Experiments in Joy:
Exploring your spiritual relationship with Nature
A 4-week experiential training designed to help you deepen your spiritual relationship with Nature in the darkest days of Winter
Saturdays, January 17 - February 7,
1-2:30 p.m. in Boulder, CO.
NOTE: THIS CLASS IS FULL AND REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED. If you would like to be the first to hear about future classes, you may contact me and subscribe to the email list here.
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE REGISTERED: check your inbox for logistical info. Thanks!
The Invitation
Have you ever felt a spiritual connection with the natural world? Have you experienced a deep peace settle in your bones when you were sitting quietly in the wilderness, or as you were nurturing plants in your garden? Have you felt the silent companionship of trees? Have you realized the interconnectedness of all living things?
Many nature-lovers have had some kind of experience like this. These experiences are like invitations, beckoning us to deepen our relationship with Nature. But most of us don’t know how. We know we love nature, and spend as much time as we can outdoors, but we don’t know how to connect more intentionally. Our culture has lost this knowledge; it is hard to find models.
But it is possible! Nature can be an incredibly rich spiritual path, a path that brings deep joy. If you’d like to explore how to connect with Nature more intentionally, this training is for you.
The Training
In this training, you will explore ways to deepen your spiritual relationship with Nature. It is an experiential training, meaning that you will be supported to connect and communicate with Nature during the weekly sessions themselves, as well as in between sessions.
We’ll also explore some of the obstacles to spiritual connection with Nature, including our own minds and the structure of our daily lives and environment, and how to overcome them.
You’ll be supported by a group of like-minded people who will be exploring their own connection to Nature. We will learn from each other!
We will follow a “gentle structure”: each session will be focused around a group of themes and questions, and activities will be provided to create a container for exploration and learning. But we will also engage with the interests and insights of participants:
Week 1: What does it mean to have a spiritual relationship with Nature?
We’ll explore this question, and look at various ways of opening the door to connect with Nature. We’ll also address some of the challenges to walking this path in the modern world, and explore solutions. And we will sit quietly with Nature.
Week 2: Observation in Nature
We’ll engage in a number of observation activities in a natural environment that can lead to experiences of deep joy, contentment, interconnectedness and peace.
Week 3: Is it possible to communicate with Nature?
Can you actually ‘talk’ to a tree, a flower, a rock? Can beings in Nature communicate with you? We will experiment with various ways of communicating with and listening to Nature. We will also explore communicating with the spirit of Nature as a whole, which I call Earth Mother.
Week 4: Nature as a spiritual path in everyday life
We’ll explore ways to integrate what we’ve learned into our everyday lives, including how to connect with Nature in the city and indoors.
Dates, Logistics & Registration
This four-week training will take place in Boulder, CO on Saturday afternoons, from 1-2:30 p.m, starting January 17. The sessions may include a combination of indoor and outdoor experiences, weather permitting. This training is appropriate for people of all levels of fitness, as it will involve minimal walking. Just be sure to dress warmly enough to sit outside.
The cost of this training is $100 per person. A $50 non-refundable deposit is due at the time of registration, and the balance is due on the first day of the training. Click here to register. You are welcome to contact me with questions.
Space is limited to ensure quality, in-depth discussion and reflection.
If the weather prevents us from engaging in essential activities outdoors, we may reschedule a session.
In the darkest days of winter, it's easy not to get enough sun and feel disconnected from nature. But with a little preparation and encouragement, you can spend intentional time in nature that helps get you through these dark days and brings you joy!