I recently returned from Kenya, where I spent two amazing weeks on safari in the Samburu National Reserve on the Ewaso Ng’iro river, and in the Masai Mara region along the border with Tanzania. 

There is nothing that prepares one for seeing such massive wild animals up close in completely wide open spaces. Or perhaps I should just say, *I* wasn’t prepared. Our first day out, around every turn, my jaw dropped as we encountered the most breathtaking displays of beauty and raw power right in front of us –  just Nature doing its thing.

The word “safari” in Swahili simply means “journey” – I misunderstood when the friendly Kenyans we met in the capital city of Nairobi wished us “happy safari,” wondering how they knew where we were headed. In fact, they were just wishing us a good journey, wherever it may lead.

Ayurveda explains the power of nature to restore vitality. When we spend the bulk of our life inside, we are deprived of the vitality so readily available in the elements outdoors. Our prāna or lifeforce literally stagnates in our body and its nourishing capacity diminishes, like that of stale air or stagnant water. Being outdoors surrounded with fresh air and the pulse of living plants and animals, we are revitalized.

On safari, this sense of elemental nourishment was unavoidable – for all of us. We were a group of 10, including some potentially-sullen teenagers, but by the end, without exception, each of us felt renewed, our nervous system and mood at peace, our energy uplifted.

I believe it was the natural result of spending each day waking with the sun, immediately getting outside, feasting our eyes, skin and bodies on unfiltered nature, eating freshly prepared vibrant foods, and going to bed tired at an early hour, so as not to miss the splendor of tomorrow’s dawn. 

Each day, I watched as our rhythms synced up with nature’s pace and priorities – and I laughed to notice that literally each of the teachings in my Ayurveda mentorship, The Inner Wisdom Circle, were “taught” by nature herself: Wake early, start the day with inspiration, move the body and breath, nourish the senses, get quiet and unplug, eat what the earth gives us, play…. It was all right there. Intuitive. Easy.

We brought it home with us. For days, we have been feeling the high – the sense of belonging to the animal kingdom community, the connection with the lifeforce itself, an unpressured joy just looking around us with wonder. We each brought home totems of a sort, images or reminders of the animals and landscape we want to keep close, the visceral feeling of both kinship and awe. Indisputably alive.

How can you “go on safari”? Where can you immerse in nature, maybe even this weekend? You might look for a nearby state park, a forest, a nature trail. It doesn’t have to be a grand vista. Get up early so you can feel the excitement of nature waking up. Let your mind be fed by the color flash of a birdwing, the smell of dirt, the company of trees and untended plants. Notice how you feel. Nature restores. Intuitive. Easy.

If you are feeling disconnected or worn down, or if you want consistent, powerful inspiration and guidance to apply Ayurveda in your life, I invite you to come dip your toe in the Inner Wisdom Circle mentorship at our Info Session next Wednesday, Aug. 16, 7-8pm ET / 4-5pm PT. You’ll meet a couple of current members and learn about our inspiring learning community, our structured supportive program, and how our members are leaning into this heart-filled community to transform their health and their lives. Send me an email to RSVP and get the zoom link. We’d love to see you there. 

The key, of course, is bringing it home – bringing nature’s pace and presence home with us. It’s so simple, yet so easy to drop back into a separated, stagnant state when closed up in our modern technology-centric lives. We need regular doses of nature to remember how to feed our vitality – to be energized by a sunrise, to be awakened by a breeze. We can remember.

Happy Safari to you!