[Liv]

Summary Post

Ecopsychology is the research foundation for our work as NCCs. Part of the magic of being a Nature-Connected Coach is modeling awe and reverence for nature and helping to awaken and nurture that in our clients in a way that helps them be the best version of themselves.

What comes up for me is Thich Nhat Hanh’s beautiful poem:

***Kiss The Earth, by Thich Nhat Hanh***

Walk and touch peace every moment.

Walk and touch happiness every moment.

Each step brings a fresh breeze.

Each step makes a flower bloom.

Kiss the Earth with your feet.

Bring the Earth your love and happiness.

The Earth will be safe
when we feel safe in ourselves.

– Thích Nhất Hạnh

***

And Ajeet Kaur’s song, which I’m imagining was inspired by the words above: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6hEvSvpx7M

[Liv]

Q: Where does Ecopsychology and Coaching come together? How does this blend add foundation to your interests as a Nature-Connected Coach. How might it fall short? What skills are needed?

Discussion Question

Ecopsychology is the synthesis of ecology and psychology with an emphasis on a sustainable lifestyle that supports and nurtures our nature connection. It looks to strengthen the emotional bond between humans and the earth to make it easier for humans to feel connected to something larger than themselves and to understand themselves better as individuals. Nature-Connected Coaching is one of several modalities that support Ecopsychology (or some might say Ecotherapy—as the applied version of Ecopsychology). Ecopsychology includes a growing body of research that shows the benefit of spending time in nature and of nurturing our connections with nature. It uses this as a springboard for a larger shift in consciousness that will ultimately yield different lifestyles with people caring more about the planet.

I was very inspired to learn more about the Ecopsychology field, as it was new to me. Knowing that Nature-Connected Coaching falls into this discipline lends more credence to it and provides more foundation to explore beyond my own individual experience which I sometimes struggle to articulate to others. I like how it includes both “scientific understandings of our universe, and the deepest indigenous wisdom” (Buzzell and Chalquist, p. 18)—which feels like the blending of traditionally “western” (which I associate with left-brain) approaches with “eastern” (or right-brain). I also love the description of “[t]rees and soils, streams and skies, animals and insects. . .[as] coparticipants. . .partners in reestablishing a healing sense of belonging and homecoming” in the world (Buzzell and Chalquist, p. 20), which is resonant to NCC.

The readings linking ecopsychology with a desire to make humans care about climate change were interesting. It gave me the impression that early ecopsychology practitioners originally thought people would just magically change their thinking and lifestyle to be more environmentally-friendly, but Roszak’s article A Psyche as Big as the Earth (p. 32) highlighted his realization that it was much more effective to have a light touch and express natural curiosity about people’s lives than to scold them into changing. To me that highlights the challenge of how our brains work and the nature of change (yes, I’m skipping ahead to that topic, because it’s friggin January!); how do you get someone to care about something that feels abstract or that doesn’t feel important? Where are they in the “desire to change” spectrum? In my current job (transportation planning) we talk about information v. inclination. We can provide information (in this case, traffic signs about what to do), but a person’s behavior depends upon their inclination to act a certain way. The approach Roszak highlighted about being curious and having conversations with people really resonated with me, as I think we are learning to do that more as NCC coaches. It’s not up to us to change others (or tell them what to do!) but rather to ask questions and provide a safe environment for our clients to reflect and to recognize their desire to change and the steps they want to take themselves.

I will share that some days I feel like I understand Ecopsychology and some days, not so much (lol). I look forward to reading and learning from everyone else’s posts and to reflecting further in my summary post.

[Liv]

SUMMARY POST

Truth be told, I find this stuff kinda challenging to talk about, because I feel it is beyond wurdzz. . .*and* I am so inspired by all of your posts (you know, with wurdzzz and stuff)!

A few ideas that particularly inspired me are below with their respective stream of consciousness flows (you have been warned!):

Marveling at the vast network of support in the soil—mushroom, trees and more; think if we had similar support for humanity—is coaching it? I keep meeting more and more people (within and without EBI) who want to coach, who want to guide and support and be there for others. In my practice sessions, it has been such an honor to be present as clients’ self-realization expands and unfolds and their energy and excitement changes. And I also acknowledge the self-doubt and rising fear that if everybody is doing it, will there be enough clients for me? Will I be good enough at it? What do I have to offer that is “special” enough? And then I remember at our last Toolbox intensive I heard the message to be authentic as a coach and bring your own gifts. And I come back to employing wide-angle vision, being open and trusting that this is a choose-your-own-adventure sort of situation—there are multiple viable paths—what if none of them were wrong? What if everything that happened was just perfect?

Slowing down—more being and less doing. . .oh, how I am feeling that desire right now, for spaciousness, for realizing that my self-worth does not depend on how much I accomplish…just wanting to show up as my best self and when that (occasionally) doesn’t happen, not beating myself up for it. The irony is not lost on me that most of what I want to *do* right now is to catch up on all my EBI work (lol). . .and, can I do it in a way that is spacious and fun and stress-free? Part of that solution for me is an expedition I call “hike2cafe” where I hike 1.5 hours through forest and trails (nature!) to a café in the central part of town (and then take a slightly shorter route back ;-)).

Feeling at home to explore our inner wilderness—that sense of “home” we have from time in nature through our ability to “land on the land” that is combined with a sense of belonging to something greater than ourselves (I love Harper’s quote about “the webs of light extending out of me to every living thing and from them to me.”). This sense of home also provides permission and an inviting place for us to explore our inner wilderness. As a guide, I strive to create that safe space/home for clients where anything that comes up for them is accepted and part of the journey to feel and release so they can tap into what they want and need and actually get a taste of what is on the other side.

[Liv]

What does it mean to be connected to Nature, and how can that relationship support your coaching?

I see being connected to nature both as connecting to the outer nature and our inner nature. We can learn so much from our connection to the outer nature (what we traditionally call “Nature”)—resilience, adaptation, synergy, symbiosis. I love the idea of moving at the speed of nature, letting nature heal us. For me it is also about being present to use all of our senses in the moment—literally “coming to our senses” as highlighted by Steven Harper in his article, “The Way of Wilderness”—as well as about experiencing awe and reverence of the preciousness of life.

When I feel connected to Nature I feel connected to something greater than myself—a magical combination of feeling both expansive and grounded. The image of a tree resonates for me with this—strongly rooted in the earth and also reaching up (and sometimes down). Another tree image that inspires me is of the Tree of Life where every person is a branch, and we’re all connected at the trunk.

Tapping into our inner nature means trusting ourselves, slowing down, recognizing our own truths.

Connecting with nature can support my coaching in the following ways:

1) Helping me be present and expansive and sharing that state with my clients. Nature-connection helps me get out of spinning thoughts in my head and connect with something larger—to be in the here and now. Being present will help me listen better, which will help me be a better coach.

2) Being connected to nature in my coaching sessions will also encourage expansiveness and openness to experiment. One of the reasons I was drawn to the EBI Nature-Connected Coaching program was its creative, experiential element, which I think is so powerful; I hope to foster an environment in which clients will be able to experience the feeling they want (v. a more traditional talk coaching session, during which that might not happen).

3) Slowing down to learn from nature, away from the “trappings” of our fast-paced lives; asking my clients the sacred questions will help them tap into the purity and simplicity around and within them to find their truths, which is really what these coaching sessions are all about.

[Liv]

Pausing to celebrate that I actually completed this one step. Can’t wait to look at everyone else’s posts and comment and reflect. Woot! 🙂

[Liv]

Hiya! My (brand new) name is Liv, and I live (ha!) in Boulder. I’m a member of cohort 23 and am finally catching up on all things quest. Excited to do this journey with you!

@calvin-chu : I can give you a ride to/from Boulder. Feel free to ping me at (720) 841-4139, and we can figure out deets :-).

Just started listening to the Soulcraft audiobook today–very inspiring!

Looking forward to our adventure!

–Liv

[Liv]

Sara—Thanks for this; I really liked how you defined the severance process as the “literal severing from the old, disconnected way of being.” This stressed to me the importance of the threshold experience as bringing our clients to the new way of being—allowing someone to experience this new way of being (even for just a moment) connected with and supported by both us (as guides) and nature “at-large”.

[Liv]

Joy—Thank you for this amazingly comprehensive summary post for F2! I also felt gratitude for Chapter 5 with the example questions and love your reminder that it’s OK to pause and allow space for response in sessions. Also, that is such a powerful question (for both us and our clients): “What do you need to start believing about yourself now?” It is our beliefs that limit us more than anything else, and by changing our beliefs we change our lives. . .<3

[Liv]

Sara–I so love how you touched upon learning from and honoring indigenous people and their relationship with Mother Earth; that stuck out to me in the reading. I remember visiting Peru over 10 years ago and being struck by the awe and reverence with which they treated Pachamama. It felt so different to me, and quite honestly I don’t think I truly understood it (naively wondering, “why would you waste all that good candy and flowers?”). Needless to say I have a really different view right now.

I’m also curious how best to honor other cultures and practices without appropriating them. Thank you for your thoughtful post!

[Liv]

Thanks for your post, Toni–I, too, was pleased to hear about the research foundation of ecopsychology. We know we’ve experienced the healing nature of nature (teehee) and the power of connecting with nature to tap into ourselves and to learn, but/and it was nice to actually know there is “proof.” I think that will resonate with some clients too. Love your use of the phrase “robust garden”–got a beautiful image from that full of hearty (and hardy) plants and flowers :-).

[Liv]

Sara–Love your description of your coaching. I’ve been struggling to come up with language that I think adequately describes what we are aiming to offer. Appreciate this as a launching point!

[Liv]

Sara–Really enjoyed the idea of slowing down to tune into your center and come into full sensory awareness (literally coming to our senses!). I also appreciated the reference to Pachamama. I first learned that term while on a trip to Peru 12 years, and I remember the people’s appreciation for and reverence for nature so vividly, because it was so foreign to me. “Why would you “waste” all that good candy and flowers in a ceremony?” was my naive wondering. . .Needless to say I have a different perspective now!

[Liv]

Bonjourrrr, Cecile–I, too, and drawn to trees and loved your reference to them, which reminded me of the beginning of a Ram Dass quote I’ve always liked:

“When you go out into the woods, and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree…”

Allowing and appreciating nature and all of life. . .Thanks so much for your post!

[Liv]

Toni–I really connected with your post and the desire to shift to more being instead of doing. A teacher of mine recently said something like: “Humans were not designed to just be productive. . .” and that stuck with me.

I particularly resonated with your statement that “Nature gets everything done but doesn’t require a frenetic schedule, a long to-do list, or exhaustion to do so.” and loved your reference to doing with ease, beauty, and flow. This is what I am trying to do in my life; thanks for the inspiration!

[Liv]

Hi, Soul–my preferred pronouns are she/her/hers; thanks for asking! And feel free to get in touch via my cell number above :-).