Transgender Remembrance Day is November 20, 2022. On this day we honor the memory of those who have lost their lives to anti-transgender violence.
Imagine your life was in danger on a daily basis simply for being who you are. Imagine suffering discrimination not only in the workplace, but also in your school, in your church, or in your own family or even when you visit your health care provider.
If you can imagine this then you have a good understanding of what most transgender people endure on a daily basis.
Did you know that in 2019 twenty-six Americans lost their lives due to transgender violence?
These victims were killed by acquaintances, partners and strangers, some of whom have been arrested and charged, while others have yet to be identified.
Some of these cases involve clear anti-transgender bias. In others, the victim’s transgender status may have put them at risk in other ways, such as forcing them into unemployment, poverty, homelessness and/or survival sex work and sex trafficking.
Of the victims murdered, 80% were people of color, 55% were transgender women, and 50% were transgender women of color.
Transgender women survivors of hate violence were also more likely to experience police violence, physical violence, discrimination, harassment, sexual violence, threats, and intimidation compared to those who were not transgender women.
Violence and harassment were experienced by the more than 6,000 transgender people across a variety of contexts, including educational settings, at work, in interactions with police and with family members, at homeless shelters, accessing public accommodations, and in jails and prisons.
Additionally, murders of transgender people often go unreported, and the identity of transgender murder victims is often misreported, so the actual numbers are probably far higher.
So what can you do? Start by calling attention to local victims of anti-transgender violence.
Highlight positive stories of transgender individuals, and the dehumanizing discrimination they have faced in their every day lives.
Familiarize yourself with statistics on transgender violence and make your community aware.
Statistics from the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) show that in schools, 16.2% of transgender students report being physically assaulted as a result of gender expression, while 32.5% experience physical harassment including bullying and physical assault. You can talk with transgender youth about their experiences growing up and create educational networks to fight such discrimination.
Contact local transgender and LGBTQ organizations to find out how they plan to observe Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Many universities and high schools, through their Gay-Straight Alliances and other organizations, hold candlelight vigils or other events to recognize the day.
You can also get involved in a local event or start one of your own. Here are types some events to Look For:
Candlelight vigils are the most common way that local communities recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance, Such events may also include:
Marches
Forums and panel discussions with local advocates
Poetry or spoken word readings
Art exhibits
Movie screenings of feature films or documentaries that center on transgender characters or subjects
Representations of the number of transgender people murdered, such as tombstone cutouts, memorials with photographs, or chalk outlines.
To learn more about what you can do, visit some of the resources listed below.
If you are a transgender person who has experienced discrimination, contact one of the organizations listed here for a list of resources and support in your area.
And remember…having a transgender child doesn’t mean you’ve failed as a parent. Rejecting your transgender child means you’ve failed as a parent.
If you are currently feeling suicidal or know someone who is, contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or dial 988 on your smart phone.
This Second Edition of the Facilitator Manual for the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Program contains the complete text of the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workbook plus additional material on how to facilitate each session of the program. The Facilitator Manual also includes information on running a successful group, and the stages of group change and group dynamics. This manual is designed to help facilitators of the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy program successfully implement a workshop series. The Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy workshop series teaches you the 12 skills of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy (MBE) by introducing one of these skills at each of the 12 sessions in the program. The experiential nature of the work allows anyone with access to outdoor spaces the opportunity to complete the series on their own. The Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workbook allows you to embrace the healing power of nature in an experiential way.
This is the second edition of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workbook. The original workbook was published in 2015, and the sciences of mindfulness and ecotherapy have advanced a great deal since that time. This second edition was updated to reflect this new research. This edition, like its predecessor, was written to accompany the 12-week Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy workshop series. Some of the exercises in this new edition have changed based on participant feedback regarding what is more helpful in facilitating nature experiences. This new version of the handbook introduces the 12 skills of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy (MBE) and introduces one of these skills at each of the 12 sessions in the program. Although this book is designed to accompany the 12-week Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy workshop series, it may also be completed on your own at home. The experiential nature of the work allows anyone with access to outdoor spaces the opportunity to complete the series. If you are interested in participating in a workshop series near you, you can visit the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s website at www.mindfulecotherapy.org. The website contains a directory of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy programs worldwide at https://www.mindfulecotherapycenter.com/directory-2
The word “spiritual” comes from the Latin spiritus, which means, “breath.” So originally, that which was spiritual was simply that which was breathtaking. From this perspective a spiritual experience is an awe-inspiring experience. People of all religions…or none…can experience such awe-inspiring events in nature. Ecospirituality can be spiritual without being religious. Those breathtaking moments for me most often occur when I have made some sort of connection to nature. Ecospirituality is the process of seeking wonder and awe in those moments in natural environments. The Ecospirituality Program is available for use at any organization that teaches principles of ecology and/or mental and spiritual health. If you are interested in presenting the program at your organization, training is available for facilitators at www.mindfulecotherapy.org.If your organization would like to implement the Ecospirituality Program, Charlton Hall, MMFT, LMFT/S, RPT-S, CHt also offers facilitated live instruction and consultation on the program, as well as volume discounts on copies of the Ecospirituality Workbook.Learn more at the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s website at www.mindfulecotherapy.org.
Are you a licensed mental health professional? You could earn extra income by developing courses for the Mindful Ecotherapy Center!
Instructors are paid 60% of the net revenue generated for every course sold. If your course is accepted, then very time your course is sold, 60% of the net revenue is automatically mailed to your Paypal account.
GUIDELINES FOR COURSE DEVELOPMENT
Use the contact form below to submit a course proposal to the Mindful Ecotherapy Center. We look for courses directly related to mindfulness and ecotherapy, but will consider other topics. Use the guidelines below when submitting a course proposal.
You must own the rights to any course materials submitted. If you have submitted the course to other agencies or organizations in the past, you must demonstrate that you own the rights to any materials submitted to the Mindful Ecotherapy Center.
The course must have a set of clearly defined learning objectives. A good rule of thumb is one to three learning objectives for every hour of course material.
You may submit course materials in written, audio or video format.
If written format, you must submit 15 pages of material for every hour of continuing education credit. A ‘page’ is considered to be about 500 words. So for a two-hour continuing education course you would need to submit about 1000 words. For a three-hour course you’d need to submit about 1500 words, etc. You must own the rights to any written materials submitted, and references must be properly cited in APA format.
If submitting audio or video materials, there should be one hour of video or audio for every hour of continuing education. So a one-hour course should have one hour of audio or video.
If submitting video with patients or other participants besides the instructor, a written release must be obtained from other participants saying you have their permission to video them. If you wish to use this method in your course materials, a video release form will be emailed to you upon request.
There must be some method of evaluation; i.e., a post-test or quiz. The quiz is used to demonstrate that the student has achieved the learning objectives defined for the course, so the questions on the quiz should be linked to the learning objectives defined for the course.
There should be a minimum of three citations for each course. This means that the course must be evidence-based, relying on studies that have appeared in peer-reviewed journals.
If your course proposal is accepted by the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, you will be asked to sign a contract guaranteeing a 60/40 fee split. This means that you receive 60% of net revenue generated from the sale of your course after taxes, transaction fees (e.g., Paypal fees), and any other deductions.
Course fees are determined by the Mindful Ecotherapy Center. You will be informed of the fee established for your course if your proposal is accepted.
In partnership with the Fernwood Center for Wellbeing, the Mindful Ecotherapy Center will be offering a Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Group starting on March 21, 2019. Details and registration are below.
WHO
This group is open to all who are interested in learning how to use mindfulness to tap into the healing power of nature.
WHAT
Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy (MBE) is a 12-week program that uses mindfulness to connect you to nature’s healing power. Each weekly session lasts 60-90 minutes and deals with one of the 12 skills of MBE.
Click here for a detailed overview of the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy program.
Click here to purchase a copy of the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workbook (needed for the workshops)
WHEN
The program will start on Thursday evening, March 21, and will run from 6:30 to 7:30 each week with an optional 30 minute question and answer period after each session. The program runs 12 weeks, on Thursday evenings, from March 21, 2019 to June 6, 2019.
WHERE
Groups meet at:
Fernview Center for Wellbeing
1115 Dunlap Road
Anderson SC 29621
HOW
There are two options for attending. The first is pay-as-you-go for $20 per session, due upon the beginning of each session. The second is to use the registration form below. When you register below for the entire 12-session program, you receive a discount on the total number of sessions (12 sessions x $20 = regular cost of $240), and a copy of the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Workbook is included in your registration fee.
If you choose the pay-as-you-go method, you will need to order the workbook yourself prior to the first session.
WHY
Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy helps to relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression while teaching you skills that will help you to live a more grounded, centered, and balanced life.
If you’re interested in mindfulness, ecotherapy, or the healing power of nature, you may be excited to learn what we’ve been up to at the Mindful Ecotherapy Center!
As of January of this year, we’ve upgraded the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s Learning Management System. Our courses now include videos, downloadable course documents, audio files, and automatic quizzes. We also now have an automatic Certificate of Completion process so that when you complete a course your certificate is automatically generated and is available on the main course page of the website. Students now also have the ability to create a profile on the site and to participate on our discussion forums. This means that you will now be able to interact with other students and the instructor online.
All of our current courses have been updated to include these changes. But don’t worry…if you’re currently taking a class with the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, your course materials will still be available until June of 2019. Just be sure to retain the download links you received when you signed up for your course(s). If you experience any difficulties with your downloads, please contact us on the website.
We’ve also streamlined the process of enrolling for courses. Now, from the main course page, you just select the course(s) you’re interested in, and click on the PURCHASE button. After you complete your transaction, you are automatically enrolled in the course and the materials are immediately available to you.
To assist students with learning the new system, there’s a free orientation program that you may take by visiting https://www.mindfulecotherapycenter.com/courses/orientation-to-the-mindful-ecotherapy-center/
And of course, if you ever have any questions or technical difficulties, support is always available through our contact form on the website.
Become an Instructor
With our expanded offerings at the Mindful Ecotherapy Center, we are also looking for instructors. To be an instructor, you must be a licensed mental health professional in good standing with your local licensure board. If you have a topic you would like to create a course for, submit a proposal at the Mindful Ecotherapy Center’s website at www.mindfulecotherapy.org. If your proposal is accepted, you will be paid a commission on your course every time your course is sold! To be emailed a list of course guidelines to assist you in developing your proposal, contact Charlton Hall at the Mindful Ecotherapy Center.
What’s Coming in 2019
If you are a mental health professional, in February we will be adding a FREE 2-hour online course in suicide prevention. This evidence-based course contains information on assessing suicide risk, creating a suicide prevention action plan, and a review of some of the latest research on suicide and suicide prevention. It also addresses some common myths about suicide and the actual facts about suicide. Nationwide suicide has increased by about 37% since 2000, so this information is critical for anyone who deals with the public on a regular basis in any health care capacity.
In 2019 we’ll also be adding Ecoplay, a course and program developed by Charlton Hall, MMFT, LMFT/S, RPT-S, CHt for parents and children. This course will be available online for both mental health professionals and for parents. Richard Louv’s groundbreaking book Last Child in the Woods coined the term Nature Deficit Disorder. According to Louv, our children are spending less time outside in the natural world and more time inside watching television and playing video games. Louv says that this lack of contact with nature has created a wide range of behavioral problems.
“It’s a problem because kids who don’t get nature-time seem more prone to anxiety, depression and attention-deficit problems,” says Louv, who suggests that going outside and being in the quiet and calm can help greatly.
Ecoplay is one way to help children to reconnect with nature and to discover that quiet and calm within themselves. Ecoplay is an 8-week filial play program that trains parents to be ecoplay ‘therapists’ for their own children. It is also a theoretical framework and approach to therapy that allows children to express themselves in play, their natural language. Ecoplay allows this expressive play to happen in healthy natural environments. Ecoplay is founded on four core principles: Mindfulness, ecotherapy, family resilience and play therapy. You may learn more about the Ecoplay program by visiting https://www.mindfulecotherapycenter.com/ecoplay/
Also, now that we have our new Learning Management System in place, we will be adding a series of online and experiential continuing education courses in the future. These courses will be from 1 to 3 hours in length and will cover a wide range of topics. Our goal is to add at least one course per month, so be sure to keep checking back! If you have any interest in a particular topic, please feel free to suggest it by contacting us.
What’s Coming in 2020
Those of you who have taken the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy course or who have become certified Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Facilitators are aware of the fact that the facilitator training is geared towards mental health professionals and offers 60 hours of online and experiential continuing education. In the past I’ve been contacted by many life coaches and graduate students who have expressed an interest in a coaching program that does not require a professional license. This training is now being developed and will be available in 2020. The training package will be called “Ecospirituality” and will require 50 hours of online and experiential training. It will include a workbook and many video and audio files in the course materials.
Some of the topics covered in Ecospirituality:
The difference between coaching and therapy: Avoiding legal liability
Introduction to Mindfulness
Introduction to Ecotherapy
Running a Successful Group
Mindful Awareness
Radical Acceptance
Wise Mind and Wise Body
Letting Go
Living in the Now
Centering
Connecting
Nature as Metaphor
Nature as Teacher
Nature as Nurture
Nature as Healer
Living in True Self
Also coming in 2020 – Many graduates of the Mindfulness-Based Facilitator program have expressed an interest in becoming a certified supervisor in Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy. In other words, becoming certified to train certified facilitators. While this has not been available in the past, we are currently developing a program that will train you to train facilitators. This program will include 100 hours of continuing education in Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy plus 25 hours of live supervision through online video or audio chat. If you have already taken the Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Facilitator Certification, then the 60 hours of continuing education you earned through that course will be applied to the 100 hour continuing education requirement. If you’re interested in this program, please contact us at the Mindful Ecotherapy Center to be added to the mailing list.
Get Involved
We’re always looking for suggestions for improvement for the Mindful Ecotherapy Center. Please send us your suggestions, comments and feedback on the website at https://www.mindfulecotherapycenter.com/contact/
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For most of its existence, homo sapiens has lived in harmony with nature as hunter/gatherers. Such a lifestyle requires a vast knowledge of the seasons, and of the patterns and habits of wildlife, and of plants and herbs and their healing powers. Industrialization and urbanization are fairly recent phenomena on an evolutionary scale. We still carry the genetic memory of our ancestors who lived in untamed nature. Our brains are wired for the outdoors and nature. A growing body of research demonstrates that not only do we feel better when we make time for nature, but it is also actually a requirement for good physical and mental health!
Ecopsychology and Ecotherapy
The field of ecopsychologystudies how humans interact with nature. Ecopsychology is a philosophy combining elements of psychology and ecology. It is the philosophy that mental health is contingent upon the health of the environment. Humankind and the environment are part of an interrelated system. We are not separate from nature. We are a part of nature.
Ecopsychology suggests that there is a synergistic relation between planetary and personal well-being; that the needs of the one are relevant to the needs of the other. In short, what we do to the environment, we do to ourselves. Ecotherapy is the practical application of this knowledge. In ecotherapy, nature is the “therapist.” In practicing the techniques of ecotherapy, we allow the healing power of nature to work its magic on us. Hölzel et al (2011) demonstrated that meditative states of mindfulness stimulate neural growth in the cerebral cortex in the areas of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, good judgment, insight, and impulse control. Nature experiences have been demonstrated in several studies to produce meditative states (fascination, relaxation, and mindfulness).
Ecotherapy: Natural Experiences with Nature
Experiences in and with nature, or natural experiences, are ways in which we consciously choose to allow nature to work its healing magic on us. Some types of natural experiences include:
Facilitated Wilderness Experiences
In these types of experiences, a trained facilitator takes you into the woods for an adventure. These events can be anything from a wilderness experience in ecotherapy led by a therapist or counselor to a hunting trip led by a wilderness guide. Kuo & Taylor (2004) demonstrated that therapy and other activities conducted in outdoor settings reduced symptoms of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Whittington (2006) found that wilderness skills training gave adolescent girls increased self-esteem and self-confidence and helped to shatter gender stereotypes.
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Animal therapy in the form of contact with pets and/or wild or domesticated animals enhances self-actualization and can lessen symptoms of depression. Antonioli & Reveley (2005) found that simply swimming with dolphins can greatly reduce symptoms of depression. Other studies have shown that owning pets, or even just watching fish in an aquarium, can greatly reduce stress. Equine Therapy uses horses to facilitate mental and physical well-being. There are many other ways that animals can help us lead happier lives, as any pet owner can tell you!
Therapeutic Gardens
Sempik & Spurgeon (2006) demonstrated that therapeutic gardening reduces stress and lessens symptoms of depression. Blair (2009) discovered that gardening can be used as a means of helping school children to enhance self-sufficiency, social identity, meaning, and self-integration. There’s just something very healing about planting something and nurturing it as you watch it grow.
Vacations
Berto (2014) discovered that outdoor activities reduce stress and restore energy. If you’ve ever had to miss a vacation, you’re probably painfully aware of the regenerative power of taking a week or so off to spend time in nature. Cole (2012) found that you don’t need a facilitator or guide to enjoy health and well-being benefits from the use of wilderness areas. There’s a reason we’re attracted to beaches and national parks!
Architecture Incorporating Natural Spaces
Nature can be incorporated into the home environment through the use of plants, an aquarium, or even recorded nature sounds. Alvarsson et al (2010) studied the positive mental health effects of listening to nature sounds.
Outdoor Classrooms
Dennis, Wells & Bishop (2014) revealed that outdoor classrooms enhanced many critical factors of the educational experience, including: Enhanced retention, better focus, more attention to detail, less hyperactivity, more relaxation, increased confidence and self-esteem, and better cognitive functioning
Why Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy?
Mindfulness-based ecotherapy (MBE) enhances traditional ecotherapy by combining the restorative benefits of nature with the self-regulation and awareness skills cultivated through mindfulness practices. Ecotherapy alone has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and increase feelings of connectedness to the natural environment (Berto, 2014).
By integrating mindfulness, participants are encouraged to attend fully to present-moment sensory experiences within natural settings, which can deepen emotional processing, reduce rumination, and amplify psychological restoration (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). This combination strengthens the therapeutic impact, particularly for individuals prone to anxiety or depression, by not only providing exposure to nature but also fostering intentional engagement with it. Mindfulness enhances attentional control, allowing participants to notice subtle natural cues, reflect without judgment, and cultivate a sense of grounded presence, thereby making ecotherapy sessions more effective and transformative (Berto, 2014; Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
References
Alvarsson JJ, Wiens S, Nilsson ME. Stress recovery during exposure to nature sound and environmental noise. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010 Mar;7(3):1036-46. doi: 10.3390/ijerph7031036. Epub 2010 Mar 11. PMID: 20617017; PMCID: PMC2872309.
Antonioli C, Reveley MA. Randomised controlled trial of animal facilitated therapy with dolphins in the treatment of depression. BMJ. 2005 Nov 26;331(7527):1231. doi: 10.1136/bmj.331.7527.1231. PMID: 16308382; PMCID: PMC1289317.
Berto, R. (2014). The role of nature in coping with psycho-physiological stress: A literature review on restorativeness. Behavioral Sciences, 4(4), 394–409. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs4040394
Blair, D. (2009). The child in the garden: An evaluative review of the benefits of school gardening. Journal of Environmental Education, 40(2), 15–38.
Dennis, S. F., Wells, A., & Bishop, C. (2014). A post-occupancy study of nature-based outdoor classrooms in early childhood education. Children, Youth and Environments, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.24.2.0035
Fieldhouse J, Sempik J. ‘Gardening without Borders’: Reflections on the Results of a Survey of Practitioners of an ‘Unstructured’ Profession. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2007;70(10):449-453. doi:10.1177/030802260707001006
Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, Congleton C, Yerramsetti SM, Gard T, Lazar SW. Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Res. 2011 Jan 30;191(1):36-43. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2010.08.006. Epub 2010 Nov 10. PMID: 21071182; PMCID: PMC3004979.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/bpg016
Taylor AF, Kuo FE. Children with attention deficits concentrate better after walk in the park. J Atten Disord. 2009 Mar;12(5):402-9. doi: 10.1177/1087054708323000. Epub 2008 Aug 25. PMID: 18725656.
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An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, “Let me tell you a story. I, too, at times, have felt a great hate for those who have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like drinking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings myself many times.”
He continued, “It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does not harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way. But the other wolf is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing.”
“Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.”
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather’s eyes and asked, “Which one wins, Grandfather?”
The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, “The one I feed.”
The more energy we spend on sensing, the less energy we have to spend on thinking. Based on the tale of two wolves above, we could see the two wolves as “thinking wolf” and “sensing wolf.” The more energy you give to the sensing wolf, the less energy you give to the thinking wolf. The less energy the thinking wolf receives, the weaker the thinking wolf becomes. Conversely, the more energy the sensing wolf receives, the stronger the sensing wolf becomes. By shifting from thinking to sensing, you’re not trying to ‘kill’ the thinking wolf. You’re not engaging in doing by trying to make the thinking wolf go away. You’re simply depriving it of energy so that it may eventually go away on its own. Even if it doesn’t go away on its own, you’re not focusing your attention on it. Since your attention isn’t on it, thinking wolf can’t grab you by the throat, refusing to let go.
The Wolf You Feed
It could be said that focusing on what your senses are telling you is a type of thinking as well, and that is partially true; however, the difference is that focusing on what your senses are telling you is a type of thinking devoid of emotional content. If you’re in a thinking cycle that is causing you anxiety or depression, then anxiety and depression are emotions. But unless you hate trees for some reason, simply sitting quietly in a forest and observing a tree as if you are an artist about to draw that tree is an exercise devoid of emotional content. By focusing on the emotionally neutral stimuli found in nature, we allow ourselves to feed the sensing wolf.
How Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy Helps Nurture the Sensing Wolf Over the Thinking Wolf
The metaphor of the two wolves offers a useful way to understand the tension between present-moment awareness and the mental habits that fuel anxiety, stress, and depression. The “sensing wolf” represents the part of us that experiences life directly through the five senses, grounded in what is happening here and now. The “thinking wolf,” on the other hand, is the part of the mind that ruminates, analyzes, spirals into what-ifs, and fixates on problems. Both wolves have value, but in many people, the thinking wolf grows overfed, dominating the internal landscape with worry and mental noise. Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy creates conditions that allow the sensing wolf to regain strength, balance, and presence, shifting the center of gravity away from constant mental churn.
Natural Environments Favor the Sensing Wolf
One reason this works so well is that natural environments naturally favor the sensing wolf. When someone steps outdoors into a wooded area, a park, a shoreline, or even a garden, the sensory field becomes richer and more inviting than the world of internal rumination. Leaves move in the breeze, sunlight flickers, birds call, water flows, and colors shift. The brain is gently nudged toward sensory engagement, which quiets the internal monologue that the thinking wolf thrives on. In this state, attention moves from the world of thoughts to the world of direct experience. This transition alone can reduce stress and interrupt the cycles that reinforce anxiety and depression.
Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy builds on this natural shift by offering structured practices that actively engage the sensing wolf. Techniques like mindful walking, breath awareness in natural settings, sensory-focused grounding, and observation of ecological patterns encourage participants to connect deeply with what is happening in the moment. When the senses are occupied and awake, the thinking wolf loses some of its grip. Rumination is harder to maintain while noticing the texture of a stone, the temperature of the air, or the scent of pine needles. Over time, this repeated redirection strengthens neural pathways associated with presence rather than worry.
Chilling Out with the Sensing Wolf
Another benefit of nurturing the sensing wolf is the way ecotherapy interacts with the body’s stress physiology. Rumination activates the sympathetic nervous system, keeping the body stuck in low-grade fight-or-flight. Sensory engagement, particularly in nature, stimulates the parasympathetic system, which promotes calm, digestion, and restoration. As the body calms, the mind follows. When the nervous system shifts into balance, the sensing wolf becomes easier to access, and the thinking wolf becomes less dominant. This physiological support is one of the reasons nature-based mindfulness is such a potent intervention for chronic stress and mood challenges.
Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy also provides a corrective to the thinking wolf’s habit of interpreting thoughts as facts. When individuals practice noticing sensations without judgment, they simultaneously learn to observe thoughts with the same attitude. Thoughts become passing mental events rather than urgent demands for action or attention. This distances the self from the thinking wolf’s tendency to catastrophize or rehearse negative narratives. Instead of wrestling with thoughts, participants learn to acknowledge them and return to sensory experience, strengthening the sensing wolf through repetition and compassion.
Sensing Wolf and Connection
Finally, ecotherapy nurtures the sensing wolf by cultivating connection—connection to nature, to the present moment, and ultimately to one’s own internal experience. The thinking wolf often thrives in isolation, spinning stories without grounding in the wider world. The sensing wolf grows stronger when individuals feel part of a larger ecosystem, rooted and supported by the living environment around them. This sense of belonging reduces the vulnerability that fuels rumination and helps reinforce emotional resilience.
By feeding the sensing wolf through mindfulness-based experiences in nature, individuals create healthier internal balance. The thinking wolf does not disappear, but it no longer runs the entire show. Over time, present-moment awareness becomes more accessible, anxiety decreases, and emotional well-being improves. This is the core strength of Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy: teaching people how to live more fully in the present while gently quieting the mental habits that keep them trapped in stress.
Share Your Thoughts!
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below! And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter!
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