Our Sense-Able Nature: Mindfully Reconnecting with the Natural World

Start Date: July 20, 2020

Duration: 4 weeks

Cost: $30 U.S.

Registration: Now Open!

In theory, we are more connected to others than ever before (thanks to the internet and social media) yet some of us feel more disconnected than ever. You may be someone who is always on the run (working long hours, getting home and rushing through dinner so you have time to veg out in front of the tv) – no time or energy to call a friend. Or, maybe you’re retired and no longer have the social network that was built in to your work environment and are lacking a sense of belonging. Or, maybe you’re a student who wakes up, shuffles off to school (where you remain indoors all day long, often attached to screens), participates in after school activities, comes home, has more screen time and goes to bed only to do it all over again the next day.

We no longer have any quality time for friends – leading us to a sense of isolation and overwhelm. This way of living has caused severe symptoms (anxiety, depression, hypertension, attention disorders, etc.) and an overall lack of well-being. We spend a lot of hard-earned money on visits to the doctor and prescriptions. We long for the weekend or our next vacation just to recover and when we return, we do it all over again. Yes, there are many benefits to connecting over the world wide web, but we have disconnected from the most important web – the web of life - the natural world.

This course is designed to remind us how simple it is to bring ourselves back into balance and experience our own well-being once again. By spending minutes (or just moments) connected to the natural world we can find everything we need to re-establish a sense of well-being. It is in nature that we find fresh air to clear our minds, negative electrons in the earth to balance out the toxins (that we take in through the foods we eat and the air we breathe, the clothes we wear, and the screens we put ourselves in front of) and so much more. Perhaps the most important source of well-being we can receive from nature is a sense of support and belonging. And best of all - these benefits are available 24/7 and are free!

This course will provide you with easy-to-use activities that will change how you see the natural world and your relationship with it. You will be guided through the process of getting back in touch with the child-like wonder that’s available to us as you learn how to reconnect with the natural world. Through this connection, we can experience the wonder of the world in which we live (and are a part of) – and all we have to do is take the precious moments we have and connect with it.

We will also tap into some of our 54 Natural Senses/Sensitivities responding to activities from, “Our Sense-Able Nature: Mindful Re-Connecting with Nature Activity Cards”. As a participant in this course, you will be gifted with a pdf files featuring 11 of the cards from the deck (of 78). I will also be featuring some of the cards in the various activities we will be doing together as we go through the course. See below for additional information on ordering the full set of Cards.

Course Outline

Week 1- The Seeding

Getting to Know Each Other

Taking Inventory

Connection…Coming to Our Senses

Developing A New Respect for Nature

Building A Relationship with Nature

The Three C’s of Connecting

Gaining Consent

The G-Force of Connecting

The Our Sense-Able Nature Cards

Sense of Appetite for Air/Sense of Color, including Live Zoom call activities

Resources

Week 2 – Laying Our Roots

Science Supports Our Connection to Nature

Grounding (Earthing)

Forest Bathing

Natural Attractions

Themes in Nature

Activities – Growth, Release, Beginnings

Week 3 – The Heartwood

Our 54 Senses/Sensitivities

Introduction to our Feeling Senses

Exploring our Feeling Senses

Activity – Sense of Motion, Sense of Space, Sense of Balance

Introduction to our Chemical Senses

Exploring our Chemical Senses

Activities - Sense of Smell, Sense of Taste, Hormonal Sense

Week 4 – Branching Out and Blossoming

Introduction to our Mental Senses

Sense of Fear

Sense of Pain

Sense of Distress

Exploring our Other Mental Senses

Activities - Sense of Time and Rhythm, Sense of Form and Design, Sense of Play

Inventory Revisited

Resources

More about the Activity Cards

As a course participant, you will be able to purchase the full set (which comes complete with The Guide in a burlap pouch) for the reduced price of $27 (plus tax and shipping/handling*).

*Shipping cost is $4.99 within the continental U.S. If outside the continental U.S. please provide your address when inquiring about shipping costs to your place in the world.

Resources:

Our Sense-Able Nature: Mindful Re-Connecting with Nature Activity Cards by Kate Trnka

If These Trees Could Talk, Park 1: Messages from the Trees of Sunset Park

Einstein’s World: Educating, Counseling and Healing with Nature by Michael J. Cohen

Reconnecting with Nature by Michael J. Cohen

Project Nature Connect website (www.ecopsych.com)

Instructor Bio

Kate Trnka serves as the Lead Ambassador for the Environment Sector of the Charter for Compassion and is the Coordinator of the Charter’s Global Read Program.

Kate is a writer, educator, and small business owner. She is the founder of The Sacred Earth Institute – a place that teaches people how to return to well-being by reconnecting with the natural world.

Kate has her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education and is now enjoying semi-retirement after her 26-year career as a public school teacher. She is nearing the completion of her Doctorate in Ecopsychology. She is the author of many poems and is about to release the second edition of her first book, If These Trees Could Talk, Park 1: Messages from the Trees of Sunset Park. Kate has also begun leading workshops around her newest publication, Our Sense-Able Nature: Mindful Re-Connecting with Nature Activity Cards which provides nature inspired activities connecting us to our 54 natural senses/sensitivities.