This is day 5 of summer and #30dayswild challenge that we accepted from Surrey Wildlife Trust. Hooray to summer and to going wild this June!!
Today, I…NAPPED in nature! Indeed, it seemed like a coherent next step from having my lunch in nature. This week has been quiet a busy one, and remembering that rest is as important as work, i decided to spend the most of the day laying down in the garden, sunbathing and napping. The best rest ever!! It is true – sometimes to rest well we just need to do NOTHING. Relax as much as possible and enjoy! Now I feel completely rejuvenated, ready for the coming week! I am very happy that, despite the work overload, I could just lay down, relax and enjoy nature! And I think I indeed managed to benefit from some other “side-effects” of napping in nature, such as:
- Grounding (also known as “earthing”). Grounding is very good for regulating the cortisol cycle in your body, hence helping reduce stress levels. You can read more about the science and how to practice grounding here.
- Sunbathing. Indeed, for a very long time people believed in the healing power of sun – it gives life, promotes growth, sustains life. Some yogis recommend exposing your body to the suns rays for 20 min each day to soak in the sun energies (of course, precautionary steps should be taken – don’t forget to put on some sunscreen (I made my own using this recipe from wellnessmama website) and try not to go out unprotected from 12pm to 4pm when the sun is most active)
- Fresh air! We spend some much time indoors nowadays that, sadly, fresh air is a true luxury fro many of us… This is why it is so important to benefit from it whenever we can! It is even better if you can nap near a waterfall or the seaside/ocean, as the number of negative ions in the air are very high. You can find out more by watching about negative ions and their positive effects on health and wellbeing here.
- Nature Therapy. While you are napping in nature, you can get all the benefits of Nature Therapy, which are really limitless: stress-release, improvements in mood, balanced-up cortisol cycle, and many others. You can read more about Nature Therapy here.
After my afternoon nap, I felt very relaxed, rejuvenated, and happy! Indeed, it is such a pleasant experience I am even planning to get the courage to try sleeping outside in a tent! Having done it once in South Africa, it should not be that scary to do it in England…or should it?
Do you nap or sleep in nature? If so, which are your favourite places to nap in nature? Do you find you sleep better in nature rather than indoors?
We would love to hear your thoughts!
