How writing haiku poems can help calm body and mind

Wild red poppies, sunsets, and clouds - nature's writing prompts

Writing about nature is powerful. It helps us observe, be present, and be still.

There is something very soothing and healing in looking at trees, flowers, clouds in the sky, listening to birdsong or the sound of flowing water.

Nature is a healer. Studies have found that being in nature, hearing the sounds of the natural world, and even looking at images of nature, has a positive impact on our physical and mental wellbeing.

Just stopping for a moment and considering the world around us helps steady any clamour in our heads, helps us forget any troubles for that moment.

 Being in nature helps us physically and emotionally. It has been shown to lower blood pressure and boost the immune system. It helps us live in the present - not look ahead or look back. Just reflect on what is in front of us now.

This snowscape is evocative in its desolation

But how do we find the words to express this beauty and the feelings nature stirs within us?

One way is through haiku poetry, a form of writing originally from Japan which typically focusses on nature - in just three lines.

Blasts of Arctic wind

Blow across the frozen land

While winter slumbers.

Haiku's minimalism forces writers to pare down to only the essentials - making each word count.

Traditionally, a haiku is made up from three lines totalling just 17 syllables.

Five syllables in the first line, seven in the the second, and five in the third. A 5 - 7 - 5 structure. There are no further rules. No rhyming or punctuation is required.

The colours and sounds of the seasons lend themselves to poetry

Autumn leaves swirling

To the rush of gusting winds.

A dance of seasons.

In modern or western writing, the rules of haiku poetry are often loosened. The three-line structure remains consistent but not all haiku poets stick to the the 5 - 7 - 5 syllables.

However, part of the challenge is in working hard to keep the haiku to the three short lines. Finding the right (few) words to express a moment in nature is therapeutic in itself.

Autumn leaves flutter

Through misty-moist morning air

Like gold coins scattered.

The haiku's three lines are a collection of words capturing the essence of a moment, your moment, in nature. Your words can be descriptive, or they can say what the moment means to you, what emotions are prompted, or senses heightened by the scene before you. But haiku writers learn to be succinct as excessive wordiness has no place in haiku poetry.

Spring, born of winter

Green shimmers through budding trees

As plants awaken.

The more conscious you become of choosing words for a haiku, the more aware you become of the natural world around you, the colours, smells, sights, and sounds.

In Japan, poets have written haikus for centuries. We can use this art form today to heighten our sense of awareness and to create inner calm by concentrating on the here and now.

Words about, images of, and found objects in nature can help us be present. We can use that connection to still our minds, all while learning about the power and awesomeness of the natural world.

Small and perfectly formed, haiku poetry with its short, descriptive lines, keeps us in the present - yet connects us to the natural world.

And the more connected we become to nature, the more we will feel part of nature. And therefore, the more we are moved to care for the natural world.

Matsuo Basho born in Japan in 1644 is recognised as the greatest master of haiku. In Japan many of his poems are reproduced on important monuments.

This is a translation of one of his famous haikus.

The Old Pond by Matsuo Basho.

An old silent pond

A frog jumps in the water

Splash. Silence again.

We are all part of nature. Going into green spaces and spending time in nature is stilling and healing. Spending time in nature is a step towards the even more powerful state of being connected to nature.

Observing nature, noting the changing weather, seasons, the tiniest plant growing in a pavement crack, insects buzzing around a flower, or the behaviour of birds in our garden or in the sky - all helps us to increase our connection to, and understanding of, nature.

Sun-scorched skies shine down

On vibrant flowers basking

In the morning heat.

Red kites soar and glide

On warm thermals as they scan

patchwork fields below.

So when you have a moment, or want to reflect, or are dealing with tough times, look around and put together a short three-line haiku. It is fun. It is powerful. It will keep you in the present.

'When we walk into a grove of trees or under an open sky, the magic of nature takes over and the heaviness of life lifts a little.' - Natassia Cassinero.