Enhancing Your Practice: The Benefits of Yoga and Nature Connection

Want to feel your best, inside and out?

Then, yoga and nature are the perfect match.

Traditionally, yoga has been taught as a set of physical postures done only on a yoga mat with precise movements.

Following along to group classes or performing any kind of movement is helpful for your physical health, your mental health, and your overall well being.

But dropping into your true nature and allowing intuitive movement to take over…that’s a potent healing tonic that works faster.

Practicing yoga in nature has so many benefits—it lowers stress levels, deepens your direct connection to nature and your environment, and brings you into the present moment.

It’s not just about getting fresh air or watching the birds fly by (although those things are great too!), but it’s about using your own inner awareness to move your body in the way nature intended. This can happen on a beach, in a forest, under a tree, or anywhere you have a moment to connect within.

Nature and yoga were always meant to go together because you are a part of nature.

Just like a flower knows when to bend toward the sun, your body knows how to innately care for you too. When you combine the power of yoga practices with natural elements, you supercharge your own inner healing abilities.

The Connection Between Yoga And Nature

When you practice yoga, you tap into an ancient connection with nature—because, simply put, you are nature.

Just as trees, flowers, and rivers are part of the natural world, so is your body. Our modern life isn’t designed to sync up with the natural world. In fact, Western medicine has split the body and the mind into two unrelated entities, each to be treated separately.

Your yoga practice invites you to reconnect your mind, body, and spirit, with the natural world. You can make your own yoga practice like nature therapy. You can unplug from your screens, exercise intuitively, and become fully present. Any time spent practicing yoga this way is well worth it.

Yoga invites you to move intuitively, in sync with your natural environment, listening to the subtle signals within, and aligning with the broader rhythms of the earth.

Think of it like a flower bending toward the sun to get the Vitamin D it needs; when you practice yoga, you naturally adjust and move in ways that bring balance and energy to your body, responding to needs your “thinking” brain may not even recognize, like a form of meditation that allows you to release stress and anxiety from the body through your own awareness, not just the direction of ancient yogis.

Yoga in Nature is Self-Healing

Like nature itself, your body is a self-healing system. Every day, it performs countless tasks to keep you healthy, releasing endorphins to reduce pain and improve mood.

This self-regulation also happens in the natural world, especially in your nervous system, which has two parts: the sympathetic (which prepares you for action) and the parasympathetic (which helps you relax). Together, they keep your body balanced and responsive to changing needs.

When you combine your regular yoga practice with nature, you not only lower blood pressure, but you lower sympathetic nerve activity and have greater parasympathetic nerve activity. This means you’re body is spending time in it’s natural, healing state, free from anxiety, high stress levels, and depression.

Your capacity to discharge energy is similar to the way wildlife and children instinctively discharge stress and return to balance.

Animals will shake after a stressful encounter to release tension, a phenomenon called “neurogenic tremors.” Kids express energy freely through movement, spontaneous play, and sometimes, a full-on tantrum. We’ve been taught to hold our bodies poised and to stuff down our emotions. When really, other living beings are practicing yoga in nature by shaking off stress and following their own inner sense.

By engaging in yoga, you’re reconnecting with that same primal wisdom, letting your body find flow and homeostasis through breath, movement, and presence, no matter your environment. You can bring in the elements of earth, wind, and even fire, in your home through plants, incense, and a safe candle. There are ways to bring the earth to you, to remind you of your true nature, even on the mat.

Yoga practices that include nature not only enhance your physical and mental health but they also support emotional and spiritual balance.

Many Indigenous cultures practiced intuitive, rhythmic movements like stomping, dancing, and shaking, often together as a community, to release energy and realign the body’s natural flow.

When you take your yoga practice to a more natural level, you’re tapping into this ancient, collective wisdom, grounding yourself in the earth’s energy and fostering a natural cycle of charging and discharging energy that supports healing and growth. The benefits will ripple into every area of your life.

Yoga in nature can feel profoundly revitalizing because it aligns with your body’s intrinsic desire for balance.

Tuning into your natural elements to practice yoga in nature isn’t too far off from what you’ve already tried. A mindfulness practice helps you with connecting with your inner nature. Hatha yoga supports the release of stored tension and fosters a deep connection to your physical and emotional self. Practitioners and students can learn from each other, swapping ideas both on the mat, in class, or among the elements.

Your mind and body are constantly seeking harmony, adjusting to external and internal needs as naturally as the seasons change.

By immersing yourself in a practice that honors this connection, you empower your body’s self-healing potential and deepen your sense of unity with the world around you.

Benefits Of Practicing Yoga In Nature

Practicing yoga in nature is an intuitive practice, by following your body’s natural rhythm and needs, you tap into powerful benefits, whether you’re doing yoga on the mat or practicing meditation in the forest. The best added benefit is by deepening your connection to nature, as a human and a spirit with an intuitive nature, you’re boosting your well being, your overall health, and deepening your practice.

Moving in a way that feels right during yoga, rather than forcing yourself into structured poses, can bring big benefits, like deeper self-awareness, better health, less stress, less depression, and more self-compassion. And the best part? You don’t have to go to a class to learn this approach to yoga. While a practitioner can support you with maintaining your focus, finding the answers you seek, and creating a safe space to practice this type of yoga, you have the freedom to practice on your own too, just like you do with other types of yoga or meditation.

This yoga approach fosters a more mindful connection with your own needs, one that’s centered around meditation, your health, natural elements, and exercise—all to encourage your energy to shift, just like how kids naturally shift between activities to balance their energy.

• Enhanced self-awareness, as tuning into intuitive movement allows you to notice and respond to your body’s subtle cues, deepening your focus on not only yoga, but your inner world.
• Improved stress relief by aligning your practice with your natural pace, instead of a one-size-fits-all type of yoga or meditation.
• Greater emotional release, as yoga and intuitive movement can help you process and let go of stored tension, depression, or unresolved feelings.
• Increased flexibility, focus, and balance over time, as moving according to your needs often helps the body adapt and respond more effectively, like syncing yourself with the natural elements around you.
• Strengthened body-mind connection, building trust in your body’s wisdom and promoting a sense of self-empowerment. Picture how you feel after a deep meditation.

By letting go of rigid forms and allowing yourself to explore more fluid movement in yoga, you cultivate a more authentic and compassionate practice, leading to a yoga experience that resonates with your true self.

How To Incorporate Yoga With Nature

Each of us has a unique way of moving in yoga that aligns with our authentic energy, and yoga asanas provide a foundational “vocabulary” to start this journey. While traditional yoga poses teach valuable skills, they are ultimately just the starting point of yoga. The truth is, your best yoga teacher is you—and listening to your body’s wisdom can guide you to move in ways that feel natural and freeing.

However, transitioning into self-guided, intuitive movement isn’t always easy, especially if we’re used to following structured routines. Embodied Yoga helps bridge this gap, offering a way to explore intuitive movement within a gentle framework, guiding you from “bound” to “wild” at your own pace.

To start practicing Embodied Yoga, try incorporating simple steps to gradually connect with your intuition and let your body lead the way.

Take my feminine energy quiz to get a recommended practice for balancing YOUR feminine energy 👇

Set an Intention

Begin each session by grounding yourself with a purpose. Decide what you’d like to feel or release, letting this intention guide your movement.

Tune Into Your Breath

Use your breath to connect to your body, noticing where it feels tight or tense. Let your breath expand into those areas, and feel free to sigh, hum, or make any sound that feels right.

Shake it Off

Try a few minutes of gentle, loose shaking to release tension—starting from your hands, arms, and shoulders, and working down to your legs and feet. Let your body move freely and naturally, like wind in a forest, shaking out any stress or stiffness, allowing your energy to reset and flow. (I LOVE somatic yoga for this.)

Stretch, Undulate, and Flow

Begin by stretching slowly and mindfully, focusing on areas that feel tense or tight. Then, let your body undulate—move in fluid, wave-like motions—to awaken your spine and release deeper layers of tension. Finally, flow into movements that feel natural, following your body’s impulses to move, shift, and release in a way that feels intuitive and freeing.

Massage Yourself

Use gentle pressure with your hands, starting at your neck and shoulders, and work your way down to other areas that feel tense. Knead, press, or rub in circular motions, tuning into how each area responds and noticing any release or relaxation that comes with the self-massage.

Let Go of Poses

Release the need to follow structured poses; instead, explore gentle movements like stretching, swaying, or shaking. See where your body wants to go, following impulses rather than rules.

Experiment with Sensations

Feel into the textures of your movement. Slow down or speed up, go gentle or intense—notice what different sensations bring up and let your body move toward what feels best.

Incorporate Rest

Allow time for deep relaxation by adding moments of stillness, like Child’s Pose, Savasana or gentle seated poses, throughout your practice. Resting between active movements helps your body absorb the benefits of each pose and reconnects you with your breath, bringing a sense of grounding and renewal.

Take Breaks and Reflect

Imagine yourself resting in a beautiful forest. Pause between movements to sense what’s shifted. Use these moments to feel the energy in your body and notice what’s changed, building self-awareness as you go.

Finish with Gratitude

As you conclude your practice, take a moment to thank yourself for showing up. Reflect on the sensations in your body, express gratitude for your breath, and honor the connection between your body, mind, and nature. This simple act of appreciation can deepen your sense of well-being and cultivate lasting peace.

Next Steps

Embracing yoga as a journey that connects you with your inner nature opens up endless possibilities for growth, healing, and balance. Whether you’re practicing on a mat or in a forest, this union of movement and mindfulness deepens your connection to both yourself and the world around you.

Experience My Somatic Yoga Workshop (usually $67) FREE!👇

If you’re ready to deepen your somatic practice, join my Embodied Yoga Workshop. I’ll show you practical tools to enhance your daily life and relationships through intuitive movement and somatic bodywork.

If you want to go even deeper, I invite you to join my Somatic Yoga Training Certification. This comprehensive training will equip you with practical tools and insights to enhance your practice and effectively guide others on their somatic yoga journey.