Healthy human beings need meaningful community, especially in this increasingly disconnected and chaotic world.
There is a forgotten cultural design that connects people to each other, their deeper purp
ose, and their belonging to place. That cultural design lies in the heart of the village. Join us for a journey to that place of quiet power.
This weekend will be an intentional gathering of connection, renewal and learning about what it takes to create a ‘more than beautiful world’ for ourselves and our immediate and extended families.
Unwind
Disconnect from distraction, screens and the pace of modern life. Recline by the fire, track animals by the river, and eat beautifully prepared meals under the stars.
Breathe Deep
Leave your troubles behind, and sink into the serene cushion of the natural world. Relax into a supportive mentoring environment of conscious, caring adults.
Tend the Hearth
Our earth connected ancestors lived in powerful, purposeful connection to all things. Renew your connection to nature, family, and self by reconnecting to this ancestral model.
Build Healthy Culture
Learn specific models, routines, and rituals which will equip you to enliven and empower your school, workplace, and community. Gain working knowledge of the core routines of nature connection and regenerative culture.
Cost
Adults registering as individuals: $300 – $400 sliding scale
Family rates:
Each adult: $150 – $350 sliding scale
Each child: $100
ex: A family of 2 Adults and 2 children can choose between $500 and $900 for the weekend. We ask you to self-evaluate your financial ability knowing that the middle of the scale supports us to employ youth facilitators, cooks, food, facility rental etc.
Earlybird Discount: Register by September 18th and receive 15% off
Facility
Earthlands is a 47 acre retreat center with fields and forests including a Main Lodge, gardens, fire circle and tenting areas. Located in Petersham, Ma, it is conveniently located 1.5 hrs west of Boston and 1 hour east of the Connecticut River Valley. This facility walks its talk by being solar powered and off-grid, while still including the comforts of hot showers, wood stoves and flush toilets.
Meals
Healthy meals will be provided by our cook with community participants supporting with prep, serving and cleanup. This is a vegetarian facility encouraging participants to eat locally, leaving a light ecological footprint. Meals will be simple and wholesome. Dining will be slow and family style, fostering conversation and connection.
Lodging
There are 30 beds in the main lodge, mostly with 4 beds to a room. There are also options for tenting or staying nearby in a BnB.
Schedule
Participants have the option to arrive Friday night or Saturday morning. The weekend will end on Monday late morning, allowing for travel and integration at home before the week begins. Each day will be an easy flow from community time, such as meals and stories by the fire to ‘program time’, allowing the young children, teens and adults to participate in developmental activities.
Intentional Design
The schedule, activities, and intention behind the design are meant to serve as both a slower paced, nature immersive retreat, as well as a learning experience for everyone involved. Our goal is for people to leave rejuvenated, more connected to their true self and having built capacity for creating this kind of environment in their day to day lives.
Facilitation
Mark Morey, Founder, Institute for Natural Learning
Mark is dedicated to leaving the world better than he found it. He fosters regenerative leadership values, practices and learning systems for communities and workplaces. His approach is visionary and he designs experiences from potential.
For the last 30 years, he has been a leader in the international nature connection movement to reconnect humanity to the natural world. He has done this through several organizations that he has founded as well as facilitating 100 Art of Mentoring workshops in five countries. Mark has facilitated life-changing retreats for adults and youth of all ages with the intention to empower the individual to be a leader in cultural change.
His work has ranged from 200 person, week-long events with families of all ages, to adolescent rites of passages, adult leadership immersions, business consulting, public speaking, and organizational network leadership on an international scale. Mark’s passion for environmental healing and cultural consciousness has gained wide recognition as a leader in earth-centered leadership development. He is a risk taker, full of life, loves to laugh and will be the first to admit he doesn’t know how this is all going to turn out. One thing he knows is that there is only one life to live.
Questions?
Email us at info@ifnaturallearning.com
We hope to see you at this weekend. Please let us know what might be limiting your ability to participate so that we can all benefit from your presence.
DOWNLOAD EVENT PDF to share.
NYSOEA Conference Keynote 2017
Rite of Competence
This 5 month distance learning program is for parents who are dedicated to conscious parenting and have a child in the 6 – 8 year old age range. Learn More…
Return to the Village
Healthy human beings need meaningful community, especially in this increasingly disconnected and chaotic world.
There is a forgotten cultural design that connects people to each other, their deeper purp
ose, and their belonging to place. That cultural design lies in the heart of the village. Join us for a journey to that place of quiet power.
This weekend will be an intentional gathering of connection, renewal and learning about what it takes to create a ‘more than beautiful world’ for ourselves and our immediate and extended families.
Unwind
Disconnect from distraction, screens and the pace of modern life. Recline by the fire, track animals by the river, and eat beautifully prepared meals under the stars.
Breathe Deep
Leave your troubles behind, and sink into the serene cushion of the natural world. Relax into a supportive mentoring environment of conscious, caring adults.
Tend the Hearth
Our earth connected ancestors lived in powerful, purposeful connection to all things. Renew your connection to nature, family, and self by reconnecting to this ancestral model.
Build Healthy Culture
Learn specific models, routines, and rituals which will equip you to enliven and empower your school, workplace, and community. Gain working knowledge of the core routines of nature connection and regenerative culture.
Cost
Adults registering as individuals: $300 – $400 sliding scale
Family rates:
Each adult: $150 – $350 sliding scale
Each child: $100
ex: A family of 2 Adults and 2 children can choose between $500 and $900 for the weekend. We ask you to self-evaluate your financial ability knowing that the middle of the scale supports us to employ youth facilitators, cooks, food, facility rental etc.
Reserve your spot with a $100 deposit
Earlybird Discount: Register by September 18th and receive 15% off
Facility
Earthlands is a 47 acre retreat center with fields and forests including a Main Lodge, gardens, fire circle and tenting areas. Located in Petersham, Ma, it is conveniently located 1.5 hrs west of Boston and 1 hour east of the Connecticut River Valley. This facility walks its talk by being solar powered and off-grid, while still including the comforts of hot showers, wood stoves and flush toilets.
Meals
Healthy meals will be provided by our cook with community participants supporting with prep, serving and cleanup. This is a vegetarian facility encouraging participants to eat locally, leaving a light ecological footprint. Meals will be simple and wholesome. Dining will be slow and family style, fostering conversation and connection.
Lodging
There are 30 beds in the main lodge, mostly with 4 beds to a room. There are also options for tenting or staying nearby in a BnB.
Schedule
Participants have the option to arrive Friday night or Saturday morning. The weekend will end on Monday late morning, allowing for travel and integration at home before the week begins. Each day will be an easy flow from community time, such as meals and stories by the fire to ‘program time’, allowing the young children, teens and adults to participate in developmental activities.
Intentional Design
The schedule, activities, and intention behind the design are meant to serve as both a slower paced, nature immersive retreat, as well as a learning experience for everyone involved. Our goal is for people to leave rejuvenated, more connected to their true self and having built capacity for creating this kind of environment in their day to day lives.
Reserve your spot now!
Facilitation
Mark Morey, Founder, Institute for Natural Learning
Mark is dedicated to leaving the world better than he found it. He fosters regenerative leadership values, practices and learning systems for communities and workplaces. His approach is visionary and he designs experiences from potential.
For the last 30 years, he has been a leader in the international nature connection movement to reconnect humanity to the natural world. He has done this through several organizations that he has founded as well as facilitating 100 Art of Mentoring workshops in five countries. Mark has facilitated life-changing retreats for adults and youth of all ages with the intention to empower the individual to be a leader in cultural change.
His work has ranged from 200 person, week-long events with families of all ages, to adolescent rites of passages, adult leadership immersions, business consulting, public speaking, and organizational network leadership on an international scale. Mark’s passion for environmental healing and cultural consciousness has gained wide recognition as a leader in earth-centered leadership development. He is a risk taker, full of life, loves to laugh and will be the first to admit he doesn’t know how this is all going to turn out. One thing he knows is that there is only one life to live.
Questions?
We hope to see you at this weekend. Please let us know what might be limiting your ability to participate so that we can all benefit from your presence.
DOWNLOAD EVENT PDF to share.
The Story I tell Myself: The Secret to Personal Mythology
The story that already knows how it’s going to turn out. It’s the Devil I know.
But Hey, at least I know it realllly well.
For example a part of me believes that I can’t have or own my own home. I’m talking an unexamined belief. As if it’s fact. On a daily basis it’s basically hidden to myself.
A part of me really doesn’t want to explore my possibilities or grow into a larger view of reality, success and magic. Something bad might happen. It’s best to stay right here and stay safe. That’s how the voice goes.
There’s an illusion of control when that story gets repeated. I actually don’t like that story, but a part of me will keep choosing it over changing it. Even sabotage or avoid the very thing that might lead me to owning a home some day.
why ?
Seriously. Why ?
Well if that part of me is anything like that part of you,
…it doesn’t want to take the risk.
To risk being wrong. I’ve rehearsed that belief for a long time…
Who would I be without my Story ?
If you’re coming on the Personal Mythology Quest*, you’re going to get a chance to look at your foundational Story and acknowledge that it exists. And then in a powerful, supported and thorough manner, you will make a choice to take the steps to rewrite it and change the nature of how you experience life. Perhaps from a place of unknown limits to a place of freedoms and choice that you can’t imagine.
How does that sound ?
I’m looking forward to the magic.
*Registration Deadline Monday April 22nd
Rocket Stove Maple Boiler
Rocket Stove Maple Boiler, a set on Flickr.
Important News: My New Blog Site
I’m happy to announce the launch of my new blog: www.markmorey.com.
All of my stories and updates from the field will now be posted to this new site. Please head over there, and sign up in the “subscribe by email” box on the left hand column, to receive my blog posts by email. Information about new programs and upcoming events will continue to be posted to www.ifnaturallearning.com.
Thanks, and enjoy!
Circles and Squares
Back in Toronto.
Circle
Square
Last night I gave a three hour talk at the Royal Botanical Garden.
It started with the awareness question of “Notice all the squares in the room, anything that is a square or rectangle.” Then another question: ” Notice all the circles in the room”. Once asked, the shapes came into our awareness. What else is like that ?
The next awareness: “Notice the shape that we are sitting in”. Rows in a large square shape, all facing the one presenter. “Feel what it feels like in your body, right now. Now, everyone get up and rearrange themselves into one circle”.
Once settled, I asked, “So what does it feel like now ?” People shared these things:
I feel vulnerable.
I’m participating.
I’m responsible.
This is like community.
I can’t hide.
If rows of chairs (squares) is like content (school) then a circle of chairs is like context.
Front row only education is a shift in the context of learning. It’s a shift in culture.
Where else can we shift the context to create cultural change ?
What if I gave up knowing ?
Today’s post is an audio clip from my recent Toronto talk, a wicked brief 2 minuter.
It’s a special edit for the folks that I spoke to in Montague, Ma recently.
What if I gave up knowing ?
To create the changes we would like to see in the world, in our community, our family, and in ourselves, we might have to start by giving up knowing what we know.
A little uncomfortable, yes. But how is it working sticking to what you always thought was real ?
If you liked the 2 min audio clip, let me know. I can post another audio story about a profound encounter with… “Our friend Possum”.
Ontario Talk #4: The big city of Toronto
Today’s post will be short since I am dropping in a 10min clip from the Toronto evening talk. This talk was at The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and we had over 100 people in attendance, plus a subway train with distemper.
The theme: Mentoring deep nature connection, it’s the Mentor’s Choice
A couple of things to think about:
How does mentoring work ? Take a look at Brain Patterning and the Learning Cycle
The Mentor’s Choice
What is the implication of this when the topic shifts towards community resilience ?
Peacemaking ?
How about discovering personal vision and legacy ?
What is needed then ?
If you found this provoking, please comment !
Ontario talk #3: The Nature Center at RBG
Today started at the nature center at the Royal Botanical Garden.
Snapping Turtles are an edge experience
We had 39 people register for our day long workshop. The morning was about Brain Patterning and the Core Routines of nature connection. The afternoon was an experiential session outside.
Right off the bat a young woman came up to me with and told me that her dad had come to the talk the night before, “Thank you so much,” she said, “He told me it had a really big impact on him”.
I saw my young friend with the sit spot Zine, he was there for the day as well. He approached me as well and said “It meant a lot to me to tell you my stories, thank you for listening and inviting me to come back and be a part of this”. Big smiles all round.
An older woman came up to me and said that she was part of the Whole Child School. She told me that what I was talking about is exactly the curriculum they are creating for children. They have been working on starting up this school for four years, and finally opened it up for registrations. 600 people applied.
It’s time for a new and bold approach to raising our children. We are the cultural creators of our child’s future. If we don’t step up and raise our children, someone else will.
Read more