Earth Day began in the 1960s as a global event dedicated to raising awareness about environmental issues and promoting sustainability. I think Earth Day doesn’t have to be all about making a difference ON that day. For years I have been approaching Earth Day differently than I did when I thought that the only correct approach was finding a protest and shouting my heart out (also a great approach)!
For the past decade or so I’ve tried to make Earth Day about spending time in nature for as much of the day as possible. I try to spend this time in a place that invites an experience of awe that is often only inspired by nature. If I can’t do that on actual Earth day I make a plan to have a nature day that is as close to Earth day as possible.
When Earth day becomes about enjoying the Earth it acts as fuel for loving up the earth for the rest of the year. Then our everyday choices are the locus of impact and can reduce our carbon footprint year round.
So this journal entry is about yoga-inspired ways to enjoy the Earth. Some pics are drawn from nature days at Modo teacher trainings, some from my own archives. We can jam on every-day-action steps another time. For now let’s dive into ways to weave our yoga and mindfulness into celebrating the glorious verdant tapestry that is the Earth!
If you think about the times where you have been struck with a feeling of total all encompassing awe you will likely find your memory takes you to the outdoors of your past.
1. Forest Bathing
Dr. Dacher Keltner, a psychologist known for his writing on the psychology of awe demonstrates in his research that connecting with nature can enrich our lives and broaden our chances of feeling a full spectrum of nourishing emotions. To me this is never more clear than in a forest.
Forest bathing, also known as shinrin-yoku in Japanese, is a practice that involves immersing oneself in forests, to experience the therapeutic benefits. It is a mindfulness practice that engages all of the senses.
Forest bathing originated in Japan in the 1980s as a response to the fast-paced and stressful urban lifestyles that are certainly not unique to Japan. The concept was formally introduced by the Japanese government as part of a public health initiative to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being.
To forest bath – find a forest and instead of passing through it, breathe slowly and allow it to pass through you.
One quick note from personal experience – if you are forest bathing off-trail in a park maybe rock the long pants and long sleeves in case you, you know, get lost in a patch of poison oak (you only do that once)!
2. Slow Walking in Nature
Walking meditation is a part of most mindfulness retreats alongside seated meditation. It is a life giving practice that is supported and amplified when practiced in nature.
If you already know your favorite nature spots, plan to take 2 or 3 hours to walk a trail or park that usually takes an hour. We’re all so used to moving quickly so walking slowly can be almost injuriating at first, and very hard. But you know what – we can do hard things. And as the difficulty of moving slowly is felt fully, the ease of slowing down begins to infuse the nervous system and the senses.
3. Cloud Watching
If you’re like me and time seems to simply evaporate, sometimes the day is over before it has begun, then laying on a blanket and watching the clouds may feel so counterintuitive at first. Cloud gazing may feel like it’s a total waste of time.
But as with the forest, or a flowing river, ever changing clouds leave us with lessons. Clouds remind us of the constancy of change, that any shape, any thing can be seen in everything, and in an increasingly individuated world they remind us that we are part of something larger than ourselves.
But cloud gazing may leave you with something different. Maybe taking a moment to bathe in the gentle pastel of white-blue rather than the glow of screen you’ll remember your infinitely creative self and an idea or solution will arrive.
4. Sitting Under a Tree and Connecting
The Buddha found enlightenment sitting under a tree. Newton was sitting under an apple tree when he saw an apple fall to the ground, which led him to contemplate the nature of gravity and eventually formulate his law of universal gravitation.
Grab a blanket this Earth Day and carve out a couple of hours to find a spot under a tree and just hang out there. You may not become enlightened or discover a universal law of physics (hey, you never know) but you might discover something yet unseen to yourself, or simply remember that as with nature we can move slowly, and relish quiet, and still accomplish great things.
5. Practicing Outdoors
There can be disadvantages to practicing outdoors. Occasional bees. We don’t get the therapeutic benefits of practicing in the hot room. It’s not even under foot. Flies love our long exhales and fly up our noses. And yet, AND YET, just like on a camping trip when living simply and without our creature comforts, practicing outdoors can give so much, practicing outdoors can bring unexpected and unpredictable benefits.
Practicing on uneven ground brings varied muscular challenges and builds our kinesthetic sense. Fresh air can sometimes bring a change in perspective (try it). And sometimes just the change of being outdoors with so many distractions can allow us to drop into deeper focus upon returning to the hot room.
May these practices forever renew our connection to our greatest support and source of mystery, learning, air, water and growth – the earth.
Happy Earth Day!
Jess Robertson is Modo Yoga’s Co Founder, Senior Advisor, and Community Documentarian. She is also a writer, musician, yoga teacher and Co Founder of the New Leaf Foundation. She lives in Montreal, Canada with her 2 kids.