In this program we enter the liminal space of renewed possibility for deepening our connection with the more-than-human world through Forest Therapy and The Way of Council.

​Forest Therapy is the practice of sensory connection to come into intimate relationship with the more-than-human world and with each other. A series of guided invitations bring us into the present moment, opening the doors of communication with the forest, waters, and landscapes we explore. We encounter not just the forest, but through the many mirrors of nature, we also encounter ourselves.

The Way of Council is a process of communication with ourselves and each other that supports deepening into our experience. Through council we can discover the meaning of our emerging stories through sharing and being witnessed in circle. Council invites us to become more intimate with our own lives, and support each other as we move through our processes of learning, growing, grieving, and healing. Because it invites authentic expression, council can be quite intimate. Your facilitators will show how the form of Council can create space that is both vulnerable and safe.

Restorative Practices build on the Way of Council to create opportunities for exploring and healing harms in relationships. In the Council of Waters and Trees we introduce "Aloha Ropes," a restorative practice developed by Amos Clifford. Inspired by the Hawaiian tradition of Ho'oponopono and other sources, we will use this practice to deepen our relationship with the more-than-human world of nature. Through Aloha Ropes we will discover how the land can listen and speak to us, and through us give voice to its longings, wisdom, and needs.  Like Council, Aloha Ropes is a method that can be readily transferred into other settings such as schools and communities.

This journey will allow us to sink deeply into the medicine of the forest. Mornings will be spent immersing ourselves in the experiential practices of Forest Therapy.  Afternoon Council meetings support the deep rooting of the medicine the forest has offered us. We will experience the brief "light touch" council as it is used in Forest Therapy as well as diving into the deeper practice and learning-by-doing the core skills of council leadership.

This immersion will include an in-depth exploration of the main themes of The Way of the Guide, as developed by M. Amos Clifford and taught by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs. Our exploration will include looking at the Guide archetype in relationship to archetypes of place and process. We will also learn the differences between the archetypes of Guide, Mentor, and Healer, and how those three work together to support people on their journeys toward wholeness and authenticity.
The Way of the Guide is also about supporting people as they approach and then break through the ways in which they are tamed by the trances of culture, trauma, patriarchy and other influences. We will experience how boundaries become edges at the thresholds of liminal experiences, and how the journey through liminatity can help to expand our sense what is possible in our lives.