Yoga & Nature
For many, the ideal place to practice your yoga is in nature. But even just sitting on the grass, closing your eyes and listening to the sounds of the birds, the rustling of the wind or the rippling of water, can give you the wonderful feeling of being "connected".
Many scientific studies also show that people in Friesland, Groningen & Drenthe, for example, are much healthier than here in the West, the Randstad.
The main cause for me is the stress factors, such as traffic jams, crowds, too little time due to longer queues, noise, etc. And also the space and much more being surrounded by nature.
I myself grew up in the countryside and oh what a blessing to be able to walk into the garden as a child or play in the back of the field without being disturbed. I also played with nature: built huts, jumped over ditches or lay in the grass watching the clouds.
In nature your scent sensors are also opened and how wonderful it is to smell the scent of grass, autumn leaves or flowers.
You don't have to do a long yoga session to relax in nature, because a walk in the forest or by the sea also gives you an immediate feeling of peace and well-being.
And well, if you live in a busy and big city, you can sometimes feel lost and long for some nature around you. If you don't have a garden at your disposal, these tips might help you:
- buy a bunch of flowers, carefully select them branch by branch and make something beautiful out of them. Choose the flowers and branches by feel and color. wonderful when you come home and it is on your table
- eat "seasonal" vegetables from an organic store, now you can eat delicious pumpkin and chestnuts, for example. And also cut the vegetables yourself, the scent is then much stronger.
- spend more money on "taste". so if you eat a cheese, get the real one, where you are actually in the French countryside for a while, for example. The same with a glass of wine, treat yourself to quality and enjoy the intense experience. For example, make this a ritual, sit down for a while, listen to some nice music, etc.
- don't pay attention to buildings and people on the street, for example, but concentrate more on the bits of nature that are there, you will be surprised what there is.
- plan a nature moment at least once a week. Go to a park, the beach or the forest.
- consider an allotment garden, then you will have your own nature spot in the city.
- Nowadays you have such nice lunch spots, where they do everything they can to bring some nature to you, choose this one if you have an appointment or have to work/meet somewhere.
- also place flowers and plants at the entrance to your front door if possible, it gives a wonderful feeling to come home with some greenery around you, and it also makes the street more fun.
- there is beautiful music with natural sounds, put it on, make a cup of tea and curl up on the couch, close your eyes and you are "away for a while.".
- Watch nature films more often, with beautiful images, that also makes you wonderfully relaxed.
In my yoga classes I always use natural elements, for example through nature sounds in music, soft incense, made exclusively with natural substances, and I emphasize relaxation and tranquility.
If you want to get away for a while and get into "real" nature, you can still join the Yoga Relax Week Andalusia in October. (still a limited number of places!) www.soulware.nl
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