We’re able to soothe our nervous system, lower our blood sugar and blood pressure levels – to replenish our bodies, minds, souls and spirits even amidst any current event headlines. What does your restoration encounter look like?
Let’s try a brisk February hike. Here are 14 steps to enhance the experience. Trust in yourself to show you the way. Keep in mind, the smallest of dials and shifts can point your compass in a new direction. You choose where and how you want to get there.
1. Make Time For Your Health (and schedule it!) for a therapeutic hike
2. Gear up with warm, comfortable clothes, hat, gloves, socks, hiking shoes or boots and stick
3. Bring soft, plush tissues for flowing noses and running eyes
4. Use the buddy system to enjoy the naturistic experience with a friend, who agrees to embrace some silence on the journey for self-reflection while sharing the moments and individual interpretations of the same landscape
5. Set a clear intention of what you choose to embark on during this contact with nature
6. Pack hot, decaffeinated herbal tea or cold water (your choice!)
7. Connect each breathe at the inhale and exhale level, with each body movement made – for an even more intimate experience
8. Let out a full-bodied sigh to further deactivate a hyper nervous system response
9. Meditate while sitting near a tree or rock for at least 5 to 10 minutes, working your way up to 30 minutes or more; use a free app like Insight Timer, if you need guidance
10. Pack a weighted blanket in your backpack as a special treat while mediating in nature; the extra poundage can provide an extra level of fitness to move it through the terrain of choice
11. Close your eyes to shift focus on other senses like hearing
12. Record the surrounding sounds of nature to replay as a quick pick-me-up or to use to dose of for a power nap, as needed
13. Flex, point and make circles with any of your joints – for a restorative experience starting from your neck to your big toe and back up
14. Upon return to home, bask in the essence of nature’s ambiance with a soak in a warm, bubble bath with essential oils and salts, complete with classical or Celtic music, a lit fragrant candle before sitting next to a firepit or fireplace in a comfy robe and slippers with a loved one and favorite pet
Looking for more? Peruse Chapter 14: Energy Flowriding of ‘Rise Above: A Playbook On How-To Keep Energy Flowing.’
Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash
Dr. Jaime L. Pula is the author of her best-selling book titled, ‘Rise Above: A Playbook On How-To Keep Energy Flowing.’ She can be reached at jpula@artofhealthsciences.life. And she enjoys connecting on LI at: www.linkedin.com/in/drjaimelpula001/.