Since time immemorial, human beings have lived in meaningful and reciprocal relationship with the lands upon which they dwelt, and in collaborative communion with their other-than-human kin — plants, animals, fungi, stones, and more.

In more recent history, however, the dominant cultures of the globe have propelled narratives of human supremacy to justify the grave degradation and exploitation of the earth. This sea change has resulted in innumerable tragedies and has left so many of us in a state of bewilderment, grief, and painful isolation from the living world.

But we were born to belong to this earth. And even though the threads of interconnection that bind us to the land and all our wild relations may be frayed, they remain unbroken.

If we embrace this view, questions emerge:

• How can we begin to mend our ancient and essential relationship with the natural world?
• What does it mean to cultivate intimacy and integrity with a landscape within this age of colonization and climate change?
• How can we renew a paradigm in which humans are a beneficial force of nature?
• What might it feel like to share some kinship again with the oak tree and the creek?

Over the course of our month together, we will approach these questions with humility and curiosity. Taking a generalist's approach, we will introduce philosophies, modalities of awareness, crafts, and skills that can reconnect us with the land and our other-than-human kin. We will explore diverse pathways of participation and presence with the natural world to uncover meaning, nourish our human wholeness, and sense into our innate belonging to the earth.

The enchanted grounds of Esalen, and the surrounding wilderness, will be our place of practice and our primary teacher. Acknowledging Big Sur to be the ancestral lands of the Esselen Tribe, we will endeavor to behave as reverent and respectful guests on sacred land. Expanding our circle of respect, affinity, and awareness beyond the human, we will make space for the birds, flowers, and all the other beings to join our cohort. We will tend to the earth, ourselves, and the threads of kinship between us all.

Areas of focus will include:

• Natural awareness – Engaging practices to cultivate mindful, somatic and sensory awareness in the natural world
• Foundational ecological knowledge – Exploring the stories and patterns of the land and other-than-human kin in Big Sur, as well as more fundamental biology and botany to better understand any place
• Ecophilosophy & critical inquiry – Discovering poetry, prose, and perspectives on humanity’s place within nature. Examining questions of colonization, appropriation, and integrity with place
• Wildcrafts & skills – Introductions to pan-ancestral traditions of foraging and crafting for food, medicine, utility, and beauty – including ethics and sustainability practices
• Relational practice –  Utilizing Gestalt practices from the Esalen lineage, including group check-ins, to help us connect with ourselves, each other, and the land

This workshop will consist of numerous, outdoor, hands-on, physical practices and a great deal of walking, including two long-form hikes. Various hiking abilities can be accommodated, bearing in mind that our long hikes are approximately seven miles in length over uneven and often steep terrain. Participants must be able and willing to sit on the ground, work/learn outside in all weathers, and get a little dirty.

A $40 parks/permit and materials fee will be added.