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Writer's pictureDanielle

Nature - The Perfect Escape Destination

Updated: Jun 14, 2018

Have you ever visited the health resorts of Netflix, Facebook or Instagram? The brochure states they are perfect escape destinations where everything is 'just right'. Perfect scenery, blue skies every day, and all your troubles will magically evaporate into thin ( and perfectly toned ) air, the moment you are sucked through the gates. Sounds amazing, right?!

The trouble is, these places are getting so overcrowded these days, and we often leave feeling even more lost, confused and depleted than when we arrived. Not such a great holiday after all...


Meditating under a huge pine tree in Pomona, Qld

Let's be honest. Life is hard! We all have our complex mesh of daily challenges to weave through. Sometimes it can feel like it never stops. So we cleverly devise little pockets of escape to break up the monotony. We make brief stops at viewpoints along our journey, where we can safely indulge in more pleasant scenery before hopping back into the car and speeding off full throttle to the next traffic jam. So, just maybe you are searching for a new and more fulfilling escape destination? A healthier new soul place to spend your down time? Well, if you have a tree outside your door, a patch of grass or better still, a nice green park, then you're in luck! Pack your bags and let's go. Actually, there's no baggage needed. Just go as you are.


Spending time in nature can be so incredibly soothing on all levels for the mind and body, not to mention spiritually. Did you know that our DNA is made of the same DNA as a tree? We have the perfect relationship with them. Trees breathe what we exhale, and we need what the trees exhale, so we have a lot in common. When we sit under a tree, preferably a large and healthy one, it is possible to tune into the subtle vibrations of healing energy surrounding it. It makes total sense then to gravitate towards the green spaces of the outdoors as much as possible, for a little healing time-out from the stresses of life.

Studies show Shinrin-yoku, also known as forest bathing, can reduce the stress hormone cortisol and increase your immune defense system.


"Nature itself is the best physician."

- Hippocrates


We all know that it's healthy to get some fresh air, but it may surprise you to learn that reports have revealed the happiest people on the planet all share a common factor contributing to that level of overall life satisfaction. No, they don't all have cable TV and fast internet. But they ARE lucky enough to live in areas where plenty of green spaces are provided for the community to enjoy. Parks, hiking tracks, and cycle ways are all accessible every day, and the benefits are clear. Simply spending more time in nature, in and around trees, does truly increase overall levels of health and wellbeing.



Trees are the oldest and most spiritually advanced energies on earth. Their very existence seems to embody a state of constant meditation. Next time you find yourself reaching for the remote to find some peace, try going outside and vegging out in nature instead.

In yoga we talk a lot about the importance of harmonising the 7 chakras within the body, with the flow-on effect of creating more balance and contentment in our daily life. The most fundamental of these is the Root Chakra, or Muladhara. It is the foundation upon which our entire energy system is balanced. Like the roots of a tree, if this chakra is unhealthy then the trunk, branches and all the leaves above are also adversely affected. An imbalance or blockage in your root chakra can manifest in the physical body as problems with the feet, legs, lower back, rectum or tailbone to name a few. But you get the idea. It's all about our lower regions, our foundation.


On an emotional level you may not feel at home anywhere. You may feel lost and out of place, or be overwhelmed by a sense of constantly searching for an elusive something that you can't even identify. You may find it difficult to settle down with anything, including where you want to live and work. Sound familiar?


The perfect remedy is to literally become more grounded, by spending more time outdoors in mother nature. Walking barefoot on the sand or grass, lying underneath trees, connecting with the earth and just breathing deeply with awareness, as a form of meditation. Simply slowing down, and just being in the present moment, rather than escaping from the reality that is your experience in everyday life.


Doing yoga in nature is so healing

It doesn't take much to throw us out of balance, but just as easily we can learn to re-calibrate by spending short bursts of spare time outside in nature, instead of on the couch or buried in fantasy land in cyberspace.


From my experience Muladhara is the most likely chakra to go out of balance when travelling, creating feelings of insecurity, fear, instability and confusion. This is a combination of being uprooted and away from our usual home and routine. The effects of jet lag and flying seem to also be the catalyst for imbalance.




Right now we are travelling on the unsteady road in our bus 'Sunny', uprooting every few days and being in a constant state of movement and change. We have no fixed address or home to go back to since we sold everything in our search for a simpler, more sustainable life. I wasn't at all surprised that after 1 week on the road I began to suffer from a painful lower back. It wasn't from a specific injury, but after having a very deep yoga and meditation practice one morning, I experienced feelings of uncertainty about the future. Quite literally something was stirred up and was challenging my very foundational beliefs. By instigating such radical changes in such a short period of time, I had lost my stable base, my home, most of my material possessions, and it was questioning parts of my identity. I knew this may happen, but now I was living it by manifesting a very sore lower back. I was finding it difficult to walk forward in peace with the choices I had made. In other words, I let the fear and doubt seep into my cells, and temporarily 'cripple' me. I was hurting!



For now, the BIG question keeps bubbling up...

Are we doing the right thing by letting go of a life of security in search of a simple life of freedom and serenity? In theory it sounds too easy, but in fact living simply can be a real challenge, at least in the beginning. We should allow ourselves plenty of time to transition, giving us space to decide what we no longer need to bring forward from our very complex past lifestyle. I guess only time, and a few thousand kilometres will tell...


Our simple home on wheels  as we travel around Australia in 'Sunny' the bus
Putting time and kilometres behind us on our transitional journey

What I am very sure of is that as the weeks pass on our road trip around Australia, we are being drawn unconsciously towards so many beautiful green places in nature. After what feels like an eternal Winter of disconnect by spending many years in an artificial work environment, we just HAVE to be amongst lush rainforests, grassy hills and beautiful old trees. The problems don't go away, but things just seem easier when you are walking in the forest, or you're relaxing by a campfire under the stars.

Nature 1 - Netflix 0.


Meditation and pranayama practice can be done anywhere

We hope to inspire you to pause for a moment, and to think outside the four walls of your comfy loungeroom whenever you are feeling like you need to escape the strains of life. Try venturing out more often, instead of falling into your phone or TV for comfort. Get your feet dirty and have some fun in the forest! And remember....


"If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got." - W. L. Bateman



May you find peace, love and a healthy desire to explore!


Danielle, Tony, Frankie & Georgie xxxx


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