Welcome to EcoYogaTherapy™

EcoYogaTherapy™ arose organically when the parallels between Yoga and Applied EcoPsychology became apparent to me.

As I worked my way through Applied EcoPsychology studies I realized that there was a need to help Yoga practitioners understand, language and reconcile their love of Nature with their practices and even themselves. In doing so, we found that their practices deepened and rooted in a way that was delightfully unexpected.

One of the things that arose out of helping yoga students understand Nature's language, was the ability to work through the distrustful stories about our senses being something to “turn off” and how forcing our bodies is somehow “spiritual”.

And from that what bubbled up was a deeper sense of connection, peace, and what dissolved was a desire to overcome the body but rather to listen to the communications and whispers. To me, that is true Yoga.

We do this through contemplation, awareness, yogic techniques and Applied Eco-Psychology activities…and by having the conversations that begin the healing of our perusal and societal, mental and emotional disconnect to Nature, Earth AND to ourselves.

EcoYogaTherapy™ is a calling back, a remembering of what it's like to listen to the subtler in-the-moment communication that Nature and our inner-Nature are expressing.

It's a honouring of our innate connection to Earth, ourselves as part of Nature, and our own internal spaces.

It's also a way forward for those of us who are heartbroken about what's happening to Nature. EcoYogaTherapy uses Yoga and Nature to heal the pain and disconnect to create a deeper sense of peace, place and connection.

Feel at home

About You

Not everything is a fit for everyone, or at every time in one's life. So here are a few notes to feel into if this is a fit for you:

• you feel a draw to Nature, both your inner nature and the external nature – and how they weave together,

• have a desire to experience Yoga, and want to know how to use the yogic tools to have an organic experience of Yoga,

• you are seeking a practice that allows you to feel more than yourself,

• yearn for a practice that is deeply fulfilling and is more than the asana,

• you appreciate being able to look within and find insights and answers – and want to enhance or embrace that ability.

  
  

We’ll probably love working together if you…

• are open to contemplation and examination of self, and providing a supportive space for others as they do the same

• have an abiding love of nature, and desire a stronger understanding of connection in your practice,

• are a dedicated practitioner at any level seeking to expand your knowledge and delve deeper into your practice,

• love nature, earth,

• see Yoga as a tool for realization – and a gentle activism.

• have beliefs that allow you to have a direct connection with life, divinity, breath, Nature

About Me

HI! I’m Natt Forrest – I know, a great last name for the work I do!
I began "learning" Yoga in the mid 90’s, and immediately felt something in the practice click with me. I was searching for stability and a deeper understanding of myself, and I found both in Yoga.

Although I loved the physical aspects of it, what really spoke to me was the insight it offered, the contemplation, and the techniques to focus my mind and be more present, the ability to access breath when I needed to. In short, I loved the entirety of Yoga, not just the physical aspects of it that had become so popular. Most importantly, the practice gave me a language for something that I was already feeling.

I didn’t fit myself into Yoga, I was already a fit.

I’ve been “teaching” Yoga for over two decades…but you can’t teach someone an experience. I prefer to phrase it as facilitating space within to help people realize and remember the already existing deep connection to their bodies, this moment, and to Nature…something that is not lost, but is definitely buried and sometimes forgotten. Through reengaging with Nature we can remember our own inner-Nature.

When I first started out in an "Official Yoga Practice" I knew that my practice outside with Nature moved me in ways that an indoor practice just never did.

It was so much more work to feel connection in a studio.

I craved – I wanted to KNOW in my being what connection and union felt like…to live it, breathe it...​

I spent YEARS digging through books, taking courses, reading, asking questions, trying to understand exactly what Yoga was (and wasn’t)...and what Nature had to do with Yoga. I even got my Ph.D in Applied EcoPsychology, writing two papers on the connection of Yoga and Nature, and a book on it.

It was when I was having my own personal direct experience under the full moon one night that I really understood.

It took me a long time to acknowledge Nature’s role in my practice and even longer to get the clarity of what to do about it.

But when I did find that understanding, those words and that experience, it changed my practice significantly...and now I help other Yoga practitioners realize Nature's importance to their practice and experience of Yoga.

Over the years, I have realized that my definition, understanding and insight into Yoga is very different than what is most commonly thought of – the physical practice is merely one leaf in a tree full of ways to practice Yoga. My favourite and most valuable aspects of the practice are not the postures (although I do love how physical movement can filter, settled and restructure my mental and emotional states). And although I see this shift changing in Yoga studios, to me, the practice must be freed from the box and back into the wilds of intimate in-the-moment presence that includes honouring our senses and the information they share with us (not something to overcome or withdraw from).

Blending Applied Eco-Psycology with my personal Yoga practice as well as in my teaching was a wonderful fit, and it only made sense to me to offer a more formal exploration of the relationship between the self, Yoga practice and Nature, enter a Nature Connect Style Yoga called EcoYogaTherapy™!

About Applied EcoPsychology

The study of human's health in connection (and disconnection) with Nature is called Eco-Psychology. There are two main branches: Eco-psychology and Applied Eco-psychology (AEP). The former MAY include the more structured testing methods and projects and will often include biofeedback and brain scans; the latter is rebuilding the skills personally to be able to be in contact with nature. It may sound strange that we need to relearn the skills to be with nature but so many people are used to being on their phones, stressed out, or see Nature as a playground, or something to be conquered...or, so overwhelmed by their mind chatter that being able to be present and with Nature takes some support, time, love and renewal of skill.

In the last 60+ years as technology has rocketed and our physical need to be in nature has decreased, scientists have noticed the effects of being disconnected from Nature and have given a name to the stress it creates within us. With the rise of Nature Deficiency Disorder we need ways to find our way out of the excessive indoor time, progress, and busy-ness that our culture puts on a pedal-stool. There are many intriguing studies that present us with the understanding that needing to be with Nature is innate and that when we disconnect it has detrimental effects that show up in many different ways.

We no longer know how to just be in nature, something that is integral to our wellbeing, and the effects of this are catching up with us; so much so that Doctors are prescribing Nature time to help with anxiety, depression, spiralling, insomnia, and over thinking, among other things.

AEP is more than the study of humans’ relationship with nature and how that affects our health. It is the unfolding of the training and stories we’ve received that Nature is dangerous and needs to tamed, that we need a ‘middle-man’ to monitor our connection, and that the only way to survive in this world is the now traditional 9 to 5 work scenario.

We are asked to look at our negative beliefs about Nature and to unwind the stories to see what is real in each moment, it asks us to reconnect not only with our external environment but our internal landscape and see how the two are intricately woven. Much of our stresses today are caused from seeking an "alternative" fulfillment of our Natural needs.

AEP doesn’t tell us what is real for us, but rather offers techniques so that we can start to unkink, unwind and reveal what’s real for ourselves. These techniques, exercises and questions help to reintegrate nature back into our daily lives.

Slowly, it becomes apparent that these Nature disconnecting stories are deeply woven in our culture; from something simple as children stories about big bad wolves to having to eat at a time determined by a set time instead of when you’re hungry. These societal stories are at the base of our individual stories about Nature and affect our relationship with Nature.

Many people are unaware that there is a relationship with Nature to be had.

That we are able to relate and communicate with nature is often a blind spot; our mind kicks into to say that we can’t talk with nature. Perhaps not in English, or French, or another human language, but nature has it’s own communication process that we are born fluent in. We are trained out of it, even rewarded for turning about backs on it, and eventually we find our value in our society by not remembering how to communicate with nature. Nature doesn’t speak in words but rather in attractions and we receive that communication via our senses.

This communication can be subtle, it may not immediately change your mind, or your world. Slowly, as you become more aware and fluent in the communication, the paradigm shift is apparent; how little thoughts can be the foundation for big beliefs and even bigger actions, and what that means for Nature.

Some of the core foundations of AEP are the return of the ability to use our 54+ senses (not the 5 senses named around our organs), 9 legged communication (using human language to express nature communication so that our minds can open up to the understanding of the value of our connection with nature), gaining permission (we live in Earth, not on it), and nature disconnected stories aka wranglers (ex: having to raise your hand to ask to go pee).

We will be covering only the very basics of AEP in EcoYogaTherapy™, enough understanding to weave Yoga and Applied Eco-Psychology together. If you would like to explore eco-psychology in more depth, there are many courses offered online through Global Institute of Education, www.projectnatureconnect.org.

My Philosophy

I believe that while our practices can reconnect mind and body – and this is valuable, I would argue it’s even radical in our current society. BUT/AND they can do so much more…reconnect us with Earth, with Nature, and in doing so, help us remember our inner-Nature.

Most Yoga is Anthropocentric – even Egocentric…which is ironic because what we really crave is union, connection, belonging…a sense of home – in ourselves, our bodies, within our families, our cultures, and within Earth.

I believe that our practices would do well to shift to an Ecocentric and Kin-centric way of being. (I think it's really interesting to note here that the word eco comes from the greek word home)

I believe we need to remember how to just be with ourselves, with each other, and with Nature without trying to make things into something else…we need to remember how to form and practice relationships.

I believe that we need to stop thinking of Earth only as our Mother, step out of being the proverbial spoiled child that demands and takes, and grow into a relationship where we become lovers of Earth and start to take care of her.

Back to a time when we saw ourselves in Nature, and Nature in ourselves.

To me, being peaceful and connected is a natural state. It’s like a bed at a party that’s covered in 7000 coats. The bed is there you just can’t see it…but once you start to put the coats away, the bed emerges. Our society likes to coat us with so many layers that our deepest parts, the aspects that know how to be peaceful, connected, and whole can’t be felt or seen…some of us simply have a vague feeling that there’s something under all that.

Nature has a voice, there are things to communicate – they just aren’t articulated in English, Spanish, French, Russian. Nature uses the same language that our bodies use.

When we stop hearing Nature, we stop hearing our bodies. We can hear Nature through our bodies, and our bodies through Nature.

So our practice is about coming home to our body, our being, our Nature…home to Earth.

I believe many of us come to Yoga searching or longing for something. At first it may be connection with body, mind, emotion, self…a calming arises and then a bridge emerges and we begin to see others through this…and then life.

We can’t teach the experience of Yoga, but we can help others to understand and gain skill in the yogic tools (asana, pranayama); kind of like a map, it helps point the way but the journey must be made by the individual.

Every practice is unique, we each will weave together different approaches and use a variety of tools in unique ways that will help us to dissolve and quiet the patterns of thinking and fluctuations of the mind…helping us to build the space that union requires to be remembered in.

There is a lot of Yoga that is about domination and force: force the body into these postures instead of taking the time to commune, understand, explore, communicate, with our bodies.

Just because we aren’t practicing with other humans doesn’t mean we are practicing alone…in fact this non-human centric practice is very healing.

To me our inner-Nature is the same “thing” as Nature.