As an online yoga teacher, content creator, and corporate attorney, my screen time and stress levels can get a little out of control. I booked my first Getaway House during a period of intense burnout in 2021 and it has quickly become one of my favorite weekend escapes for times when I’m stressed and overstimulated.
These are five of my favorite ways to de-stress in nature:
- Practicing Meditation
Meditation doesn’t have to be complicated. As much as I love online guided meditations, meditation can also be as simple as heading outside and getting really still. I like to focus on my breath and bodily sensations initially, and then gradually expand my awareness to include the sounds and sights around me.
- Practicing Asana
Asana is the physical practice of yoga poses. You don’t need a yoga studio, online classes, expensive equipment or extreme flexibility to practice. Just plop down on a nice patch of grass, tap into your breathing, and move your body intuitively. Explore how playfully you can move, and pay attention to how your body and mind react—when you land somewhere that feels good, stay there for a few breaths. I recommend taking lots of breaks to stare at the sky.
- Reading
E-readers are so convenient but in my opinion there’s something to be said for an actual, physical book. I’m a poetry lover so on my last visit to Getaway I brought Mary Oliver’s Devotions, Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman and Coleman Barks’ Essential Rumi translation. I bring those with me everywhere and re-read them whenever I’m between books. I tend to read for much longer when I’m outside and away from my phone and computer.
- Creative Expression
On my last trip to Getaway, I wrote so much that I used up all the ink in three pens. Creative expression is different for everyone—maybe you prefer to draw or sing or dance or play an instrument. I think everyone could benefit from having a creative outlet. I always feel so much more creative when I’m in nature and disconnected from distractions.
- Letting Your Mind Wander
One of my favorite things about Getaway is how the lack of WiFi and cell service removes access to quick answers. In a time where lots of us constantly have the Internet in our pockets, it’s easy to forget how good it feels to wonder about things. To turn a question over in your mind again and again, because you don’t have the ability to type it into your phone and instantly get the answer. What bird is singing that song? What phase is the moon in tonight? I love to sit outside and soak in the magnitude of all the things I don’t know.