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Nature as a Remedy ~ Breathe in your Origin

I am back in my safe haven. A little house in a rural area on the border with the Netherlands and Belgium. A place surrounded with farmland, cows, sheep and other farm animals. The Antwerp Harbour is not very far so I can go and watch the ships at the Schelde when I take a short bike ride. There is protected nature, forest and so much more. Here I feel I am part of nature, not of people. The beautiful flowers, weeds, landscapes. I breathe it in. My city house down town in the city center of Rotterdam is nice as well. But sometimes I need to escape to nurture my emotional needs and senses. What is this magic nature can offer us?

Nature

Nature can be rough, cold, wet, windy, smelly, lovely, and beautiful. Even when it is cultivated by men, nature is beautiful. It does what it wants, grows where it wants, is what it wants. Nature is pure if it can be it’s own self. Not so much individuality, but a wholeness. Egoless. Without humans, nature would take over, growing everywhere. It therefore holds a strong force and will. Think of the waves of the sea. So much power there. The winds and storms. Nature is strong, unpredictable and wild.

Why do we need nature?

Nature is where we all descend from. In primal eras we lived in nature, which was our home environment. A part of this is still in our genes. A part in us feels at home in nature, it is a place where we can long for. Nature brings relaxation, it lowers stress symptoms and lowers blood pressure. It is a place where we breathe out instead of breathe in. Modern cities are on the other hand men made and constructed. They are rather new and stand far away from our origins or natural habitat.

Nature versus City

Cities are densely populated; there are a lot of people living on a small area of land. Think of flat buildings, but also smaller space of living for a bigger price. There are more amenities in your area, more options, but also more stimuli. The cars driving through your streets, city lights, sounds that people make, a building ground near your house. You have a lot more stimuli that you need to digest. Your senses are picking up a lot of information. Sleep only is sometimes not enough to process this all.

Concrete, asphalt, where is nature? There is sparsely a piece of grass or some tree nearby. You have to go to places out of the city, as even the parks are usually densely populated on warm days. We literally need some space from all the stimuli around us. Especially when you are sensitive to sounds, crowded areas, light etcetera nature is a must to go to, to recharge and release.

Time to submerge yourself in Nature

Too much on your mind? Sleeping bad? Stress? Submerge yourself in nature! It will calm you down.

And when in nature, what to do? That is not complicated. Just be. Feel all your senses, feel the leaves on the trees, the sand under your feet, the water of the sea. Experience and feel. Listen to the birds in the trees, the wind. Smell the grass, soil, flowers, the crisp air. Kick off your shoes and experience! Release tension that you hold in your body, just let it flow back into the earth. Listen to the silence. Go for a good walk, swim, bike! Use your body and take in all the beauty nature has to offer, as it is so healing. Empty your mind, fill it up with fresh clean air. Do sports, go running, do Yoga(!). Greet the sun in the morning with your feet on the grass and your body in the sun. It gives you such a nice feel of harmony!

What if you cannot leave the City?

Try to find a space where you can be alone or a space that is quiet. If there is none in the city nearby, create a nice space in your house. Place nature inside it. Plants, maybe an aquarium with some fish. Maybe you have a nice view on a park? Using elements from nature can already help to influence our psyche into more calmness and healing. Find a forest or park where you can go for a walk. If you can, walk bare feet. Take in nature and release tension. Join an outside Yoga class. You’ll notice the difference with inside Yoga right away!

Be one with the Oneness

Nature is still one with it all. As we humans are disconnecting from this and trying to be individuals. Bringing a lot of ego tension. Just watch nature and submerge. No thoughts, just be. Experience your senses. Meditate. By having nature as your only focus, the wind in your hair, your feet on the grass. Breathe it in, and out. Relaxing and letting go.

Nagabandhu Yoga Rotterdam & Graauw will provide outside Yoga on warm days as well! Like us on Facebook, join the Newsletter or just send an e-mail if you want to sign up!

 

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You might be interested in the following posts as well:

Sunny Days, Joyful People ~ How the Sun can influence our Mood

10 Secrets to a Joyful and Healthy Morning Routine

Nagabandhu Yoga

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