April 2018 Retreat Quaker Center

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“The world was made to be free in. Give up all the other worlds except the one to which you belong. Anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you.” – David Whyte, Sweet Darkness

“If we surrendered
to earth’s intelligence
we could rise up rooted, like trees.” -Rumi

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1-ON-1 INNER WILDERNESS GUIDING Part of my life that I haven’t made as visible as I’d like is my 1-on-1 work. It is something I feel called to do and one the most deeply fulfilling and nourishing things in my life. While I am a certified ecotherapist, I prefer to call my work Inner Wilderness Guiding or Earth-rooted Mentoring/Coaching. But whatever you call it, it entails deep listening to people’s heart story, mirroring in council circle, intuitive guiding, sense- & soul-based exercises in and with wild nature, and assistance designing self-ceremonies on the land, to come more fully into one’s wholeness & deep belonging. I also guide custom wilderness backpacking trips for 1-4 people, which can include various degrees of those things. I recently had the privilege of working with a guy who drove up from Mendocino a couple times for half-day sessions. He sought me out with an intention to become more rooted in his soul, to work more actively with imagination, learn some specific skills and tools to commune with the natural world, and guidance in a solo wilderness ceremony. We had two unforgettable days in the forest and at the sea, and we both learned a lot. I received this extraordinary feedback (shared with his permission). It feels like such an honor to be an intimate part of people’s journey in this way. - “Thank you again Ryan for your mentorship prior to this quest of mine. You empowered me to trust in myself, in the wild, and in the ceremony and it seemed so fitting to receive these gifts of yours just prior to a decent. I love and am sincerely grateful for your poem. It certainly helped give me courage to unflinchingly make those leaps over trees and off every known cliff and will continue to do so. I feel super motivated to continue on this path of mine and stay open to all the wild mysteries that present themselves within myself and within this more-than human world of ours. And to taking the next steps in unfurling my own gifts and presenting them to the world.” — If you're interested in this type of working together, or if you know someone who might, ping me and we can set up a time to chat. (Link in Bio) —Ryan @ryanreturntotheearth
🌍Happy Earth Day, Wild Nature Hearts LOYAL TO THE EARTH I want my words to be loyal to the earth a celebration like the spots on a fawn prancing through young pine or new dawn dancing past the night I want my words to be soft as a bunny's butt and feather grass smooth as madrone skin a woman's inner thigh Yet also, I want them to be hard as wild walnuts tough as granite breaking feet and egos deadly serious like a lightning strike splitting spruce and climate chaos carrying away the normal on waves beyond control as prickly as a yellow jacket or poison oak, that'll leave you itching for weeks Words that wake you up like a cold splash of mountain creek on your morning face I want them to lead you gently into the arms of your DreamGiver an owl's hoot under dark skies But also startle the rut mind like a buck launching from the brush Or a bright red snow plant popping up among ice cups in the fir forest an eager invitation to all of Spring’s erections a surprise double rainbow after the thunder storms I want my words to be stained purple from picking wild blackberries and juicy plums Or sexy like a peach rose unfolding borage bringing all the bees to the yard I want them to allow the wind to blow through like invisible currents carrying secret scents tickling the hair on your forearms that you only notice once it’s gone above all, I want them to grow from the soil, telling truth, loyal to the earth Words: #ryanvanlenning Fantastic art: Ruth Evans @smileworldshine
PREPARING FOR MOUNTAIN SEASON Hey #Humboldt, Do the warming days and new blossoms have you dreaming of alpine lakes and the mountains peaks? Are you new to backpacking? Do you have some experience, but want to plan a longer wilderness trip? Or just wanting to get back into it after many years away? Join us for Backpacking Basics. I'll cover the essentials of Gear, Planning/Permits, Skills/Beginner's Mistakes, Health/Safety, Maps, and Wilderness Ethics. I love to share some of my experience and help people connect to the wilderness in a fun and safe way. While the focus is on multi-day overnight wilderness backpacking trips, it's also a nice way to meet folks who love hiking and want to do local trips too. While my first love is the Sierra Mountains, where I have worn out a couple pairs of hiking boots, and I'm falling in love with the Trinity Alps. I've backpacked the Olympics, Tetons, Inyo, and Rockies. Four years ago I hiked 500 miles for 2 months on the Pacific Crest Trail. In January, I was certified as a Wilderness First Responder. But I like backpacking and hiking of all types and levels, and can also recommend trails in other areas for day hiking as well as where/how to do local overnight trips (Ohlone Wilderness Trail, Bay Area Ridge Trail, Pt. Reyes, Big Basin, Trinity Alps, Mid-Peninsula Open Space District, etc.). We want to hear your recommendations too! What to bring: Water, layers, paper and pen. Any gear you'd like to show and tell the group. Event is FREE, though donation greatly appreciated. (Suggested $10-20) Go to Wild Nature Heart Humboldt on Meetup.com to join up and more info.
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