Connect with Nature, and You Connect with Yourself
We lose ourselves easily and harden in this world full of pressures, pains, opinions, distractions, and noise. We are stressed, busy and run our days through. We are imbalanced, unfocused, and disconnected even though we try to be balanced, focused, and present so that we could enjoy our life wholeheartedly.
I’m Mari, a trained mental health expert and shinrin-yoku nature trainer living in Punkaharju, Saimaa lake region in Finland. At the bottom of SaimaaLife, there is my personal years-long exhaustion, anxiety, and depression, and journey during which I found nature’s recovering and healing power besides all other ways how I had learned to integrate nature into my life as a Finn. Finding nature deeper helped me to understand that I’m not alone with my life challenges and that I’m precious and enough as I am. I’m not perfect or a machine, and I don’t even need to try to be. I’m human and that’s the best. I found myself, the wisdom and power of my own natural body & mind, the health benefits of woods and waters, and the connection to plants, animals, and other people. Nature helped to heal and balance my wellbeing, relationships, and work. From the connection to physical nature grew a connection to my human and personal nature, and that became the anchor of my wellbeing and the compass of my life. I understood that a better connection to our nature is what we need in this modern world.
SaimaaLife exists so that more people can find the help and support of nature to their everyday lives and own ways to better balance, health, relationships, and work – steps to a more natural and human way of being and living where they can feel better themselves, but also which supports the wellbeing of others and our whole planet.
“Loving nature is a part of our DNA. We are hardwired to affiliate with the natural world and other forms of life. Just as our health improves when we are in connected with it, so our health suffers when we are divorced from it.” -Biophilia hypothesis, Edward O. Wilson, 1984-
Your Mind Is the Key, Your Nature Is the Way
Human-nature connection and the concepts of biophilia, shinrin-yoku and ecopsychology are at the basis of SaimaaLife. No matter how you experience nature -externally or internally, in concrete outdoors, indoors via photos or videos, virtually, or as natural materials- it is studied that nature’s effect on us is positive. Besides nature, at the core is your mind, your brain. Your mind is the key to all of your decisions and choices, mindset, and attitude.
My themes for you are the health benefits of nature, self-knowledge, intuition, mental health, resources, healthy boundaries, self-regulation, responsibility, values, natural rhythm, natural living, sustainability, self-esteem, humanity, emotions, compassion, and courage. All topics that are important for health, happiness, rest, presence, productivity, innovativeness, and creating a life where it is easier for you to breathe, experience meaningfulness and joy, and feel better both at home and work.
Life’s challenges, your fears, and trapped emotions, like shame, anger, and grief cause pain and suffering. They hold back your life energy, prevent wellbeing, and cause illnesses. Learning to face and process them is important, and a big way to deeper wellbeing and strengthening good things, like acceptance, gratitude, forgiveness, trust, and love in your life. Nature can help you here too, and that’s why I talk about all colors of life in SaimaaLife.
”Everyone has sometimes a harsh time in life, and it’s hard to overcome. Some people blame themselves, and some feel it’s too much. I was one of them. “Find your nature” workshop gave me a chance to understand and forgive myself, and be freed from the sense of guilt by imagining and feeling that I am a part of the great and beautiful nature. The way Mari talked and her experience gave that feeling. After the workshop, I began to walk through the park every day on the way to my office. I found the color of leaves, bird singing and sun shining on the surface of the pond. Gratitude over my life sprouted inside of me. Nature said “yes, it’s ok, you can live”. I’m going to continue this new routine to keep my feeling peaceful. Thank you Mari.” -JAPAN
Be Real, Be Human and Be in Nature
How can I help and support you?
- Follow @saimaalife on social media: you hear my thoughts, can see nature inspired life and different seasons in Saimaa, and get information and study results about nature’s health benefits. I’m most active on Instagram.
- Sign up for my mailing list to get extra inspiration, information, and ideas.
- Visit SaimaaLife Online shop and order my book: My book shares more of my journey and gives guidance and steps to your own one. You can also order pieces of Finnish nature for your home and work.
- Order me to give a workshop or lecture: I’m available for one-to-one meetings and in request I run different kinds of workshops and lectures for groups, companies and organizations. I do them live and online, outdoors and indoors. Shinrin-yoku is my speciality. Read more it here.
- Travel to Punkaharju in Saimaa – I’m happy to be your or your group’s local guide, create memorable experiences and teach you Finnish health & happiness habits. Click here to read more.
Ways are many and you can start with any one of them.
“Mari had a big effect on the success of our workshop day. The day brought our group to feel like a team again; To see the difficulties we’ve been through, and the potential we have ahead of us. It opened up the the atmosphere of trust to say aloud those difficult things that had been haunting our team but not put to words.”
– FINLAND
A Finnish Single Mother from the Farm via 360° Virtual Reality Technology to Nature Trainer
A bit more about me:
- I’m born in 1980 at our family farm in the countryside of Punkaharju
- Graduated as the Master of Social Sciences from The University of Eastern Finland
- Travel Researcher in the University and Ministry
- Sales and marketing & resort manager
- Teacher of wellness travel
- Lived in Helsinki, Joensuu, Savonlinna, Bergen in Norway and Uppsala in Sweden
- SaimaaLife blogger since 2012 doing projects such as 365 Ways to Natural Wellbeing Year and 4-week online course about learning to process emotions with the help of nature
- Entrepreneur of Quality To Life Naturally Ltd
- 360°/VR (virtual reality) production and development
- Japan collaborations such as group travel tours, workshops, and virtual travels to Finland
- Graduated as a trained mental health expert in Finland
- Graduated as shinrin-yoku nature trainer from Japan, Shinsu Shinanomachi Healing Forest in Nagano
Japan came into my life at the end of 2016 when life brought me and Asaka together. Through our friendship, collaboration, and my other Japanese partners and friends I got to know Japan and learned the connection and similarities between Finnish and Japanese culture. I understood that both Finland and Japan have a lot to give globally for strengthening our nature connection and that through SaimaaLife I want to deliver that knowledge and experience to other people for the good of their wellbeing.
12 + 1 Facts about Me:
- Finding the sweet person syndrome in me and outgrowing it has been the biggest thing that has changed the game for the better in all of my life areas.
- Panic attacks, nerve pains, debt burden, mental violence, sexual traumas, workaholism, digital addiction, self-destructive thoughts, eating disorder, loneliness. Been there, and lived that among other things. Without it all, I would not be the person I am now. I’m grateful for that. We all have our own story and the best what you can do with your experiences is to let them grow you as a human and have peace with them.
- I never say no to sauna or a cup of coffee, I love to start my days with lake swimming year-round, blueberry is my favorite berry, and there’s A LOT of Finnish SISU in me.
- Authenticity, humanity, and real touch are 3 important things to me. And I say YES to slow mornings, documentaries, eating, and long, mutual talks.
- Less is more. Quality over quantity. Reduce, reuse, recycle. That’s me.
- I teach my kids that one of the most important skills in life is to be able to be without a mobile or any kind of technology. It’s not easy, and exactly that’s why it’s important.
- Sufficient bread is needed, but fast money talks way too loud in this world, I think.
- I think too that good things happen when the younger and older generation change their minds openly.
- If all people were rabbits or turtles, I am a turtle.
- My opinion is that the more AI spreads and the line between real and unreal fades, the more we need nature connection and talk about the essence of being a human.
- Combination of handmade & natural material rock because that has the best, slow, and natural energy. You find a lot of that kind of things in my home, where also my office is located.
- Rest is needed, movement is medicine, moderation in everything, and sometimes the best thing to do for your wellbeing is to eat a bar of chocolate, or two.
- I love quotes and poems and that’s why you see a lot of them in @saimaalife.
The multiculturalism of SaimaaLife tribe is a big source of joy and richness. Being able to have connections to different cultures and countries has taught me that even though our lives are different, they are based on the same needs and emotions all over the world. Also, no matter the person, the nature connection is something that we all enjoy and that makes us feel better.
“We need to live authentically. And let nature grow us to find ourselves.”
That quote by Tove Jansson – the Finnish Swede author, painter and the creator of beloved Moomins- I’ve lived real in my life. Through SaimaaLife, I want to inspire more people to experience the same.
Life’s tough, but your nature can help
It really can, no matter if it’s your health, relationships, work, or whatever. That’s why taking your step and finding your nature is worth it.
Welcome to follow @saimaalife. When there’s a place I can help you or your group/team, feel free to contact me by direct message via @saimaalife, mailing me at [email protected], or sending me a message via this contact form.
Note that I’m not licensed health or medical professional. Consult doctors with any issues needed.
SaimaaLife is happy to collaborate with:
