The natural world is a profound source of healing. Fiery sunsets that stop us in our tracks, calming days ocean side with the scent of seawater in the air, the quiet vastness of the alpine amongst enormous mountain scapes that reshape our knowing of what true timescale is. Nature is truly our best healer offering connection and renewal. Yet our modern life styles are moving away from knowledge and respect of the natural world at an alarming pace, a major cause and contributor of much mental instability, disconnection and loneliness. This course is an invitation to slow down and connect with the gifts of the natural world.
Over the course of five months we will explore health as something we cultivate in relationship with the land, within our bodies and within community. Through sensory work with the land we will deepen our understanding of plants and the natural world, fostering connections and spaces for health and healing.
Each class will be held at a different location in nature including places like mountain scapes, alpine lakes, sea shores, river land scapes and old growth forest locations.
At each location we will explore the gifts of the plants that are around us, work with a topic of the month that includes an element and restorative herbs to support our physical, mental and emotional health. Students will take home several herbal blends each class to work with personally.
Practices each day will include proprioceptive learning about the plants of that day’s focus, pranayama breath work, grounding meditation work and invitations to explore the calming nature of forest bathing practices.
Specific Aspects of the Course Include:
Herbal Medicine
Each class is infused with many herbal remedies. Participants will take home a variety of herbal formulas to work with between sessions. They will focus on nutrient density, adaptogenic blends to support our adaptability and resistance to stresses in our environments, plants that are grounding and protective of our energies and support in amplifying our intentions.
Some of the herbs of focus will be:
Restorative herbal blends including shatavari, reishi, ashwaganda milk and many others adaptogens and nervines
Nourishing broths with astragalus, medicinal mushrooms, nourishing roots and leaves
Seaweeds in foods, teas, baths
Herbs promoting creativity like cacao, damiana and many others
Salt body scrubs, stimulating circulation in the cooler months
Baths for renewal and cleansing energies
Herbs offering protection like mugwort, yarrow, sages, cedar
Mineral rich infusions
Herbs promoting a meditative state like tulsi, pedicularis and others
Deepening Our Understanding and Relationship with the Elements (Earth, Water, Air & Fire)
Whether we are conscious of it or not, life is a make up of the four elements. We and all things exemplify these four elements. Through paying attention to them and their unique qualities and gifts we can work with them in ways that support our health, our connection with the world around us and open up doorways to observe the magic they embody.
Earth
The Earth is the giver of all things, even in a world that includes many man-made items that don’t resemble earthly products. Everything comes from the Earth. Earth teaches us generosity, it teaches us forgiveness and how to move slowly.
Some of the ways we will explore the earth element: nourishing herbal blends and building immunity, practices of grounding and gratitude, spending time with old growth trees
Water
Water gives us life. Much of our being is made of water. It holds wisdom, can transmute energy. It teaches us to care and to hold and that we need to move to stay healthy. It teaches us that we need to have boundaries but that in reality we are all connected. It teaches us to go with the flow and how to be adaptable and let events unfold naturally.
Some of the ways we will explore the water element: protecting practices, nourishing seaweeds, herbal baths preparations, visiting powerful waterway landscapes.
Air
Air teaches us that things are always moving and there are many elements at play that we may not always see. It teaches us about the process of creativity, the importance of curiosity and childlike play
Some of the ways we will explore the air element: breathwork, herbs that promote meditative mental states, spending time in the mountains.
Fire
Fire is a teacher of transformation. It teaches us that after destruction can come profound renewal. It teaches us how to shine our light and amplify our intentions.
Some of the ways we will explore the fire element: fire ritual to work with our intentions, herbal remedies to promote creativity and transformation
Sensory Work Connecting Ourselves to Nature
Each class will contain time in nature and guidance in ways to utilize the gift of our senses to engage in the beautiful places we will visit.
Cost
$850 paid in full prior to class. Three payments of $300 if choosing payment plan.
