How To Be in Harmony in Nature — Wherever You Are, With Yuria Celidwen

Indigenous scholar Yuria Celidwen guides us in a meditation to strengthen our sense of belonging and connection to the earth.

This Happiness Break is part of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. In it, we explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. Listen to the rest of the series, which was released in our feed April 22–May 18, 2023.

How to Do This Practice:

1. Find a comfortable position wherever you are located.

2. Direct your attention to your feet and the surface below them. Try to cultivate a sense of belonging in that space under your feet.

3. Let your breath guide your attention back to your feet and upward to your heart and head.

4. Feel a sense of openness as you welcome the warmth of the sun into your heart.

5. Acknowledge the transformative power of the earth and your role within it.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Dr. Yuria Celidwen is an Indigenous scholar whose work focuses on Indigenous contemplative traditions and advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples and lands. She is a senior fellow at the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley and has worked with numerous organizations including the United Nations.

Learn more about Yuria: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/

Find out more about Yuria’s work at the Othering and Belonging Institute: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/yuria-celidwen

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative: https://tinyurl.com/d2vzpsaj

What Happens When We Reconnect With Nature: https://tinyurl.com/553xwm47

How to Protect Kids from Nature-Deficit Disorder: https://tinyurl.com/4usewuzj

How Nature Helps Us Heal: https://tinyurl.com/2p93682j

Why is Nature So Good for Your Mental Health? https://tinyurl.com/bdetmjt3

Five Ways to Develop “Ecoliteracy”: https://tinyurl.com/2zuj6smv

Green With Empathy: https://tinyurl.com/42rk4m2m

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience with this meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

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We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

The Science of Happiness would like to extend a special thanks to *Eva Frye for their support of this series.*