How to Prepare for Forest Yoga

Yoga is a practice that has the ability to offer health benefits on many levels. In just about all forms, yoga can serve as a remedy or even a form of prevention for all sorts of emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual issues. Forest yoga introduces the concept of joining the energy of nature into the disciplines involved with yoga to help increase the potential benefits. Here are some ideas on how to incorporate forest yoga into your life.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Mat made from natural materials
• Loose clothing
• Access to a wooded area
• Green tea

Gather Items

1. Purchase or make a mat using natural materials. The mat can be a simple woven material, such as cotton, or be created using natural hemp fibers. Using natural materials is understood to be in harmony with tapping into the energy of nature. The mat will help provide a degree of comfort when one prefers not to sit or kneel on the ground.
2. Locate a wooded area for your yoga session. Ideally, the area will be removed from every day noises. An area that offers an even patch of ground, and perhaps some shade from a few trees, works well, although a sunlit area can also be an excellent setting. The main point is to get away from human generated noise and be surrounded by the sounds of nature.
3. Wear loose clothing that is constructed with natural fiber. The clothing should allow the skin to breathe, while still meeting any inherent needs for modesty that the individual may have. Persons who are practicing yoga in a private area, and are comfortable with personal nudity, may choose to fore-go clothing altogether and allow the skin direct interaction with nature.
4. Take along some green tea. The use of green tea in various forms of meditation, including yoga exercises, is often recommended. The balance between stimulant and relaxant can help the body and mind remain calm but also focused during the exercises.
5. Open yourself up to all possibilities of benefits and insights. By going into the session with an open mind, you increase the potential for self-discovery and gaining understandings about body and mind that can significantly enhance the quality of life.

Tips & Warnings

• Yoga is meant to be a means of connecting with the universe as well as with the inner self. It is not a competition sport. Engage the exercises and practices of yoga at your own pace and do not attempt to keep up with anyone else.
• Before choosing to doff the clothing, make sure you are in a secluded area and not likely to be picked up by a forest ranger for violating local laws.