Deepening into Nature
spring 2024
with Ron Hays, Deb scrivens, & Mindy Springer
When we notice nature ~ Nature notices us
Overview
April 18 - May 8 2023
Replay of the April 7 Free Webinar:
When we take a moment to bring ourselves into presence, to expand our awareness beyond our thoughts, to play with the aperture of our capacity to notice, we begin to become conscious of the consciousness around us. One that is active and alive and is communicating, vibrating, breathing all around us, within us and through us. When we notice this we can tap in and begin to experience and receive the warm welcome that is always being extended and expressed. We can begin to participate in our own participation and communicate in a conversation of life that is mutual and generative.
The conversation that unfolds is available anywhere at any time but when we position ourselves in nature we are opening ourselves to a palette of color, texture, scale, movement, depth and diversity that is unsurpassed in the human experience of the senses. In short, we are bringing ourselves into a closer encounter with our source, and, in turn, with our selves.
Join us as we explore this place of wonder and discovery through a variety of techniques and perspectives with an attitude of curiosity, an intention to connect and a capacity for delight. The three facilitators Ron, Deb and Mindy bring their eclectic skills and interests as naturalist and nature appreciators, makers and artists, and citizens of these times and this planet to the course materials and the class gatherings.
Description
An experience in nature is one that supersedes our conceptions of time. Nature invites us to pause. There is a meandering, an unfolding, a rhythmic rise and fall that beckons from the natural world. In the practices we will be exploring, we will be drawing our attention to a capacity to see the ‘spaces between’. The spaces where movement is seen before the object that is moving, where nouns become verbs, where stillness and practice allow the mystery of the undefined to unfold and be witnessed before it is named or labeled.
We will focus on an embodied practice of noticing the living world of nature in a specific area. We call it our Secret Spot or Sit Spot. We go to this place, daily if possible, and observe with a heightened sensory awareness. We learn to engage with sensory exercises that enhance our faculties of sight, sound, and smell to observe, listen, and sense deeply the patterns of the living world. We also attune to nature with our subtle senses, like felt sense, to strengthen our connection and potentially enable a deeper level of communication with the community of beings around us.
In this upcoming Spring session, we plan to witness the signs of spring, the songs of spring, and the soil of spring through our gardens, forests, and parks in a living communion with the natural world. In these three weeks, we will host three online gatherings to communicate and share our practices. During this period, we will hold open office hours so that, as individuals and as small groups, we can dive more deeply into our experiences.
This class has been structured in the essence of the cyclic and the organic, with three weeks of presentations and class meeting discussions that are open for anyone enrolled to attend, and then periods of time for integration and a tracking of one's natural inclinations towards what has been discussed and offered. There will be four of these cycles throughout the year, timed to be in tune with the seasons, paced for participants to develop their own relationship with what is presented. Participants may choose any or all of the four to enroll. Consecutive enrollment throughout the year will invite deeper explorations and connection and may inspire creative endeavors for expression, support and development.
“I was moved by the beauty, gratitude, and love expressed. Thank you Deb, Mindy and Ron for teaching and sharing in this way; taking us all on the journey. It was an honor being with everyone in the class, learning in community from and with you all.”
Class Format
To learn more about the class format, schedule of presentations, and other information about the class, download the Spring Session Format.
Lorian Covenant of Confidentiality
Please Note: Your registration in a Lorian class confirms your commitment to uphold Agreements of Confidentiality and mutual respect which govern the spirit, the intent, and the practice of our education experience together.
REGISTRATION $150
Scholarships are available. Contact Susan at susans@lorian.org
Class Facilitators
Ron Hays
Ron is an ordained Lorian priest with a lifelong interest in spiritual disciplines. Having spent years in a spiritual community founded by one of G.I. Gurdjieff’s students, he went on to learn shamanic practices with Michael Harner. He holds a degree in environmental science with a focus in riparian ecology. From early childhood his passion has been the outdoors – camping, hiking, and observing the world around him. He lives in Eagle Creek, Oregon sharing a beautiful land with his wife Christy.
Deb Scrivens
Deb worked professionally as a naturalist and environmental educator for 45 years and trained as a spiritual counselor and healer since 1997. A graduate of Huxley College of Environmental Studies, her teachers and mentors include Tom Brown Jr., Jon Young, Sandra and Michael Harner and Sandy Ingerman. An avid outdoorswoman, gardener, and world traveler, she lives in Oregon on the Sandy River with her husband. and two cats.
Mindy Springer
A practical adventurer, Mindy has followed her inclination toward beauty across the country and throughout her life. She resides in the home she and her husband built at the confluence of the Klickitat and Columbia Rivers with her two kids and two cats. A diverse career path has given her the opportunity to develop her skills as a facilitator, commune daily with nature and weave her spiritual practices throughout.
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for more information on our online classes, and our Policies page for information on late registration, refunds, and privacy.