R is for Reading: mindfulness in nature

Words fill our daily lives, flash up on screens or shout from the back of buses; so much of our reading is incidental, or backlit on a screen.

But reading can offer the perfect opportunity for being fully present and mindful.

• Explore our A to Z of mindfulness in nature

Find a time when you can focus and relax without distractions and choose an engaging text; notice the tactile joy of holding a book cool to the touch, the smell of ink, the soft sounds of paper.

Take your time to note the rhythm of a sentence, the pace of a age – even read out loud and savour the sounds of words in your mouth. Allow yourself to be absorbed in the beauty of words.