Are you looking for places to practice mindfulness in Houston? If so, we have a few along the beautiful Buffalo Bayou that you may want to try out. Do you want to know more about mindfulness? If you do, read this first, then come back and find out more about these beautiful places.
Johnny Steele Dog Park
2929 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TX 77019
Ahhhhh, who doesn’t love all things fuzzy? Well, to be honest we may like some of the fuzzy thing either……tarantulas come to mind first. If you are not a lover of the four legged fuzzy people, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Just skip this one.
This park is tucked right into the bayou between Memorial Dr and Allen Parkway. It is a huge space, full of all kinds of fun experiences for dogs. Lest we forget, it also has a lot of things for you. Oh hey, don’t sweat it if you don’t have a pooch, you can still use this as a spot for a mindfulness experience. Cause people are pretty cool and a lot of doggos love everyone. If you are afraid of dogs, this is not the place for you.
- Sound: Listen to the sounds you can hear around you. Different pitches or tones of dog barks. The jingle of a collar. The sound of the water splashing as dogs run into the water. Hearing the tree leaves rustle in the wind.
- Sight: Watch the movement of a particular dog. Notice the rhythm or pace of its legs as it walks, runs, jumps.
- Touch: If you are lucky enough to be nuzzled, licked or lovingly pounced on by someones pooch, check with them and make sure you can pet their dog, and then work on mindful petting. Feel their course or soft hair.
Gus S Wortham Fountain
2902 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TX 77019
As a native Houstonian, I’ve been passing this fountain since, well since I was I don’t know how old. It’s a loving staple in my life and I’d be heartbroken if it were ever to be taken away. It is beautiful. I remember as a child, going to the park several times and just standing and staring at it. Watching the water shoot out the sides of the fountain, even when I was a small child reminded me of a dandelion. This fountain is unique to Houston and is visible while driving down Allen Parkway. Come enjoy it up close to discover its unique beauty.
- Sound: Listen to the sound of the fountain. Notice how the sounds change. Notice the pitch. Notice the rate.
- Sight: Notice the big picture of the fountain as you look at it as one object. Shift your attention then to notice particular water sprays, droplets, or particular parts of the fountain. Notice the textures, colors, and movement.
- Touch: Feel the spray of the fountain mist on your skin. What is the temperature? What do the water droplets feel like as they roll down your face, arms, or legs?
Waugh Drive Bat Colony
Did you know that Houston has bats that live under the Waugh bridge? Not just one or two, or a small family. Nope, there are a lot of bats. Go big or go home, am I right? Every single night, 365 days a year, they leave their home every evening at dusk to take flight and help control the mosquito population. Heck yes! If you’ve never seen them, take a trip one evening and go check them out. If you have seen them, head out again with your new mission of practicing mindfulness!
- Sight: Notice the bats as they exit the bridge. Notice the rate and rhythm that they fly. What are their wings doing? What direction are they flying? What pattern do you notice? What formation do they take in the sky?
- Smell: What can you smell? Bat guano? The bayou? How does the intensity of the aroma change? What other smells can you detect?
- Sound: What can you hear? Can you pay attention just to the sounds of the bats? Can you hear their wings? Can you hear their calls?
Tolerance (Plensa) Statues
2121 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TX 77019
These statues were designed by Jaume Pensa and installed in 2011. They are made out of steel mesh and are made up of various letters and symbols from different languages. You might have driven or walked by these statues many times without really noticing them. Now’s your chance.
- Sight: Notice the colors. Notice the carvings and words. What is there that you didn’t notice before? If at night, notice the lights and how they illuminate different parts of the statues.
- Touch: Notice the texture of the statues. What are they made out of? What is the temperature? What does the rock underneath it feel like?
Buffalo Bayou Visitors Center
105 Sabine St, Houston, TX 77007
Say what, a visitor’s center? Who would have guessed. If you don’t spend a lot of time in this area of Houston, you may not have known that there was one. It’s there and you need to take a trip down to check it out. The visitor’s center is like a box full of mindfulness options. For example, there is a fabulous viewing deck! The top offers sweeping views of downtown Houston. Take a trip and see what the downtown skyline looks like at night, it can be quite breathtaking.
Next to this there is the Lee and Joe Jamail Skate Park. It sounds like just what it is. If you are a skater, take your board down to the park and you can roll over the smooth concrete park. If you’re not a skater, no worries, you can watch these magical people cut tricks and amaze you as they don’t quit until they nail a trick.
If you don’t have time during the week to head down to this part of the Bayou, fear not. On the weekends there are usually a variety of ice cream and food trucks giving you a chance to practice mindfulness of food. If you’re still hungry for more, you can also walk across the Sabine Street Bridge and watch the water in the bayou flow into downtown.
As a bonus, take a tour of the Buffalo Bayou Cistern, a hidden underground gem in Houston. Take in the sights and sounds of this underground reservoir.
- Taste: Grab some ice cream or food. Sit down and really bring your attention to what you are eating. Notice the flavor, texture, and temperature. Eat slowly, being aware of each bite.
- Sight: Notice the different colors, textures, and sizes of the sky scrapers. Notice the patterns of the windows. Notice the lights.
- Touch: Walk through the nature center gardens. Feel the texture of the leaves, trees, flowers, rocks, grass, and sand.
Mindfulness is Hard Work
If you try out paying attention to one of these particular senses, you will notice very quickly that your mind will forget that it’s trying to focus on one of these things and will instead start thinking about something else. This is completely normal. Our brains are busy, they are trying to remind us of a lot of different things. And let’s be honest our brains do tend to chatter on like a lunch room in middle school, the noise can be deafening.
The best thing to do is, just notice when it’s wandered off and then redirect your attention back to your chosen sense. You’ll do this again and again and again. It can be surprisingly difficult and sometimes annoying! Fear not, this is normal. Take this as a moment, to acknowledge that you are a normal human being trying something new. If you were trying to run a marathon, you wouldn’t expect yourself to run 26.2 as soon as you decided you wanted to. You’d need to train. Mindfulness is the same way, we need to train our brains. The real work happens when we choose to bring our attention back to the here and now.
We’ve shared with you a few great spots to try out mindfulness. When you really think about it, the possibilities are endless. So take a walk along the bayou and discover your own unique spot to get connected to the here and now. So often we’re lost in our heads with our daily worries, fears, and stress. We miss what’s right in front of us. Choosing to be mindful in these ways not only helps us stop the pattern of thinking about all of this stuff that’s stressing us out but also helps us enjoy what’s right in front of us.
Kathryn Tipton is one of the founders of and therapist at Houston Center for Valued Living. She a passion for helping individuals overcome life’s challenges and find meaning and fulfillment in their busy lives. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology. Her private practice is located in central Houston, in the Montrose district. For clients outside of Houston (but residents of Texas), Kathryn conducts telehealth (online/web video) sessions. Contact her today kathryn@hcfvl.com or by phone 713.259.9049.
As a Houston based counseling clinic, our caring therapists also offer therapy for
- anxiety disorders and anxiety treatment
- obsessive compulsive disorder
- depression treatment
- maternal mental health
- counseling for children
- therapy for teens
- insomnia
Send an email to: info@hcfvl.com to learn more about how Houston Center for Valued Living can help you take the next step toward creating your best life.
If you’re ready to get started today, choose one of our awesome therapists and schedule your appointment now by phone, e-mail, or our online scheduling system.