Week 1: Saying “Yes” to Nature What does saying “yes” to nature mean to us? And what might this look like, both in everyday life and visits to wild places? In our first call, we’ll explore these questions through writing and sharing with each other. We’ll also connect with a found nature treasure through our senses and visit a special place in our mind’s eye. We will start discovering the power of saying “yes” to nature more, and the surprisingly simple keys to a deeper connection.
Week 2: Senses and Presence How does opening our senses allow us to experience nature’s peace and wonder more profoundly? And why is being present such a powerful gateway to a more nourishing connection with nature? This week we’ll get to know two nature treasures in new ways through guided sensory experiences, and learn simple practices to help us be more present in both nature and daily life. We’ll perceive how using our senses and being present can activate natural intelligence and guide us to what is healing.
Week 3: Motion and Stillness In what ways do movement and stillness shape our experience of trees, birds, water, and more? How can holding still or moving mindfully invite us into a more engaged and intimate relationship with the natural world? In this class, we’ll explore the fertility of stillness, and how connecting with nature (even in our mind’s eye) helps us find a calm place inside. Through guided meditation, we’ll experience ourselves as rooted in the Earth and allow a nature treasure to invite us into stillness. We also will embody diverse aspects of nature through movement (on or off screen), and learn about how to move in dialogue with rather than just through the natural world.
Week 4: Love and Gratitude What’s love got to do with it? And why is giving thanks for nature’s gifts such a powerful act? In this session, we’ll delve into how honoring our love and gratitude for the Earth nourishes both us and the natural world, and learn simple ways to do this. We’ll evoke natural gratitude through a guided meditation and poetry, write letters to a special being or place in nature, and consider how to cultivate a more reciprocal relationship with the natural world.
Week 5: Kinship and Communication What if we expanded our circle of friends to include the natural world? What might it be like to see each aspect of nature as a potential ally and teacher? This week we’ll learn simple ways to connect with our extended family in the more-than-human world, and to draw on their support wherever we are. We’ll encounter a special tree and a nature ally through guided meditations, and discover the magic that can happen when we step into the roots or paws of another being.
Week 6: Nature, Writing, and Healing Why is contact with nature so beneficial? What allows us to receive deeper healing from nature… and how can writing be a part of that? In our final class, we’ll journey to a special place to receive healing and guidance. We will learn about what types of settings are best for our health, and how to access nature-based healing wherever we are. We also will receive two simple writing practices for self-healing, and reflect on what we want to carry forward from this course.