The Ecological Self
“At times I feel as if I was spread out over the landscape
and inside things, and am
myself living in every tree,
in the splashing of the waves, in the clouds and the animals that come and go, in the procession of the seasons. There is nothing... with
which I am not linked.”
— Carl Gustav Jung
The Ecological Self
Sept 17- October 8
Inspired by the living landscapes and animals of southern Saskatchewan, integral education, eco-psychology, and the contemplative & expressive arts, this four-week course is intended as a portal to greater intimacy with self, nature & the ‘more-than-human’ world. The invitation of the course is a deepening into the felt-experience of belonging and re-membering our place in the family of things. Through readings, discussions, mindfulness and expressive arts exercises in nature, we’ll explore our innate capacity for presence and connection. Moving away from the idea of a separate self, we’ll cultivate relationship with our inner and outer landscapes.
Cultivating mindful presence we’ll attune to our environment and embodied experience. Using the expressive arts—movement, sound, and image-making, we’ll participate in creative engagement with the more-than-human world. Eco-psychological reflections, supported by poetry, readings, podcasts & video, further support a bridging of the divide from separation to kinship.
Over the course of four weeks we’ll cultivate an embodied sense of belonging & inter-being—engaging plural ways of knowing and being in the world. No artistic experience is necessary—only a willingness to slow down, be present, and to engage your experience with curiousity.
About the course
Weekly gatherings
Each week, we’ll meet for two hours—from 7:00 to 9:00 PM—gathering virtually via Zoom. In our Wednesday sessions, we’ll engage in guided meditations and expressive arts practices, explore the course materials, and share reflections on the between-session experiential exercises. We’ll be a small, intimate group, working individually, in pairs, and collaboratively, creating space for both personal exploration and shared dialogue.
Creative exercises
Between sessions, you’ll be invited to engage in simple, nature-based creative exercises. Using the expressive arts, we’ll explore embodied, intuitive-imaginal ways of being in relationship with the more-than-human world. These practices are not about artistic skill—but rather about giving form to the inner experience. For image-making, whatever materials you have on hand will do.
Readings, poetry, podcasts, videos
Keeping our own lived and deeply felt experiences at the center of our knowing, we’ll draw from a rich variety of sources from diverse cultural perspectives. It’s my hope new stories, terms and concepts expand our ways of perceiving and interacting with the world beyond the human. The experiential exercises and resource materials will take about 1-1.5 hours per week to complete.
Plural ways of knowing & being
We’ll engage integral ways of being, knowing, and relating—not limited to the verbal or intellectual, but inclusive of embodied, intuitive, imaginal, and emotional ways of interacting. Our time together will be co-created, opening to a multiplicity of experiences and perspectives.
Early Bird Registration
Before midnight Sept 3 $295
Registration until Sept 8 $325
September 17- October 8, 2025
“To be alive in this beautiful, self-organizing universe – to participate in the dance of life with senses to perceive it, lungs that breathe it, organs that draw nourishment from it-
is a wonder beyond words.”
— Joanna Macy