Connecting with Nature: Yoga in the Garden
On Saturday, August 24, we hosted our first yoga event at the College Area Community Garden. Led by instructors Nati and Jordi of Yoga Here & Now SD, over 20 people gathered to welcome the day with a relaxing Hatha flow, a heart-opening cacao ceremony, Pranayam breathwork, and a closing guided meditation.
The practice began with a cacao ceremony. A first for many in our community, Nati instructed us first not to drink the cacao she prepared, but instead to focus our awareness on everything that had gone into it—appreciating the land it came from, the farmers who grew it, and the generations of people who have passed down this practice. With each sip, she encouraged us to deepen our awareness. And it didn’t hurt that it was tasty too! She spiced it with cloves, cardamom, and other herbs to bring out the deep, rich flavor of the cacao.
Our hearts open (and our bellies happy), we began our yoga practice. Sun salutations under the morning sun, it’s easy to relax in beauty of our garden. This practice was centered around connecting with the present moment. With modifications that allowed each person to increase or decrease the challenge, there were lots of ways to stretch out tension in the body and clear the mind.
As the hour rounded out and the practice winded down, Nati encouraged us to draw our awareness to all the birds singing around us. It’s so easy to forget how much life our garden supports. With our eyes closed, we were able to fully take in the soft breeze on our skin, the buzzing of bees flying past, and the peace that we’d found through this rejuvenating flow of movement and stillness.
After the yoga practice, we were treated to a Pranayam breath workshop. Nati took us through a series of five breaths, explaining the unique benefits of each breath and when to practice it, before demonstrating how to do it. We were encouraged to journal after each exercise, and many attendees were excited to share what came up for them during these cycles.
To bring the event to a calming close, Nati invited us back down to our mats for a guided meditation. In line with the theme, she brought us to visualize ourselves in a beautiful naturescape as we once again connected with our body and the present moment. Not a hard thing to visualize when practicing yoga at the CACG. Here’s to many more mornings of yoga at the garden!
