Ecophilia Seasonal Immersions nurture networks of safety, intimacy, and belonging between earth and body. Each experience is shaped by the changing expression of the season and is crafted to impart teachings of earth resilience through embodied communal practice.
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Ecophilia, coined by Ruyu Hung, is a word inspired by the term biophilia, and refers to the human affective and embodied bond with other living beings and the environs, e.g. nature and place. Humans have an innate love for earth and the processes of life which is a natural and instinctive drive imprinted into our DNA. Connection and intimacy with place is the reason we have thrived as a species. We have a physiological need to be in a mutually enhancing relationship with the natural world.
By consciously engaging with nature/place we activate an ancient somatic memory of kinship and connection that supports us to remember and receive the nourishment and vitality of life. On a nervous system level, earth connection activates our ventral vagal system which lowers stress, supports rest & digest, down-regulates sympathetic defense reactions, and increases our capacity for trust, safety, and intimacy with life.
Mainstream culture perpetuates disembodied patterns of disconnection, numbing, and other protective strategies of survival. These immersions are designed to counter disembodiment by supporting you to have space and time for deeper listening, noticing, and cultivating awareness of ecophilia through intentionality, slowing down and engaging with the rhythms of nature.
Suggested donation: $60 - $150
HALF-DAY SEASONAL IMMERSIONS INCLUDE:
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5 hours of facilitated experience + 1 hour break for lunch
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Embodiment practices to engage and deepen intimacy with self and earth.
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A rhythmic flow of experience that fosters regulation, aliveness and presence.
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Meaningful group experiences and contemplative solo time.
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An exploration of seasonal insights, themes and archetypal messages.
SUMMER
Playful Resilience
Our summer immersion is inspired by the expansive abundance of the season. The piedmont landscape is oozing with multi-layered, vibrant expressions: aromatic flavors, joyful song and chatter, rich tones and hues, rhythmic pulsations and glimmering reflections. The creative playmaking of Summer reveals itself in every moment.
Summer’s abundant flourishing is only ever the result of collaborative playmaking rooted in ecosystem entanglement. The process of communal play produces resilient relationships rooted in care that are responsive to change. We are really only able to receive the gifts of the season to the extent that we are able to participate and give of ourselves in joyful reciprocity. Abundance arises from the play of giving and receiving.
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Resilience, or the ability to manage stress and adversity, and the capacity to meet life challenges with courage, is a quality we all aspire to possess, because it is inevitable that life will produce stress-inducing demands and always an element of the unknown. Rarely is play considered a prerequisite or even a necessary ingredient of resilience, nor is it generally appreciated in its contributions for how we manage stress, or how we face and master adversity.
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According to research psychologist Steve Siviy who has written in Vol. #2 of the American Journal of Play:
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"Various species have survived through countless episodes of adversity, and they did so partly because they developed arsenals of coping mechanisms. We presume that play as a phenotype has been through the rigors of natural selection and has afforded some advantage... to species that play. Indeed, play may have emerged as a stable behavior pattern across a variety of species over the course of evolution, but one that truly took hold in the mammalian brain."
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Play, in its many manifestations, serves a wide variety of survival-promotion functions pertaining to stress management, overall competency, learning, emotional regulation, innovation, and social cooperation. This understanding of the nature and importance of play is especially vital in today’s world.
BENEFITS OF PLAY
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Ideal for creativity and learning new skills
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Takes us to our growing edge
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Allows us to look at experiences from new perspectives
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exposes us to variations in actions that lead to unpredictable outcomes
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Allows us to test boundaries and practice new behaviors
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​Novelty and excitement generate dopamine, creating feelings of well-being
DETAILS
Saturday, August 12 | 10 AM - 4 PM​
Location: Mebane, NC 27302
FLOW OF EVENTS
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​​Arriving & Orienting
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Evoking Curiosity
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Earth Connection
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Lunch
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Nature FUN & play!
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Harvest & Rest