Catch a Falling Leaf: A Different Approach to Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a great way to reduce anxiety and stress. Many people think only of meditation when they consider mindfulness, but there are a multitude of ways to experience it. There are familiar ways, like yoga or exercise, but once you appreciate what mindfulness really means, you can find it in any activity. By focusing on the moment at hand, we can learn to practice not worrying so much about the future or regretting the past, and appreciate our lives in the present moment. It also engenders a sense of self-acceptance and a suspension of judgment that can help us be kinder to ourselves and to others.

There are many established ways to practice mindfulness, but there is no rule that says you can only experience it in certain ways. I find that when I’m more in touch with this feeling of mindfulness, I tend to find moments in my everyday life that reflect it, and I try to recognize and appreciate those moments. One of my favorite ways to experience mindfulness in everyday life is by catching a falling leaf.

I spend lots of time walking in my neighborhood, getting exercise and sunshine, listening to podcasts or talking on the phone. One time I was walking along and noticed a tall tree with leaves that were starting to change color from green to yellow and brown. Just then a gust of wind blew a leaf off a limb. As it started to flutter to the ground my first instinct was to run and catch it, but then I decided not to, and then I changed my mind just as fast and wanted to catch it, but before I could move, the wind picked up and delivered the leaf right to me. All I had to do was hold out my hand and catch it.

I guess I was in an especially pensive mood that day because, as I held the leaf, I thought about how long it had been on that tree, how many days it must have taken to slowly grow and mature and get to the point where it was ready to fall, and the many gusts of wind that came closer and closer to dislodging it, until finally, at some random moment, its time had come, and the leaf fell down to me, who had spent my life traveling to arrive here at the exact moment the leaf fell.

I took the leaf home and put it on my desk. When I looked at it, it reminded me of how my entire life and that leaf’s entire life had built up to one serendipitous moment when we crossed paths. I also appreciated that I could easily not have seen the leaf fall and continued walking. What would have happened then? Nothing, I guess. The leaf would have fluttered to the ground, and nobody would have noticed. In fact, moments like that happen millions of times a day. Every leaf on a tree has to fall eventually. I just happened to be there and noticed it happening.

The mindfulness aspect I took away from this experience was how much I enjoy seeing these moments happen. Looking for falling leaves while I’m walking means I’m aware of my surroundings, not walking along trapped in anxious thoughts about the to-do list of the future. It made me more aware of the color of the sky and the feeling of the breeze on my skin, as opposed to self-critical thoughts about difficult relationships from the past and how they might pop up again in the future. It’s easy to walk along, head down, full of thoughts about everything except what’s happening right around you. Looking for falling leaves on my walks unlocked a mindfulness practice that I find simple and effective.

Here’s the thing about falling leaves, though: They’re not easy to catch! Those things flutter like a knuckleball. There are also obstacles to consider, curbs to avoid tripping over, streets to avoid darting into while your eyes are locked in on a falling leaf. It got to the point where my walks were getting longer because I was spending too much time standing under trees waiting for a leaf to fall. I think the universe was teasing me by making the first time I caught a falling leaf so easy. So the next time you notice a leaf falling from a tree, stop and consider it. Maybe try to catch it. But be prepared to experience how hard it is to catch a falling leaf. Much like being in the moment, it sounds simple, but it’s not as easy as you think.