Yoga, Nature and the Mystery

One in Nature

In this conversation with Helene Gibbens we explore:

• Why Yoga and forest bathing help us to break down perceptions of separation and experience greater intimacy.
• Is forest bathing the “new yoga”?
• How sensory nature journeys can be spiritual practice.

The word YOGA is from ancient sanskrit, meaning 'to join' or 'to unite'. It first came from India to the west in the late 19th century and gradually became a broadly known aspect in western society; now being taught in many gyms, community centers and schools.

Some have wondered if forest therapy could be the “new yoga” and one day become a mainstream way for people to engage with the world of forests, rivers and mountains, thereby influencing the way we think and feel about our relationships with the more than human world.

In this episode, Helene Gibbens shares how the practice of yoga raises our awareness of self, others and of the sentient life surrounding us. She shares how her long journey as a yoga practitioner transformed the relationships in her life and eventually awakened the desire to also engage with the sentient beings of nature in more fulfilling ways.

She speaks in simple, relatable language about the philosophy of yoga, which states that a universal intelligence pervades all existing life forms; and how yoga prepared her to embrace forest bathing as a path to experience intimate states of one-ness and interconnectedness with all forms of life.

Helene Gibbens has been living in northern New York for two decades, teaching yoga, wellness and meditation in surrounding communities. After growing up in Montreal, she found her heart yearned for greener landscapes. Settling in the Adirondack Park in 2009, she found "home". She took her yoga practice out of doors and yet, there was still a yearning for a different way to relate with the forests and rivers outside her door. She became a certified Forest and Nature Therapy Guide and feels privileged to share with others the practice of Forest Bathing through guided nature sensory immersion experiences. She also enjoys yoga practice and meditation, skiing, hiking and gardening.
https://www.adirondackriverwalking.com
Hosted by Kat Novotna and Pamela Wirth
https://www.patreon.com/oneinnature

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