Your Heart

1. Find Your Soul: Nature is a Mirror of You

A few years back, I was blessed with the opportunity to move onto a farm in the countryside. This experience has transformed me in many ways, building on the personal growth journey I’ve been on for over ten years.

Finding myself surrounded by Mother Nature, I would sit on our stoep staring for hours at the view of trees and the valley, slowly recognising that it reflected my soul. Every morning and late afternoon, I walk around the farm, embracing the pure beauty of nature. My soul began to come alive and reignite a fire within me.

Through nature, my heart began to open up, slowly, slowly. I was in love with and in awe of my soul-restoring surroundings. It became easier and safer to feel love, joy, and gratitude again, for myself and the people around me.

Spending time in nature expands your heart and allows you to feel deeply.

2. Take a Gratitude Walk In Nature

Every walk I take in nature makes my heart burst with gratitude! I would experience this sensation whenever we took trips to the bushveld, camped under the stars, or hiked up mountains.

When we lived in the city, regular walks around our neighbourhood, filled with beautiful gardens and trees, would remind me of how grateful I was to be surrounded by Mother Nature.

Gratitude opens the heart. It’s an extremely powerful emotion. Practising daily gratitude is an empowering act of self-love, and you can do it in many different ways:

• Journaling

• Writing down the things you are grateful for every day

• Expressing gratitude to another person

• Walking in nature

When taking a gratitude walk in nature, you choose to become aware of the beauty surrounding you. It could be the sound of a bird call, the sight of fresh leaves on trees, a beautiful flower, or a butterfly flying across your path. Witnessing the natural environment reminds you of the simplicity and pure beauty of life, making you grateful for being alive.

Your heart will expand!

3. Get in Touch with Your Senses

Have you ever walked barefoot on a newly mowed lawn? I love that sensation, and it always opens my heart with joy. I love the smell of freshly cut grass, and these sensations make my heart expand with heightened feelings of happiness and love.

One of my biggest recent joys has been hearing birds singing, thanks to choosing to hear again with a cochlear implant. I hear the rain, the frogs plopping into the water at the dam, insects trilling at night, and the flutter of moth wings around my lamp. These sounds remind me how unique and powerful nature is.

You can use your senses to touch the soft new leaves unfurling, taste a baby tomato warmed in the sun, or sense the energy of hope that comes with every sunrise. Your senses allow you to experience the beauty and power of nature.

Every sensation triggers love and joy in your heart.

4. Tap Into the Nurturing Love of Mother Earth

One of my favourite meditations is tapping into Mother Earth's nurturing love. I visualise roots growing from my feet, deep into the centre of Mother Earth. With every inhale, I draw up Mother Earth’s nurturing and loving energy into my body. I imagine her rich and warm energy moving around my body, radiating love everywhere she goes within.

Another way to tap into the nurturing love of Mother Earth is to walk barefoot on the ground. Not only does Mother Earth support you, but she responds with pure love. When I take a mindfulness walk in nature, I am reminded of Thich Nhat Hanh saying that we should kiss the earth with every step we take. Mother Earth responds with love.

Mother Earth is everywhere, whether you’re walking on the pavement through town or up a flight of stairs in your home. She supports you always, and when you acknowledge that, you’ll feel her love radiate throughout your body and open your heart.

5. Plant a Seed of Love in Your Heart

Part of my early morning ritual includes a 30-minute meditation cultivating a blooming heart. I got the idea from Dr Joe Dispenza (who you should be following if you’re serious about creating a new self).

Lying down, I visualise planting a seed of love in my heart. I nurture it by watering my seed with love, joy, gratitude, and light. Every morning, I close my eyes, place my left hand on my heart and imagine my seed germinating and growing into a magnificent plant full of love.

It didn’t take long for me to experience real sensations of love, joy, and gratitude in my heart simply by placing my attention there. If possible, do this meditation lying under a tree or on the lawn. But it’s not essential.

Visualising nature blooming and feeling it is enough to open your heart.

6. Be in Awe of Nature

You can’t help but be in awe of nature whenever you spend time with it. It could be a certain breeze wafting across your face, reminding you of a loved one or the sight of an eagle soaring in the sky. I’m always in awe of seeds germinating under the harshest conditions or when a gale blows up and the tallest trees bend and become flexible under such force.

When I’m in awe of something, it creates elevated emotions such as gratitude, amazement, and even humility. These feelings cultivate love and, at times, reverence, creating a deeper perspective on life. When I’m in awe of nature, I realise that there’s something bigger than me.

Being in awe of nature (and life) expands your heart. Nature’s awesomeness cultivates an open heart, allowing you to live wholeheartedly and with love.

7. Solitude in Nature

Solitude allows you to self-reflect and ponder on what matter the most to you. Spending time in nature alone and in silence is a wonderful way to explore your feelings. Through introspection, you can identify which emotions aren’t serving you and release them.

Nature provides a calm and soothing environment for personal growth and awareness work. It reduces stress hormones, letting you relax and restore mind, body, and soul in a safe space. The more time you spend in solitude in nature, the closer you get to understanding your inner self.

Self-reflection in nature grounds you, brings you into the present moment, and allows you to focus on cultivating love in your heart. Bringing your awareness to your body shows you what needs to be released and changed for clearer perspectives.

All of these activities support the opening of the heart and bring you closer to living with elevated emotions such as excitement, wonderment, and love.

Final Thoughts

Mimi Novic once said, “When our heart is open, everything we do becomes love.” Opening your heart is essential if you want to live an authentic life. It’s your Truth. Many of us have closed our hearts because of loss, trauma, broken trust, and hopelessness. Starting over and trusting yourself is key to opening your heart.

Nature is one of the best healing powers available to us, and when you spend time with her, your heart will open. You need to commit to the process of self-love and be willing to feel love, joy, and gratitude again. Tell yourself that you’re worthy and show up for yourself. You won’t regret it.