(Photo credit)
In my lengthy process toward defining a way to be in the world that feels right to my soul and heart and body and mind, I ran smack dab into the emerging field of Ecotherapy. Finally a word to describe exactly what I arrived at intuitively through crisis and describe in my fledgling project, Healing Outdoors: Care for Caregivers.
Turns out there is even a book titled Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind and certificate programs offered by schools in several states that I can find so far (Arizona, California, Connecticut, and Oregon as part of a psychology degree at my alma mater, and a crow’s flight away from me on San Juan Island, Project NatureConnect).
I have come to the realization that mini-goals are in order to reach my larger goal of spending 75% of my time in connection to the natural world, instead of 1-5%.
- Step away from the computer!
- Take at least a 2-mile walk daily. (In 2010, I walked consistently 20 miles per week, culminating in a quest of 24 consecutive miles in a single stretch. I never felt better).
- Salvage any spare coins toward coursework in ecotherapy/ecopsychology, i.e., continue to live frugally and support my child with help of community resources.
- Add 2 evidence-based resources to my Healing Outdoors website weekly.
- Apply for 1 better paying job per week so I might be able to meet basic bills while having enough to save anything toward my future education and livelihood dream.
- Take advantage of free resources as I find them.
- Put some elbow grease into the garden once the frost clears.
- For 15 minutes each day, use every technique of “wordlessness” I know to arrive at answers and support from the greater field of consciousness to guide me toward where I need to be. Yesterday I dreamed I was swimming in clear, blue water. A good sign.
