A True Adventure in Healing: Part 3

“The earth has its music for those who will listen”

― Reginald Vincent Holmes, Fireside Fancies  

Part Three of my series about the Rhythms of Nature Yoga and Nature Retreat.  For more information, visit the website for the retreat at http://www.homegrownyoga.com/rhythms-of-nature-yoga-and-nature-retreat.  

Rhythms of Nature:  Lessons Learned

The activities offered during this retreat included some valuable health and wellness promoting tools.  Here are some of the things I learned that I have begun to incorporate into my life.  

Tip One:  Mindful Walking

Walking meditation is one way to practice mindfulness.  This is something that anyone can do.  Go for a silent walk outdoors. Instead of focusing on your thoughts, focus on your senses.  Look for colors.  Notice sounds and smells.  What do you feel on your skin?  Is the sun warm?  What do you see? What sounds do you hear?  Do you notice any smells?  

On day three of the retreat, we went on a beautiful hike to Moraine Park, which is located within Rocky Mountain National Park.  During the hike, we practiced this silent walking meditation. Later I jotted down some things I noticed:

• the smell of pine trees
• birds singing
• the feel of the breeze on my skin
• trees whispering in the wind sounded like ocean waves
• sun shine
• colors--greens, browns, golds, purple, blue
• fluffy white clouds
• aspen trees
• pine cones
• wild flowers
• dusty boots

Moraine Park Trail, YMCA of the Rockies/Rocky Mountain National Park

Tip Two:  Forget Perfection and Love Yourself Now

I want to note that this retreat was open to all levels of yoga experience, ranging from beginner to advanced.   Laura called us all yoginis (female yogis), which to me was empowering. I've come to realize that we are all worthy of being called yoginis because every time we each get on our yoga mats, our practices are perfect just as they are.  In other words, your practice is perfectly suited for you and where you currently are in your ability. That's all you need to know.  It doesn't matter if you can do a perfect Dancer pose or touch your toes.  The only thing you really need is a desire to learn and grow.  

And isn't that true in life as well?   Each of us is perfect just as we are, right now, in the present moment.   We can't change the past, we can hope and plan for the future, but we must accept the present moment for what it is and be grateful for it.  

This concept was also emphasized at the retreat during a group activity in which Laura handed out masks to everyone.  We first discussed the importance of being our authentic selves and how the negative things we tell ourselves can affect our self image.  We held the masks up to our faces and walked around the room telling each other first negative things and then positive things about ourselves.  It was very illuminating to me how easy it was to come up with the negative things compared to positive.  I vowed to reduce my negative self talk.  

Tip Three:  Practice Loving Kindness

We had a discussion about Metta, or Loving Kindness Meditation.  It is a practice of silently sending blessings to oneself and others.  We read aloud a passage about Metta and then practiced it, first focusing only on sending Metta to ourselves.  This is the blessing I used:  "May you be well.  May you be peaceful.  May you be safe.  May you be happy.  May you be loved."  Then, in Metta meditation, you send the blessing to someone you love, followed by someone you feel neutral about.  Finally, you end by sending it to someone with whom you feel conflict.  I think of it as a way to focus on forgiveness and love for yourself and others, and fits in well with the ideas of accepting the present moment and it's imperfections, including the imperfections we see in ourselves and others.  

Tip Three:  Celebrate!  

We all deserve a special treat when we have accomplished something.  Celebrations are important!  That night we celebrated our personal growth and enjoyed the new and old friendships and bonds we had made by having a special meal together in a private dining area.  It was a wonderful Indian buffet and assortment of cheesecake for dessert.  

Laura Collins with our buffet spread on the final night of the retreat

Tip Four:  Healing Music

After dinner we hiked across the YMCA grounds in the dark with flashlights and then participated in a drum circle.  We could hear the elk's mating calls in the background as we walked through the trees in the dark.  Kind of spooky!  

The drum circle was led by a music therapist and was a fun way to end the day.  Focusing on the repetition and rhythm of drum beats is another way to tune into the present moment.  Even if you can't play an instrument (I can't), you can participate in a healing drum circle.  Since returning home from the retreat, I have found a local group that holds periodic drum circles in my area.  My daughter and husband joined me and we all enjoyed it!  If you can't find a group, consider finding some drum music online that you can listen to.  

In addition, chanting and singing are other activities that can be very healing.  As I described in part two of this series, we also practiced both of these at the retreat.  

Lessons Put To the Test

The lessons I learned at the retreat were all put to test on the final morning when I received a phone call from my husband on the way out to our outdoor yoga session.  He called to ask me something about our kids, and I felt myself getting stressed and worried.  When we hung up, I arranged my mat and prepared myself for yoga.   I soon forgot all about the phone call as Laura led us through the poses, that is until we began savasana.  

If you aren't familiar with yoga, savasana is the final part of a yoga sesson, during which you lie on your mat, in corpse pose, and fully relax your body and mind.  I felt myself tensing up as I began to think about the conversation with my husband.  "Let it go," I thought to myself. Next, I looked up at the blue sky, took a deep breath, and exhaled all of those thoughts out. I was able to successfully let my body and mind relax and trust that all was well back home. 

At that moment, I realized how much I had learned at the retreat. Not only had I improved my physical yoga practice and got some great exercise hiking in the mountains, but I had learned relaxation and mindfulness techniques that I could use in my daily life.   

Farewell Prayers and Peace Flags

 After yoga, we arranged our mats like spokes of a wheel, or petals of a flower.  We all laid down on our mats and one by one we said a prayer aloud about our intentions for moving forward with our lives following the retreat.  It was moving to hear each others prayers and then we repeated them aloud as a group.  When we had all said a prayer, we shouted out positive affirmations into the clear mountain air.   I affirmed my peace by yelling out, "ALL IS WELL!"  

We headed over to the Arts and Crafts Center to make Peace Flags.  After lunch in the dining hall, we all said goodbye.  

This plaque outside the dining hall seems a fitting way to end........"Let all that you do be done in love."  

A plaque at the YMCA of the Rockies

This concludes my series about The Rhythms of Nature Yoga and Nature Retreat.