Harmonize with Nature for Optimal Health
/Namaste Yogis and Yoginis!
Yoga and Ayurveda teach us that wellbeing is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit. And harmonizing ourselves with nature is essential for optimal health.
And when this balance is missing for too long – we will eventually feel it. It may feel something like boredom, emptiness; possibly a deep craving or hunger. Or maybe like irritability, sadness, anger, or even worse: illness.
Of course there are many practices we can do on our mats to help us balance and harmonize in this way, but we exponentially deepen our experience when we get off our mat and out into the world.
Science supports the importance of nature in our wellbeing and a growing body of research confirms that more time in nature will lead to better overall health, including reducing the stress hormone cortisol, increasing your bodies defense system, promoting faster healing time, and lowering symptoms of anxiety and depression.
In fact, forest bathing has become a national recommended practice in Japan as a prescription to decrease stress, increase immunity, and help alleviate chronic illness symptoms.
Summer is the perfect time to expand in this way.
And it's not just good for your body and mind, it's good for the soul. As Thomas Moore so eloquently inspires: "It's important to be heroic, ambitious, productive, efficient, creative, and progressive, but these qualities don't necessarily nurture soul. The soul has different concerns, or equal value: downtime for reflection, conversation, and reverie; beauty that is captivating and pleasuring; relatedness to the environment and to people; and any animal's rhythm of rest and activity."
Now trust me, I know you are busy and getting away for a weekend in the woods is not always feasible, so I’ve packed this issue of Yogalicious, and each weekly blog in August, with simple ways to help you savor this last month of summer.
You'll find inspirations and suggestions on how to get a outside little more, ideas to connect more deeply with friends and loved ones in nature, and techniques to bring your yoga and mindfulness practices in to any summer activity.
But the bottom line is get outside and, as Thich Nhat Hang encourages: “Slow down, breathe, and smile."
With Joy,
Jillian
P.S. Practice in the Park! Join me outside in Bryant Park, NYC for two yoga practices under the wide-open sky (mats provided): August 12 at 10 am & August 14 at 6pm.
Not in NYC? Check your Local Park Associations and studios to see if they're holding any outdoor yoga classes. If not, encourage it! Or visit AlignYo to find other ways to take your yoga outdoors.
Words of Wisdom
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. - John Muir
How to Slow Down and Enjoy Nature
Easy Ways To Enjoy More Time In Nature
EAT OUT
You don’t have to go on a big picnic (although that would be great!). We eat breakfast outside in our backyard – even on a busy morning if we bring our food outside for just a few minutes it can change the way we feel all day. Try it! Or take your next lunch out of the office: eat on a bench with a friend.
SPEND AN HOUR AT A FAMERS MARKET
Time in the market can feel like a day in nature. Just feasting your eyes on all the colors and smelling all the earth-grown goodies is refreshing for the senses. Our favorite markets in NJ are listed at Hoboken Farms.
PICK YOUR OWN
A farmer at the Market introduced us to Purslane – which is a weed that is very watery, sweet and delicious, and grows in many of our yards! Here is a list of edible weeds you can dig up in your own yard!
YOU DON’T HAVE TO DIG TOO DEEP
No big yard? Live in the city? Plant some flowers in a pot. Use your hands to dig the dirt. Take a deep breath and enjoy the scent on your hands.
RIDE THE WATER
Live in the city? Take a ferry ride instead of the subway or a cab. When we lived in Hoboken we often rode the ferry back and forth to NYC just for fun. For a special treat try and early morning ride before the world is too awake or enjoy a sunset trip; just sit back, relax and let the wind blow in your hair.
LOOK UP
Grab a friend and lay down in the grass, look up at the sky and describe the cloud formations you see. Any animals up there? Any cartoon characters? Tell a story with the characters you see in the sky. If you can’t get outside remember that even just looking out a window at the sky can be a way to connect with nature.
LOOK DOWN
Have you heard about the Geocashing craze? A fun way to discover the environment with friends or children. Geochasing is a real-word treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. You navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find a hidden container (geocache) at that location. When you open it, there are little trinkets to take (and you leave one in return) as well a as a log book to record your visit. There are actually over 2,461,191 active Geocashes and over 6 millions Geocachers world wide.
LISTEN IN
Stand still in the park or in the woods. Relax and listen. What do you hear? This is a great one to do with children; after several minutes of listening share with each other the most interesting sound you heard.
Visit me here at the Yogalicious blog, each week in August for more practices and tips to harmonize with nature and expand your health and happiness.
“… I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”
Find Your Way Back To Nature Long After Summer Fades
Plan your retreat back to nature in the Berkshire Mountains
Fall Foliage Yoga Weekend Vacation with Jillian – November 7-9 (Only 7 spaces left!)
Nestled in the vibrant Berkshire Mountains, Race Brook is the idyllic setting in which to cherish autumn, leave the stress of everyday life behind, and enter a sanctuary for your body, mind, and spirit. You’ll go home totally revived and want to return again next year for the: Great multi-level yoga and meditation immersion - Scrumptious meals prepared by our natural Gourmet Chef -Unforgettable uplifting surroundings -Amazing Yoga Space (a restored barn illuminated by lofty sky-lit ceilings) -Charming lodge -Musical brook lined with cozy hammocks -Hiking trails and waterfall -And, of course, for the fun-loving students!
