Moving With Nature
- Meera Naveen
- May 10, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 24, 2024
Dance is an art. Martial arts are similar to this concept. They enable you to move, relax, express yourself, and connect with yourself and your surroundings, AKA Earth.
Many of us have busy lives with what seems like 10 things to do on a day-to-day basis. You might have to write a card for a child's ninth birthday and then have to rush off to an interview and then come home to finish a task due in an hour before hurrying downstairs to empty the dishwasher and make dinner.
And when we have a schedule similar to this with these deadlines and those responsibilities, we can get tired and stressed very quickly. So how do we respond to and manage this?
One way is by reaching out to nature.
". . my five minutes outside each morning offered a life-saving, day-centering relief." ~ Ariana Candell, The Earthbody Institute
Step outside. Close your eyes. Feel the breeze gently brush your hair. Put your legs aligned to your shoulders; feel steady, strong, grounded. Open your eyes. Put your arms out straight, feel balanced, full, calm. Feel the sun's warmth on your skin. Take a deep breath of that cool, fresh air in, let it out. Once you think you are ready, dance.
And it doesn't have to follow a specific choreography; this is just for yourself.
Spin, leap, kneel, stretch, run, bend, walk, open, close. Move in a way that you feel you are most connected to Earth. Even if that means staying in one place and stretching, taking the time to hear the sounds around you, that's completely fine. If it means going full-on ballet and following the whistle of the wind, go for it!
Some take more time than others to learn how to give up the thoughts and worries for a few minutes to move to nature's flow and express themselves, which is definitely OK. If that's you and it's mainly because you want some experience in moving with Earth and want to do it with friends, consider taking classes. It can essentially be any dance or martial arts class, but be sure to practice it outside for maximum connection.
A recommendation could be Tai Chi, a martial art growing in popularity. Founded by Zhang Sanfeng, a Taoist monk, Tai Chi was created as a slower, softer version of fighting. It's now used to do the same, as well as finding solace, harmony, and a connection with yourself as well as the world. In China, many go outside to places like parks to practice this, something that everyone should try.
To wrap it up, dancing and simply just moving can help us find our inner peace during times of stress. Doing that in nature, within the forests, near the lake, or even in your backyard is even better; you feel grounded, and you can feel the flow, the calm, not just in yourself but in Earth as well.
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First image created with Wix AI
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