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At Nature Sacred, we spend a lot of time discussing how our current ways of living artificially disconnect us from nature. In her recent TEDx talk, Nature Sacred CEO, Alden Stoner, explains that “We no longer live in rhythm with the sun, or the seasons or our souls. We live in rhythm with notifications and it’s making us sick. But it doesn’t have to be that way.”
Nature Sacred CEO Alden Stoner speaks at TEDx Walden Pond.
As a collective, we’ve forgotten how to deeply immerse ourselves in an ever-dwindling yet critical resource — nature. Most importantly, we often forget that we too are part of the natural world, and that rather than designing our lives around it, we are meant to live within and alongside it. This doesn’t mean you need to relocate to a cabin in the woods to feed your body’s craving for nature. Rather, intentionally incorporating accessible forms of nature exposure into your day or existing routines can benefit your whole-body health in ways that are often underestimated.
Research shows that exercising in nature offers advantages over working out at a gym or at home, including increased enjoyment, greater variety in terrain, and improved mental well-being. Outdoor physical activity can support better health outcomes by making movement more enjoyable, challenging the heart and muscles in diverse ways, and potentially supporting immune and bone health through sun exposure and environmental diversity.
You can access the benefits that come from time in nature by intentionally weaving the outdoors into regular activities you already enjoy. When possible, consider connecting with colleagues in nature for walking meetings; these can also boost creativity, productivity, and focus. Socializing outside is another great option — when meeting friends for coffee or dinner, try an outdoor patio, park, or stroll through your neighborhood. Finding time to play outside has the additional benefit of strengthened relationships with children and family members – lawn games, scavenger hunts, or simply exploring a park together encourages movement while building shared memories.
When combined with research on nature’s broader benefits such as improving mood, lowering anxiety and blood pressure, and fostering social connection – bringing nature into your movement routine becomes a powerful and efficient approach to holistic health. While formal research on the subject has only emerged within the last 50 years, societies and cultures throughout history and around the world have held this knowledge.
Yogic and Ayurvedic traditions in India, more than 5,000 years old, emphasize balance between mental, physical, and spiritual well-being through practices like walking meditation and forest retreats. Chinese Daoist philosophy, originating over 2,500 years ago, promotes harmony with nature through poetry, and meditation in natural landscapes. Across Europe, seasonal visits to sacred hills, caves, and rivers were common. Many of these practices continue today. In Indigenous North American cultures, spiritual running, such as in the Hopi tradition, represents discipline, prayer, resistance, and cultural survival, while also calling for balance with the natural world.
History tells us that humans feel happier and healthier when connected to the natural world, especially when engaging in movement. Science proves it. Our goal at Nature Sacred is to provide opportunities to engage with nature for those who need it most. To step away from the man-made chaos of modern life and experience what humanity has consistently determined to be a necessary part of the human experience.
Community members enjoy a nature walk and wildlife observation at Naval Cemetery Landscape in Brooklyn, NY.
In Sacred Places across the country, small yet magical moments of connection and joyful movement in nature are happening every day. Visitors engage in individual recreation and movement — walking a labyrinth, strolling through flower beds, or playing on a playground. With support from the Nature Sacred Firesoul Network, Firesouls provide opportunities to engage in movement with nature in ways that are most accessible, relevant and conducive to everyday life. Chair yoga for participants with movement challenges at The League for People in Baltimore and guided meditative nature walks and bilingual yoga in Patterson Park are just a few of the ways that community members are utilizing Sacred Places to deepen their connection to nature, to each other, and to their minds and bodies.
Accessible Yoga in the Garden, a Nature Sacred Firesoul Network Opt-in Program at the League for People in Baltimore.
Next time you’re looking for a way to mix up or enhance your movement routine, try taking it outdoors. Whether it’s a short walk, gentle stretching, or a shared moment with someone in your life, stepping outside can transform both body and mind. Because, as Alden emphasizes in her TEDx talk:
“When we move in rhythm with the natural world, even for a few minutes, we begin to heal.”
