[Lindsay]

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

Being connected to Nature begins with a feeling of peace I have when I’m within nature. When I am awe-inspired, simply by my natural surroundings, I know I am connecting to something pure, timeless, and spiritual. I can lose a sense of time “without a care in the world” when I am paying attention to nature. When all my senses are tuned in and heightened, movements, colors, shapes, textures, temperatures, and sounds naturally cause me to drop into the present moment. I like the Alan Watts quote in The Way of the Wilderness: “You didn’t come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here.” To know this is to be connected to nature. To feel this and realize this is exhilarating and comforting. It’s a sense of belonging, as an element of nature itself, on and with this planet.

Being connected to Nature for me also means respecting nature, its lessons, and its mystery. Nature holds space for me, reassures me, and guides me. There is so much to notice within a simple few steps in nature, that I end up naturally slowing down because I want to drink it all in, and to know it intimately. I feel appreciative of the diversity of nature. Even the bone chill caused by a storm rolling in, or a swath of flies circling my head is curious to me. On our trip, I cultivated an amount of pure acceptance of some of the more challenging elements, which gave me a sense of surrender and deeper curiosity.

My relationship with Nature can support my coaching by integrating it, and having Nature be an active participant. With my deep trust of nature, I can invite its influence into my coaching sessions. I hope to inspire clients or groups to also trust nature. By incorporating sensory meditations, awareness practices, and activities like wandering into a coaching session, the seeds of awareness and lessons can be planted there. I will be able to encourage clients to create their own ideas of how nature can play a part in the coaching process. My personal connection with Nature will give me the confidence to guide my client towards surrendering to nature and its support.

Because I believe Nature is a “healing place”, I have trust in the concept of nature connected coaching. I love the thorough review the John Miles article gave of studies that premise wilderness as a healing place. I believe, as detailed, that nature can aid in self-confidence, encourage deep contemplation, improve physical well-being, improve social functioning, and support giving up control of ones environment. I have definitely experienced all these benefits from nature first hand, specifically (and most notably as it was my first real wilderness experience as a younger person) an Outward Bound trip I did in the Boundary Waters when I was just out of high school. Navigating group dynamics and challenging physical learning/execution, alongside contemplative, still moments (such as when soloing with only a few items alone for a night) contributed greatly to my awareness and contemplation as a younger person, and to the path I have taken in my life.

In the John Miles article, the description of Nature being something that feels “real”, the imaging of what’s underneath when civilization is stripped away, really resonated with me. Also that to be in nature is to enter a “flow” feels like the essence of what it’s like to be connected to nature.

[Lindsay]

Hi everyone! I just watched the recorded first orientation meeting, I’m sorry I missed it! I’m finally getting a grasp on what is all going on here, haha. …I’m excited to meet you all and begin this journey as well! And Sara, I too will be flying into Denver (from Minneapolis) the morning of the 25th, and would love to connect/coordinate with you and whoever else on how we get to the site. Looking forward to all that’s ahead!

Lindsay

[Lindsay]

I was struck by the image of the woman with her bare feet in the grass. That her energy calmed to groundedness. The very act of bodily contact to the Earth shifted her into the Being-ness you described (which I loved!)

[Lindsay]

Hi Cecile! I too loved your speaking of the trees. I had such a vivid picture in my mind of a varied forest with all its textures, knots, cracks beauties and imperfections. Like people, standing side by side. Grounded, reaching, living, dying, swaying, communing, inhabiting Earth together. So many metaphors in nature!

[Lindsay]

Thank you so much Amy! I appreciate your thoughtful and detailed answer! I will look for a place on the south side of Boulder 🙂

[Lindsay]

Sure, I would love a recommendation if/when you have the time! 🙂

[Lindsay]

…Also, I’m flying in to Denver. Should I find my way to Boulder or would you naturally drive through Denver and be able to do a pick up? 🙂

Lindsay

[Lindsay]

Hi! That sounds good to me! 🙂 Thanks Amy!

Lindsay

[Lindsay]

Hi Amy!

There are a few of us who are looking for rides from Boulder who arrive on the 25th (myself, Sara, and Cecile). Joy is a possible ride, but she’s not exactly sure if she will be able to, and so we are also looking at renting a car at the airport in case nothing is set in stone. When were you planning to ride to Gunnison? …Excited to meet you!!

Lindsay 🙂

[Lindsay]

Hi I just read your message. Wonderful to hear some background and what drew you to EBI. So, yes! We should start to coordinate. My flight arrives June 25th, around 11am. That’s a starting point ha. Sara, do you know your arrival time? Hope you are all well! 🙂

[Lindsay]

Also, you mean from Denver to Gunnison area, right…? 🙂

[Lindsay]

Great, thanks for connecting. Yes, if anyone else is in the same boat, feel free to reach out! 🙂