“Next time you go out on a hike, bring a notebook with you,” encouraged writer and teacher Johanna DeBiase, leading a workshop at this year’s Taos Mountain Wellness Festival at Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico.

Formerly the Taos Mountain Yoga Festival, the rebranded August gathering expanded its focus this year beyond yoga to embrace a broader vision of health, healing and creativity. With “stability” as the weekend’s guiding theme, participants explored practices that root body, mind and spirit — from movement and meditation to workshops that blended art and nature.

DeBiase’s Nature Writing Workshop invited attendees to tap into the creative potential of the outdoors, where science and spirit meet. Research supports what many intuitively know: time in nature calms the nervous system, boosts focus and sparks imagination. According to Attention Restoration Theory, developed by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in the 1980s, natural environments restore our capacity for attention while enhancing creativity — the perfect setting for putting pen to paper.

Photos by Kim Fuller

Writing as Flow

The first exercise was simple yet surprisingly challenging: free writing. Borrowing from Natalie Goldberg’s well-known practice, participants set a timer, put pen to paper and wrote continuously without editing or pausing. “Don’t think, just write,” said DeBiase. “If you get stuck, write ‘blah, blah, blah’ or ‘I don’t know what to write’ — but don’t stop.” The exercise, often called a brain dump, helps bypass self-censorship and opens the channel for authentic expression.

Writing with the Senses

Next, participants tuned into their five senses, starting with a short meditation to sharpen awareness of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Then came a deeper invitation: to listen with the heart. For seven minutes, writers explored their perceptions, letting sensations guide their words. This practice created a bridge between external environment and inner experience, cultivating a more embodied way of writing.

Writing with Nature as Mirror

The third exercise encouraged connection with a “nature being” — a flower, a bird, a tree, a stone, even the sky. For 10 minutes, we described our chosen subject using sensory detail. Then, with five additional minutes, we reflected on what personal meaning or message that element of nature might hold. “Nature is often a mirror for our psyche or soul,” said DeBiase. “What you’re drawn to might show you something about yourself.”

Leaving Space

DeBiase reminded participants that writing doesn’t always need to end neatly. “Sometimes it’s good to just leave it — even on a cliffhanger. You can always come back to it later. You don’t have to wrap it up in a bow.”

The workshop closed with a collective sharing. Reading words aloud gave them new energy, transforming private reflection into community experience. Many were surprised by the depth and resonance of what emerged in such a short time.

At its heart, the session illustrated why writing in nature works: the quieting of the mind, the sharpening of the senses and the reflections offered by the natural world all combine to awaken creativity. Whether on a hike with a notebook or sitting in stillness under a tree, the practice offers a way to both ground and expand — a perfect expression of the festival’s theme of stability.

Kim Fuller
Publisher + Editor-In-Chief
@lifeinfull