Yoga + Art + Nature = Healing

As a city dweller, you're always challenged to go in search of open spaces in nature. However, the cramped conditions, hectic pace, crowds and above-average noise levels often prevent you from doing so, which makes me all the happier when I find myself in Steinfeld, a small community between Hamburg and Bremen, on a Saturday morning. The sun is just beginning to shine, it smells of the countryside and the only sound I can hear is the chirping of birds.
The theme of the first module of the YogaArt and Nature series is healing. And when I ask the internet for a definition of this term, it tells me the following:

"Healing refers to the process of establishing or restoring physical and mental integrity from an illness or disease, or overcoming an injury or injury through recovery. While the term healing is etymologically defined more by a becoming whole (see "healing"), recovery (from the Greek neomai) originally refers to an escape from danger. "

But what does healing have to do with art? It's simple: an artist looks after his tools, his brushes, his pencils - he not only chooses them carefully, but also looks after them regularly. And in the best case scenario, we also look after ourselves: with love, dedication and regularity. If we do this, we feel whole and can therefore flow and be creative.
Accordingly, we also start with a series of exercises from Kundalini yoga on the topic of creativity and, parallel to the Kriya, we are allowed to engage in the first processes with paper and colour. In the round of introductions that follows, it quickly becomes clear how easy it is to get lost in everyday life, thereby interrupting the connection between body and soul and perhaps no longer feeling whole.
After lunch, we finally head out into nature for a Breathwalk. This is a gentle training method from Kundalini Yoga. It combines mindful and simple walking with rhythmic and conscious breathing as well as meditative exercises outdoors. The Breathwalk technique is simple - yet the effect is profound. Each Breathwalk has five phases and is geared towards a clearly defined goal. For example, one walk systematically builds up energy, while another transforms anxiety into serenity. Our walk takes us to a nearby woodland and is accompanied by the warm rays of the sun and the clarity of the fresh air. A wonderful combination that makes it easy for us to embark on the final, guided soul journey.
The second part of the day begins with so-called Venus Kriyas, partner exercises from Kundalini yoga, which are characterised by a mixture of movement and eye contact and prepare us for the second series of exercises of the day entitled "Heal yourself now". Here, too, we will use colours and pens to put our experiences down on paper. The final exercise is a healing meditation with a selected partner and here at the latest it becomes clear: only those who are whole can flow, can be creative and come into their full creative power!

Photo: Taelynn Christopher / Unsplash.com