Yoga & Living in Harmony with Nature
Yoga means union, merging one’s action, words and thoughts, with the surrounding, with the Divine or truth. Practicing yoga teaches us how to breathe, how to sit, how to be at peace within and without. We learn to accept out limits, whether it be physical strength, structurally flexible or concentration. Practicing this on our 180 X60 cm long yoga-mat is done in order for this to sink into our life, flow in to the way we think, the way we walk, talk, our everyday habits and priorities.
Living in the big city, in this modern day and time, is popularly talked about. The fact that our life has lost its simplicity and balance is known. The food be eat, the water we drink, the air we breath, the noise and commercials we’re exposed to each day and other such issues are universal topics to be found in each lifestyle magazine nowadays. Enough said about imbalance, let us talk about Harmony.
Living in nature, a far off dream for many is a reality for those who make it their priority. Surrounded by trees as far as the eye can see, flowers, waterfalls and sky. How does this affect us and what can it teach us?
The Earth is below, always, it does not like to be left bare and is held together by roots.
The Water is cold and heavy, has no form, is unsafe and when left sitting starts to stink, it must flow.
Fire heat and light, always moves up, strives higher, it’s full of life and inspiration, yet deadly destructive too. Nothing stays the same after exposed to it.
The Air, movement, everything we see is surrounded by air, every breath we take we exchange it.
And Space is the link to that which is beyond, all pervading.
These are known attributes of the 5 basic forces in the world, the elements we can play with.
The more we’re exposed to these elements in there pure form, the more easy it is to learn from them. They talk, those open to listen, can hear. The truth unfolds in each and every moment, everywhere, yet it seems that living in nature is a constant reminder of harmony, of beauty, wisdom, change and (at the risk of sounding corny) love.
A glimpse on a continuous process
Sunrise, the colors, the air is so fresh and crisp, everything awakes, it is the best time whatever you chose to do in it. Be it sleep, meditate or make love. Sunset, the colors again and night naturally falls.
Watching the garden, it is patient and ever changing. It gives vitality by touch as you dig, plant or build with it. It embraces the endless rain that falls upon it as well as the hot sun that dries it months later. Creepers grow on the strength of others while those plants that we want need to be protected and cared for until they are big and strong. Weeds procreate naturally, with no care or attention. They spread, taking oxygen and space from the more wanted plants. Observing the thought process it seems the same, the good thoughts need much more nourishment while the others grow wild.
Nature is strong, so strong. If we don’t guard ourselves and space around us, it may be taken over by monkeys, ants or the roots of the nearby trees. This is the reason man works so hard to create his home, a safe and protected place where he can rest.
In nature things happen, rain falls, the moon grows and waxes, summer comes and goes, the sun rises and the birds sing, the sun sets and fireflies are seen.
While me, I make myself busy, I need to do, to create, clean, expand, protect.
When one strives for harmony, questions arise. These are not theoretical questions but day to day ones, constant decision making is needed regarding how much one wishes to contribute to the harmony that is, or maybe how much they are willing to put to sustain it
Anything from disposal of trash, to what way to build a house, these are fundamental matters for those how wish to live in harmony in nature.
We can learn to use the natural forces of nature wisely, without destroying it. This may mean we need to take responsibility for our actions and at times adjust our growing desire and what we call comfort.
If one builds a proper place for composting food and other organic matters, these can be re-used to improve the soil, most importantly a garden.
Recycling any thing from plastic to the water we use can improve our life in many ways but more simply, when the nearest trash place is 1 hour away the less trash that one creates and then needs to get rid of – the better. Constant replanting of destroyed forest areas, are crucial if we want wood for a cold night or hot shower, not to mention furniture and good timber or just fruits.
We can use the flow of a nearby river or solar power, this depends on where we live and how much electric power we need.
To eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and spices we can ensure we grow them organically and make use of the water from our kitchen (‘gray water’) to save water and help the vegetation grow better and faster.
Hot air raises, like fire itself, cool air sinks low, this can be used for our advantage if building a cold storage area or a warmer living room with no electricity.
We can learn ancient ways to build, not only avoid the use of cement, but to build wisely with the strength of the nature. When we realize that wisdom that is nature we can use it, cooperate with it for our needs, not try to tame it or win.
These are our choices
How much we investigate and experiment, educate our self, or just think about what is taken for granted. Not theatrical choices but day-to-day ones.
For example, if one change their electric system to a system that uses natural powers and expect to be able to continue and use the same amount of power, he will soon be frustrated and discover that adjustments have to be made, especially in winter times in the case of a solar system. One must take into account to the amount of solar panels they have and the amount of sun that was on a particular day. This can mean a change of light bulbs, using the help of candles and a fire place, fewer hours on the computer, or more basically arrange our priority preferences.
Aiming to live in harmony with nature, it’s a continuous process, to learn, listen, hear and see.
Accept limitations and my limited knowledge or understanding, as they are today.
But the beauty is… beauty is all around.
