The Universe Story: Re-experiencing the Earth as our Home
4 day workshop

In this workshop, using the wonders of nature as a backdrop, we will experience the web of life and enhance our appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things. We will visit a variety of ecosystems including forest, riparian, meadow, and mountain habitats to look closely at the universe around us. Through explorations of deep ecology, ecopsychology, and ecofeminism, we will explore our concept of self and examine our environment crisis. It will be a chance to take a breath and stop the endless movements in our lives from one chore to another and just observe. It will be a chance to really see the earth beneath our feet, the trees around us and the sky above

People will leave with techniques in meditation, observation, perception, and mindful living that could transform their lives and the way they relate to others. They will leave with a reinforced belief that we are all part of the same thing and that profound personal change is necessary to feel a part of the Earth again.

The workshop will include a Council of All Beings, a powerful opportunity to expand our concept of "self" to include other entities in the natural world. Through writing, drawing, mask making, movement, weaving, and discussions, we will explore the many ways we are connected to the earth, the air, the water, and ourselves.

All tribes throughout history have had a story of their creation, a story that unifies them as a people and a culture. Western culture has not had such a unifying story until today, as modern theories of physics, astronomy, and ecology have given us a tale that tells of the creation of our planet and the universe - a creation story for an Earth Tribe. Today we know that the Earth and everything on her was born in a primordial fireball and remnants of that fireball are present in each of us and every animal, rock, and waterfall on the planet. We are all intimately connected.

Through writing, drawing, mask making, movement, weaving, and discussions, we will explore the many ways we are connected to the earth, the air, the water, and ourselves. In the evenings, we will connect with our universe through observations of the stars and planets with telescopes and the naked eye. By the end of this workshop, you will definitely feel more a part of our awesome universe.

SUGGESTED READINGS

1. Seed, John, et. Al., Thinking Like A Mountain: Towards a Council of All Beings, New Society Publishers, Philadelphia, 1988.
2. Roszak, Theodore, et. al., editor, Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind, Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 1995.
3. Glendinning, Chellis, My Name Is Chellis and I'm in Recovery from Western Civilization, Shambhala Publications: Boston, 1994.
4. Nhat Han, Thich, The Miracle of Mindfulness, Parallax Press: Berkeley

OBJECTIVES
To answer the question "how are we connected to the web of life?"

1. To encourage alternative ways of thinking about human's place in nature.
2. To examine models for relating to nature and to spirit.
3. Become familiar with the Earth as a planet and to examine our connection to the universe.
4. To expand the student's range of thought and perception. To encourage the student to think on a global scale and to consider the far-reaching consequences of any action.