Nature is the antidote to modern life. If you’re feeling drawn to a simpler, more natural way of life, perhaps to explore practices that help you tune into your natural spirituality, this one’s for you.

On the planet today, we’re taking in much more stimulation- via daily media consumption and busyness- than our human bodies have evolved to process. The unprocessed excess in our system causes stress, anxiety, and feelings of disconnection. In the 2020’s, humans are living in a hyperstimulated, always-on world, while not too long ago, this wasn’t the case. Ironically, business, even social business, makes us feel disconnected, which is why so many of us consider the forest our church, the trees a portal to re-connecting with our natural spirituality.

Natural Spirituality

Nature has the unique ability to connect us with our senses and reconnect us with our Selves. 
- Chelsey Scaffidi, Meditation Guide

For centuries human beings lived in nature 99.99% of the time. 

The good news is that we all come to this planet with a natural spirituality that’s intrinsic to simply being human and we can reconnect with our true nature any time we desire, smply by anchoring ourselves into the natural world around us. In this article, I’m sharing three practices to help you re-claim your natural spirituality and sense of true Self. 

Cold Dips

Cold dips have become part of my weekly routine, and I love them because they immediately awaken my senses, help me connect with my body, and give me a heightened energy for the entire day.  

Because jumping into uncomfortably ice cold water goes against most people’s instincts, cold dips are a great biohack to build new neural pathways and boost resiliency in the system. Experts say when practised on a regular basis, cold water immersion can provide long-lasting changes to your body’s immune, lymphatic, circulatory and digestive systems that enhance the overall quality of your life. 

There’s quite a bit of emerging research on cold water therapy, including this research study in 2007 which found that cold showers can help treat depression and may be more beneficial than prescription medications in improving moods. As well, cold water immersion has been scientifically proven to help counteract the side effects of inflammation.

Jumping into the ocean, lake or taking a freezing cold shower may sound crazy but it’s a powerful way to anchor into the body, realign with our five senses and remember our natural spirituality. 

Forest Bathing

Called the ‘antidote to modern life’, Forest bathing is a practice of mindfully moving in nature that arose in Japan in the 80’s. This practice is proven to be a super effective tool to overcome the stress of modern life. 

When we are exposed to nature, we benefit from the ‘awe effect’. We go from feeling closed, to feeling open and connected, to feeling like we belong. Dopamine is released, the immune system gets a boost, and the stress response decreases. There is also a beneficial “hangover effect” in that the positive effects from forest bathing can last for up to a week after the experience.

Being in nature, rather than in an air-conditioned home or office, serves to immediately connect us with our five senses. As soon as we step outdoors, our skin receptors enliven, as we feel subtleties of temperature and breeze. Our hearing becomes sharper as we listen to nuances of birds singing, or the rustling of leaves in a forest. And our eyes become captivated by the beauty, texture, and sheer diversity of color, shape, and form. Connecting with our five senses is a direct path to the innate intelligence and wisdom of the body. From this place, we open ourselves up to experience presence, our natural spirituality. 

As I’m learning these days, it’s only in presence that stuck energy and emotions can be accessed and integrated. We all tend to push down or avoid difficult emotions. When we come into presence, we learn to be with it all and allow old stories and stuck emotions to integrate and flow through. This is freedom. (Or so I’ve been told, I’m on my way there!)

Nature-Infused Mindfulness Meditation

The combined effects of meditation + nature are profound. Research has proven that both mindfulness training and exposure to nature have positive health effects that are compounded when put together. 

This past year, I’ve signed up for several guided meditation classes with Rooted Beings, which incorporate nature-based visualizations with breathwork as  a way to replicate the benefits of forest bathing. Their meditation classes and meditation training are 100%  infused with nature-based language, which feels incredibly accessible as someone who tends to have a lot of mental energy. Every session I’ve done with Rooted leaves me feeling more centred and connected with my own natural spirituality. (Which is why I’ve just signed up to take their very unique Meditation Teacher Training!)

Nature is a powerful way to connect us all at a baseline understanding of what it means to be human. For many of us, our most powerful moments in life happen when we’re connected in our bodies, and awake to the natural world around us: childbirth, sex, swimming, hiking, human touch, watching a sunset. 

If you’re feeling the call of the wild yourself, here are a few resources to explore!

Guided Nature-Inspired Meditation + Visualization

Thanks to Rooted Beings for this amazing guided meditation download, infused with nature imagery. Love this one.

Resources to Support Your Natural Spirituality

SHARE TO PINTEREST

Three Beautiful Nature Practices to Reconnect You with Your Natural Spirituality + A Guided Nature Meditation

Written by Monica Krake, founder of Head + Heart.