CHAPTER 4

When and Where

The Best Time

The best time to do Tree Yoga is all the time. As already mentioned, anyone can practice Tree Yoga at any time, and it is always a good idea to do so. Seriously, you want to practice as often as possible. This will result in the greatest benefit, as well as the fastest and deepest healing. You really can get more benefits from Tree Yoga than you may be ready to believe, and you can heal anything.

Spend as much time as possible close to trees, and practice Tree Yoga as often as you can. Begin to include nature as part of your daily routine, and eventually make it foundational. It is also important to understand that the benefits of Tree Yoga are not summative, but rather they are multiplicative. This means that if you practice four hours of Tree Yoga straight, you are not getting just four hours worth of benefits. The longer you spend near a tree, or the longer you practice Tree Yoga continuously, the more the benefits are amplified.

Consider this visual. Let’s say there are two cars at a starting line — about to have a race to a finish line. During the race, the first car brakes every few moments, while the second car accelerates the entire time. The second car will obviously reach the finish line, or goal, much faster than the first car. This is because the second car gets faster with each passing moment, whereas the first car needs to reaccelerate after each time it hits the brakes. Progress is made by both cars, however progress is made much faster when you keep the foot on the gas. I am by no means advocating the racing of cars. You may already know that I have written a book on mindful and safe driving — Drive Enlightened: The Yoga of the Road. This is simply to paint a picture of what is happening. With each continuous hour, or even minute, practicing Tree Yoga, the benefits are increased. Practice as often as possible, but also as long as you can.

Although you want to practice whenever you are able to, there are some ideal times to practice. One of these ideal times is first thing in the morning. Too many people go straight to their cell phones as the first act of the day. They connect with a negative electromagnetic field, and they pull themselves out of the present moment — into distraction, and often chaos. What if you started each day differently? What if you started with connecting to the positive electromagnetic field of a tree, as well as with peace? How you start your day sets the tone for the entire day. Instead of starting with the cell phone, try beginning with nature. When you wake up, grab some water and head to a tree. Practice some gentle poses, and take some deep breaths. You will be amazed at how this sets the tone for a blissful and productive day.

Another great time to practice is at the end of the day. Similar to what people do in the beginning, the last thing people often do to end the day is spend time on the cell phone. A lot of people even sleep right next to the cell phone. Sleep is so vital for optimal health, yet most people never give it much thought. The quality of your sleep largely determines the quality of the next day, as well as the overall quality of your life. Instead of being plugged into technology at the end of the day, plug into a tree. This discharges all excess and negative energy, so that you can have deep and restful sleep. You go to bed with a calm and centered mind, instead of a mind that is racing and overstimulated. Try to start and end your day on a positive note with Tree Yoga.

The middle of the day is also a great time to practice. During the middle of the day, the sun is the strongest. Trees act as natural solar panels, and absorb the ultra pure energy of the sun. By connecting with a tree during the peak of the sun’s power, you absorb the highest amount of healing energy from the sun, in addition to the energy of the tree itself. Amazingly, this is a safe and effective way to connect with the energy of the sun without ever worrying about a sunburn —  even for people with sensitive skin. The sun is one of the foundations of life itself, and it is definitely an energy you want to connect with.

Make Tree Yoga, and nature, a habit. It is one of the best habits you can ever start. Like any new habit, don’t try to do too much at once, otherwise you will get frustrated and quit. Don’t say that you are going to practice seven hours of Tree Yoga every single day starting tomorrow. This all-or-nothing approach always seems to end badly — especially when forming new habits. Start with a few minutes daily, and gradually build it up over time. This way, the habit is sustainable and a joy to practice. If you are trying to begin the habit of running, you don’t want to start with a marathon on the first day. Start with jogging a mile, or even just doing some walking. With Tree Yoga, just start with a couple of breaths and several poses. Before you know it, it will be a normal part of daily life. The formation of the habit will be smooth and effortless.

Spring and Summer

During the spring and summer seasons, the growth of a tree is the greatest. This is mainly because the sun is the strongest at this time. Practicing Tree Yoga during the spring and summer connects you with the energy of the sun, as well as with the energy of growth. A lot of people are afraid or hesitant to connect with the sun, and it is totally understandable. Sunburns are not fun. However, sunburns are a result of connecting with the sun in an imbalanced way. If we connect with the sun in moderation, and gradually increase the connection over time, we don’t run into any problems. The problems arise when we try to do too much too fast — just like with forming habits. Don’t try to spend several straight hours in direct sunlight after spending your previous month entirely indoors. Start with a few minutes, and build it up — just like with running. Further, I invite you to change how you look at connecting with the sun. Yes, you can connect with the sun through the skin in direct sunlight. However, you can also connect with the sun by plugging into a tree. Again, this is a safe and effective way to connect with the sun’s energy without any negative effects.

When you are practicing Tree Yoga, you are connecting with the energy of the tree. During the spring and summer, the tree is growing. Thus, you are connecting with the energy of growth — just like you are connecting to the other energies of the tree, like presence and strength. Something the trees have taught me is that I can let go. I don’t need to always try so hard in life and stress myself out. Instead, I can relax and place myself in the right environments. I can connect with the right energies, and ride the wave. So often, we are the ones that make life difficult. We get in our own ways by going against the natural flow of life, and by connecting with negative energy. It doesn’t have to be this way. When we stop resisting and start connecting with the right energy, life becomes much easier. We open ourselves up to the help that is always available.

Fall and Winter

During the fall and winter seasons, many people go indoors, and they stay there. This is detrimental to overall health. We need to be getting outside throughout the entire year. However, just like with several things we have already discussed, building up time spent outside in the colder weather gradually is the key. Start with a couple of minutes, and increase the duration with practice. There are two primary reasons we want to practice Tree Yoga in the colder months.

The first reason has to do with earthing and discharging negative energy. More and more people are discovering the benefits of earthing all the time, but many of them do not realize that there are multiple ways to practice. Most people practice earthing by placing their bare feet in direct contact with the ground. This establishes an energetic connection between you and the Earth — allowing negative energy to flow out, and positive energy to flow in. The reason earthing works is because you have high concentrations of nerves in the soles of the feet. However, you have high concentrations of nerves in other areas as well — including the hands. As powerful as earthing with bare feet is, it is my claim that earthing is actually more effective with the hands. You have more control, dexterity, and sensitivity with the hands than the feet. You can much more easily feel the energy flow with the hands as well. Additionally, it can get too cold to be barefoot outside during the fall and winter, but you can still practice earthing by placing the hands on a tree. It is imperative to discharge excess and negative energy on a regular basis — even in the colder weather. You can easily do this with Tree Yoga.

The second reason to practice Tree Yoga in the colder months is to simply get you outside — breathing in fresh air. Too many people spend nearly all of the fall and winter months indoors. They breathe in stagnant air only. Make sure you get outside during the colder weather too. This promotes healthy respiration, and you will find that the cold air is invigorating. It is very important to note here that the way you practice Tree Yoga in the colder weather is different than how you practice in the warmer weather. In the warmer weather, you can really move deeply into the stretches. However, in the colder weather, you don’t want to go as deep. Do not try to overstretch in the cold. Instead, dial it back a little. Spend extra time warming up, and move extra slowly.

When Not to Practice

Don’t use the rain and snow as an excuse not to practice. Doing Tree Yoga in the rain is a refreshing experience, and practicing in the snow can be incredibly beautiful. However, use common sense. Yes, you can practice in the rain, but don’t practice in a hurricane, or when there is thunder and lightning. Additionally, don’t practice in a blizzard or any storm with strong winds. You can practice Tree Yoga nearly anytime, however do not practice during extreme weather.

Where to Practice

You can practice Tree Yoga almost anywhere. The only thing you need is a nice tree. If you are fortunate enough to have trees at your home, utilize this valuable resource. Connect with these trees on a regular basis, and establish a personal connection with each tree. Additionally, you can go to your local park. They always have a great variety of awesome trees, and you never seem to have an issue with mosquitoes or ticks in a park. Another great place to practice Tree Yoga is in the forest. You can practice with a tree on the trail, or you can go off and find a more secluded spot. Just make sure you protect yourself from mosquitoes and ticks with the things we talked about last chapter.

One of the coolest places to practice Tree Yoga is in a national park. You will come across some of the most impressive trees, and the positive energy is palpable. One of my favorite places to practice Tree Yoga is in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, especially during the fall. The beauty of the foliage is something you need to see to believe.

Living in Harmony

The Tao Te Ching asks us to return to nature. Living harmoniously in the present moment is supposed to be the most natural thing in the world, however human beings have become the most unnatural thing in the world. We are all synced up to unnatural cycles and irregular rhythms, as opposed to the natural cycles and rhythms of life. This takes a toll on the body and mind, and subtly tilts us off center. I know this can be difficult to do, but you must sync back up with nature and the natural cycles of our world as best as you can if you want to experience harmony and peace of mind.

Don’t live by the artificial construct of time. Instead, live by the sun and the moon. The sky is the most accurate clock. Don’t live in virtual reality, but live in actual reality. Connect with life more often, instead of always connecting with technology. Unplug from technology, and plug into a tree.

You Can’t

Overdue It

Tree Yoga is something that you cannot overdue, unlike most other things. You can easily overdue running or weight lifting, however you can practice Tree Yoga for hours without any adverse effects as long as you do it mindfully. Obviously, if you practice challenging and strenuous poses for hours on end, you can overdue it. If you have a balanced practice focused on the breath though, it is impossible to overdue it. Remember, there is tremendous benefit to be had from just sitting and breathing next to a tree. You can never take too many high quality breaths.