The Alchemy of Night, Yoga and Nature

Night re-wilding alchemises yoga and nature.

Not only did the original yogis sit alone by the fire contemplating the night sky, but yoga philosophy acknowledges that experience of consciousness is felt and made through the 5 great elements. Yoga is nature and cosmos. We are nature and cosmos. We are that.

Night rewilding offers a way to expand our consciousness a little - and at the same time get down into the roots of ourselves.

Yoga is also a tool to open the door to night solitude. How? No doubt about it, stepping across the threshold into the woods at night is nerve-racking. But through yoga we become intimately attuned to our bodies and nervous systems. Body mindfulness teaches us skills which help us to regulate our reactions. If I am nervous going into the woods at night, I notice my body and can slow my breath, and (with the help of the biochemical emissions from soil and tree), ease tightly held tensions. Through yoga and nature we can become calm and we can become then more receptive to ourselves and environment… Now calm, we can notice very deliciously and presently, the lush volume of nature and sensory experience ~~~ ourselves and our inner world.

One night rewilder shared the following:

“Being by the river at night, hearing the sound of the water, feeling the intensity of the experience … Being in the dark and at the foot of a tree enabled me to go inwards quicker and more deeply - I was able to let go and to connect with myself in a way that was different. It felt powerful and transformative.”

Through night rewilding, both we and nature become more vivid and alive.