Connect with Mother Earth

Ways … and Why… to Connect with Nature

here are major energetic and scientific reasons to connect with nature on a regular basis. The scientific reasons include exposing ourselves to rich and vibrant living organisms and the way they impact us on a cellular level. Leading nutritionists and lifestyle coaches encourage their students to spend at least 1 hour a day outside connecting with nature as STEP #1 to getting back to living a healthy lifestyle. The fact is, we don’t really need lots of scientific evidence to convince us to reconnect with nature, do we? We all know it’s a major power source for vibrancy and vitality. So ask yourself? When was the last time you really connected to nature? When did you spend a whole hour outside breathing in fresh air, lifting your face to the sunshine, digging your bare feet into the earth, noticing the delicate and miraculous details all around you? How about even intentionally spending 15 minutes outside (walking between your house and the car doesn’t count!)

Try one of these things:

1.     Find a quiet place outside and sit down. Close your eyes, and think about the ground beneath you. Consider the texture, the temperature, the energy of the thriving earth below you. Breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Focus on your breath. Pay attention to how it inflates your lungs. Think about expanding your diaphragm in and out so you are belly-breathing. Let the energy in the air fill your body with life. Listen to  the sounds around you. Maybe you hear some leaves blowing in the breeze, or birds singing.  Sit in gratitude that Mother Earth is holding you, supporting you, as she always does. We just need to focus on that and recognize it more often.

2.     Focus on the powerful energy of the earth. Think of how the earth shows her power through lightening, thunder, earthquakes, tornadoes, waves, hurricanes, etc. Picture making space inside of you to inhale and absorb this energy. Pranayama , breathing exercises, in yoga provide us that accessibility, both physically and emotionally.  Picture your cells feeling the thrum of this power, and harnessing it to fulfill their specific jobs that they carry out inside your body. Stand tall and reach your hands to the sky, in Urdhva Hastasana, Volcano Pose, opening your chest and own your space here on earth. Practice yoga asana outside and note the difference in the energy of your poses as well as the transitions between them. These powerful displays of energy are around you and in you. What will you create with this new (or rediscovered) power?

3.     Get rejuvenated with water. When you have some time available, enter a pool or other body of water. The ocean or a lake is rejuvenating and alive with aquatic life. If you are able to get to a natural hot springs, this might be the most delicious water experience you’ve ever had … No matter which option you choose, allow yourself to feel the water holding you and supporting you. You can float, you can run in slow motion, you can submerge yourself completely. There is something comforting about water … when you are in warmer water, such as a hot springs, you can literally picture Mother Earth holding you in the most nurturing way, as a Mother does a Child. Notice how restored you feel when you are done.

Using essential oils during any of these processes (and any others you like that help you connect to nature) can greatly magnify your experience. Choose oils that help you relax and get grounded, such as a grounding blend or soothing blend. You can also opt for an invigorating oil such as peppermint, or a respiratory blend to help you breathe deeply.

We’d love to hear about your experience in connecting to nature … did one of these suggestions resonate with you, or do you have another way of connecting? What oil did you use, and how to you think it contributed to your overall experience?

Watch for our Essential Yoga Sangha coming this summer to learn more great tips on the synergistic benefits of yoga and essential oils.