Cover Photo Credit: Alex Harris

Indigenous, land-based and earth-centred Projects

Braiding Indigenous and Western knowledge systems 

We are developing offerings, projects, and collaborations that reflect decolonized approaches to nature-based therapy, permaculture education, and Indigenous-centred ecosystem restoration and food systems. Aiming to braid Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, we honour W̱SÁNEĆ and Quw’utsun’ Elders and knowledge keepers as we approach this spiritual, mental, emotional and physical soul-healing work on stolen lands, while bringing in eco-therapy modalities such as Bill Plotkin’s Wild Mind (Animas Valley Institute).

Please email Alice Meyers for more information: info@centreforearthandspirit.ca 

The Art of Wholeness

Developing Inner Resources for a Soul-Centric Life

Join Animas Valley Institute-trained Facilitators, Sarah Frizelle and Becky Traptow for an experiential nature-based wander, introducing you to a deeper understanding of your Wild Mind, using Bill Plotkin’s Map of the Psyche (Soul). This series focuses on building wholeness while also deepening your connection to the world around you.

These wild mind nature explorations will focus on supporting the unfolding of healthy human beings, a crucial task in our time of environmental crisis.

This program is for you if…

• you are curious about your own wholeness,  
• you are a lover of nature,
• you are interested in doing your own healing and wholing work,
• you want to learn how nature can support your wholing and healing journey!

We will gather at our meeting spot in the forest for a Wild Mind teaching (Plotkin’s nature based map of the soul — a model of human development rooted in the cycles and qualities of the natural world), and start with a brief discussion before sending each person on a personal 1 hour wander. Participants will be invited to wander in the forest with a specific practice to cultivate awareness and deepen their connection to their wholeness. You will be invited to use your deep imagination, your senses, emotions, embodied awareness and heart-centered thinking. (Don’t worry, you will be guided in how to do this!) Through these practices you will deepen your connection to the outer world as well as to your inner world. The guides will support you in this process. Upon returning to our meeting place, we will gather in a council (circle) practice to share what we experienced, with hot herbal tea from Facilitators. Sharing is optional.

This program is aimed at individuals who long to deepen into their own inner healing journey and are curious about how being in relationship to the earth in an intentional way, would support this unfolding. This is for people who want to take responsibility for themselves and for the planet they are blessed to live on. We use a trauma informed, parts therapy model.

This work supports the unfolding of healthy human beings, a crucial task in our time of environmental crisis because without healthy human beings, we have no hope of responding to our planet or of affecting real change in a time of need.

Facilitators 

Both Becky Traptow and Sarah Frizelle have been working with Animas Valley Institute for over 10 years and guide group programs as well as individuals in their journey of self-discovery, healing, wholeness and deepening connection with the world around them.

Becky Traptow is a Therapeutic Bodyworker and Registered Craniosacral Therapist (RCST) who combines bodywork and nature-based parts therapy to help people discover their wholeness and heal their wounded selves. You can find her working one on one with clients both in person and online as well as outside in the wild world. She is passionate about this work and about people living their biggest possible lives. She hopes you will join them for this transformational program.

Sarah Frizelle is a Registered Clinical Counsellor who offers holistic counselling to individuals, couples and families. She supports change and growth through processes that attend to mind, body, emotions and spirit. In addition to office based sessions, Sarah offers nature-based counselling and group retreats which blend her experience as a therapist with her 25+ years of experience as a wilderness guide, meditation practitioner and her work as an educator and guide to healing and wholing – work that supports processes of exploration and discovery, both inner and outer.

Location(S)

The wonderful opening wander, November 2022, was held at Francis/King Regional Park, a beautiful local park on the territories of the SENĆOŦEN and lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking peoples, with many giant trees — JSȺ (Douglas fir), ḰEḰE,IȽĆ (arbutus), ȾŦÁ,EȽĆ (broad-leaf maple) and XPȺ (cedar) — and a universally accessible trail (the Elsie King Boardwalk).

Registration

Email: info@centreforearthandspirit.ca or find upcoming nature-wanders on our Eventbrite page!

Thank you to everyone who joined us in 2022! Please stay tuned for details of spring 2023 wanders.

Upcoming Dates