How mindfulness and nature are conceptualised and integrated: A systematic review of nature-based mindfulness interventions

Amidst rising mental health and ecological challenges, nature-based mindfulness practices present as an avenue for promoting wellbeing and connections with nature, given the complementary benefits of mindfulness and nature experiences for psychological health. Yet, how mindfulness practices and environmental settings are conceptualised and operationalised within nature-based mindfulness interventions remains poorly understood. Past reviews are also limited by narrow mental health indices, excluding qualitative and environmental dimensions. In this paper, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate how mindfulness and nature are defined and applied within nature-based mindfulness interventions and synthesised the current state of psychological evidence across quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs. A systematic search in Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest was performed. Fifty-three studies were included for synthesis and critically appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The findings suggested benefits for affective wellbeing, nature and relational connection, and mindful awareness, though mixed findings were present. With limited mechanistic evidence and considerable variability in how mindfulness and nature were detailed and operationalised across interventions, the specific contributions of mindfulness, nature exposure, and their integration remain unclear. We conclude with directions to progress future research, with recommendations for advancing methodological, conceptual, and theoretical clarity discussed.