Melissa Johnson
Forum Replies Created
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*Intitial Post*
I had a lot of hesitance going into Threshold like many others. I tend to build up walls and not allow myself to be vulnerable to others. I hide behind humor and project onto other things rather than facing myself. Being in a situation where we had to continuously be the client, and open up to everyone, I decided that I just had to go with it and talk about things I never speak about. Certain subjects in my life that people know exist but kind of lay dormant, I let come to the surface and discuss more openly. When entering nature and discussing these subjects, I felt more open to BEING open. Something about the natural setting just let things flow easier than sitting in a room. I did some wandering in threshold and just having that time, using my energy, walking in the snow, taking moments to really reflect on myself and think about what I was saying seemed so much more helpful than being face to face with my Coach. For me personally, it could have to do with eye contact, some times I struggle with opening up face to face, but having my coach by my side, or following in my tracks, really put a different perspective on it for me.
I think that this will be extremely helpful for clients because knowing how guarded I am, I think that the natural setting can open them up as well. To a point where maybe they didn’t know existed. In addition to the natural setting, the sounds of wild life, and weather also helps to soothe the soul. That’s beneficial when you are trying to really reach that deeper need. Then allowing your client to take nature into their own hands and mind and releasing whatever they need to release on their own terms is a beautiful thing to help someone be able to achieve.
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Hey Ivy!
Can you confirm the last day of class timing for the April trip? Just planning for plane tickets =)
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*Summary Post*
These posts and conversation has really gotten a lot of our minds thinking in ways we have never thought before. I always enjoy seeing everyone’s point of view during these kick off questions. Not only am I learning so much from the assigned readings, but I am learning even more from our mentors and cohort. Our minds are unique and so hearing everyone’s insight and words are really inspiring to me. Also really, just to know that there is this small group of us who want to go out and essentially save the world really restores my faith in humanity. I am proud to have that same passion as you all, to fight the good fight, and to help others in need. Like Adriana said above, I also do think there is a chance that if people connect with nature more, the compassion for this planet shall grow.
We got this guys!
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*Initial Post – Foundation Two*
Hey guys! Sorry for jumping in on this so late. I wanted to make sure I had all my readings done before posting in here. I really really enjoyed these readings that were part of this discussion. Specifically in Psyche and Nature in a Circle of Healing, how ecotherapy is defined by the fact that humans are “intimately connected with, embedded in, and inseparable from the rest of nature.” It really made me think about my surroundings, how city dwellers may feel disconnected from nature but it’s always there. It’s always with us, we can’t be separated from it, we just need help to see and experience it sometimes. One of my favorite things to do in my urban space is to light up my fire pit and instantly I can feel like I am in the middle of the woods in the middle of beautiful scenery. I have heard a lot of folks from the city saying they prefer city life because they hate the outdoors. It makes me wonder, what are they running from? How can I show them that the natural outdoors is where you are from, and you can never truly be away from it because it’s a part of you? Also in that PDF, they spoke about therapy clients not realizing that maybe natural grief and fears they have could be natural responses to the distress of the Earth and life all around us. That really moved me. It’s something I never thought about before. Mainstream therapy always does seem to focus on family, friends, a person, and never the nature and world around them. Childhood experiences are brought up, medication is prescribed, but as this article says, these are all band aid methods just covering up the root of the issue. The methods that Ecotherapists and Ecopsychologists are using to address issues is really refreshing to me. They actually seem like the most natural way to go about life’s stresses.
One principle of Ecopsychology that Roszak wrote about really stood out for me. “7. Whatever contributes to small scale social forms and personal empowerment nourishes the ecological ego. Whatever strives for large-scale domination and the suppression of personhood undermines the ecological ego.” Growing up I always felt like society was telling me I had to do big successful things or else I would be considered a failure. I had to strive for that large-scale domination of something, and that would be considered success. It’s one of the main reasons I have failed to move forward with any business ideas I ever had. I was made to believe, by an ex friend’s mother, that if I didn’t get the highest degree in college, I would be nothing and not be able to take on the world. Truth is, I never wanted to take on the world. I’d love to be successful by helping other people feel good about their lives and seeing their potential to live an authentic life. I want to be successful by being able to obviously pay my bills, but also by not sitting at a desk 9-5 and working that daily grind, wasting my life away for a company who really doesn’t care about me or my world. It feels to me, that this particular principle of ecopsychology, truly is success in my eyes. Contributing to small scale social forms, working on my own personal empowerment, helping others, being in nature, that is the dream. This is how Coaching and Ecopsychology come together for me.
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*** Summary Post***
Good morning cohort mates,
Wow, reading all of these summary posts has really moved me. I am so thankful to know you all, and to be learning and growing with you. When I first started Foundation 1, I was feeling unsure and a bit lost. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, and if I would be able to pick it up and learn from it. I didn’t go to college, so in an academic way, I sometimes feel like I am at a disadvantage. The reason I didn’t go to college is because I couldn’t learn from sitting at a desk for hours, and formal schooling was just never for me.
The process through the face to face intensives, the video calls, the readings, the discussions, the forums really works for me and I am picking up so much more than I thought I would. I’m truly enjoying my nightly reads with the Coyote Guide. Now, I try to make the habit of starting every morning with gratitude. I realize that in the real world, we don’t always have the time to go to our sit spot and give a full thanksgiving address to start our days. So I take reality and mix in the nature connection to it. Every morning I am NOT able to go to my sit spot (my preference is going there at dawn or dusk) I give a thanksgiving address in the shower. It sounds silly, but I’m gonna have to shower, and why not take advantage of that 10-15 minutes with adding a daily gratitude routine in there?! Honestly, it starts my day off with a beautiful feeling and I think that carries with me through the rest of my day.
I am still focusing on MY personal connection to nature before I take steps towards helping others with theirs. I just think this is very important for me personally, to be be in a place of practice before I can teach. I’ve been focusing on Coyote’s 13 Core Routines for daily practice. These routines help deepen my connection to nature, even if in an urban setting. Reflection is something I am also continuing to work on, and deep listening.
This past weekend I was at a birthday party and afterwards my friend said “I noticed you were observing a lot. What did you observe? I felt like you were just taking everything in.” I kind of thought that was cool. It was the first time someone said something about noticing the changes I am making in my life. It’s true, I did observe a lot, I listened more, I sat and took it all in. I’m really happy it’s starting to get noticed. Like Ben said, it’s amazing how we can “re-train” ourselves to become a bigger version of ourselves.
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*INITIAL POST*
Since my return from the 9 day intensive, I have been pretty ill and mostly indoors. I’ve had this random vertigo on and off for the past 5 days. Being indoors was the last thing I wanted after having 9 days of bliss at Sunshine Canyon. I started to think though, even though I’m not feeling well, I still have to be connected to nature somehow. After laying in bed for 2 days I dragged myself to my urban sit spot, which is in my yard. I took some time to take deep breaths, and I started lowly speaking out loud a Thanksgiving Address. Almost instantly, I could feel the gratitude fill me up and truly felt whole again, like I never left Boulder. Life became so rushed and crazy when I returned, I didn’t make that time for nature, for myself, to be in nature, and embody it. I decided from that moment on, no matter how busy, no matter where, I can take 15 minutes a day and deepen my connection to wherever I am.
When I joined EBI and was en route to the 9 day intensive, I wasn’t fully aware of what Nature Connection was. In my head, I just assumed it meant being IN nature, and that was that. The meaning of Nature Connection is so much more deeper for me now, after all of the exercises Michael did with us outdoors, and after just wandering on the land, I realized there is so much more to our connection with nature than I ever could have comprehended.
Nature is everywhere, it’s everything. It’s in us. On us. Around Us. Above us. Below us. In Coyote’s Guide, Young says “The goal includes knowledge and skills, but ultimately relationships restore our bond to nature. Building this foundational connection with nature is like any relationship, it takes time to form really true bonds.” This really resonates with me because most of my life, I have been a person who wants instant results. After spending 9 days deep in nature during the intensive, I could see my connection deepening a bit more each day, striving for that bond. I know that to truly have that “Wilderness Awareness” it will take patience and consistency.
Having that deep nature connection is very important for myself and future business. One of my main goals will be able to guide people, who live in a busy city, to disconnect with technology and re-connecting to nature. I have read about the “Three Day Effect” (https://www.rei.com/blog/camp/the-nature-fix-the-three-day-effect) and how spending 3 days in nature without technology can really reset the mind and bring so much positivity to your life. I think having a connection with nature, and guiding others through issues, while using the natural world around us, really will make such an impact. I am truly hoping to inspire my future clients to develop their own relationship with nature on their own terms as well.
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Hi all!!
Just wanted to give a heads up that Brooke, Ben, Joshua and I booked our Air BNB that we will be staying at and are renting an SUV.
Cory – you may wanna reach out and who still needs lodging and see if you can get an Air BNB to split with them!
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Taylor,
I really appreciate everything your post says. It sounds to me like you are truly on the right track and I completely agree with you. We really don’t have to do as much as we may think we do. The 50/50 approach is really where the magic is I think. You can only go so far but let nature take its own approach as well.
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Ben I completely agree with this. Some times I was too focused on what questions to ask next that it made me not really deeply listen. Once I started to do more pausing and have silent moments, and just letting that moment in nature be, the questions flowed much more naturally. I think as a society we have been taught to be afraid of that silence, “the awkward silence” but really we should be embracing it.
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Strong Ben,
I really appreciate your open and honesty on this subject matter. I understand where you are coming from, some times the “vast” and “minute” can seem incredibly overwhelming but we just have to, like Sandy said, they are ultimately connected. Love can save the world but it’ll never happen in one day.
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Bearded Ben,
I completely agree with you. A lot of the principles of ecopsychology were things I may have subconsciously thought about but never realized how well it links together with our life calling. I also don’t have a background on psychology but can see how all this information really helps tie in Nature Connected Coaching on a different, more educated level. The more we can learn about it, the more we can help others through with it.
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Taylor,
I am right there with you. Reading about all of this has really opened up my eyes to ecotherapy and additional schooling for it. I’d love to just learn and absorb as much knowledge about it as possible. Coaching focusing on the present moment really ties it all together for me. So many times I have seen therapists that focus on the past, or the future, but never the present. Thanks for your post =)
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Cory,
That Jane Goodall quote is incredibly relevant. We are all constantly leaving our footprint on this planet, and we all need to realize exactly what you said. “I am the universe experiencing everything that there is to offer.” So many people need to realize we are nature, we are the universe and it’s in us and all around us. You will absolutely inspire your clients with the mind set you have, and guide them in the right direction.
x
MJ -
Daniel,
I completely agree with you that this is a choice to take off our headphones and pay mind to the nature around us. I’m in the same place as you, I want to also focus on my own connection to nature before being able to help others with their connection. This is an important step for us, be connected on that deeper level, stay connected, and then take steps forward to help others. Cliche as it may be, you truly cannot help others if you can’t help yourself. I’m really proud of you for realizing this and taking the time to focus on your own connection. This is a vital step into taking this professionally.
x
MJ -
Lisa,
I too was a bit concerned before starting to read Coyote, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into and if it was a strict manual. As reading, I love how the guide really leaves everything open to your own interpretation and gives you the freedom to make Coyote your own. The pushing the edge aspect is so new to me as well. You worded that greatly by saying that we will be guiding them towards their larger selves that they have yet to know exists.