Awake in the Wild: Meditation in Nature at Esalen with Mark Coleman and Lori Schwanbeck
May 17 |May 17 - May 19 |May 19 PDT
Are you longing to be in the beauty of the outdoors and delight in the wonder of nature? After a long pandemic and looking at too many digital screens, what better remedy than to step outside and meditate in the majesty of the Big Sur coastline, serenaded by the lulling sounds of the ocean, cradled by rolling hills, and uplifted by exquisite gardens?
Following ancient spiritual traditions that value the transformative power of nature, this experiential workshop will be spent meditating entirely outdoors in the natural beauty and mystery of Esalen. Whether during a sunset meditation listening to the soothing sounds of the ocean or as we sit graced in the stillness of cypress trees, we will open to the profound serenity and wisdom of nature.
You will learn about the practice of mindfulness — the capacity to be present to ourselves and our environment — and then find out how to apply this receptivity to a contemplative relationship with nature. We can discover how meditative time outdoors leads to beautiful states of joy, peace, wonder, love, and connection with oneself, one another, and the larger web of life.
Recommended reading: Awake in the Wild and A Field Guide to Nature Meditation by Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman is a Buddhist meditation teacher who has been teaching insight meditation for 20 years. He is author of Awake in the Wild, From Suffering to Peace, and Make Peace with Your Mind, and leads nature-based meditation retreats and mindfulness teacher trainings in the U.S. and Europe.
Lori Schwanbeck
Lori Schwanbeck weaves her passion for nature into her work as a mindfulness teacher, retreat leader, and Hakomi certified psychotherapist. She is a senior teacher and program developer with the Google-born program “Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute”, where she teaches mindfulness-based emotional intelligence programs internationally. Her current project is called “Re-wilding our Feminine Nature” where she integrates embodied, relational, and presence-based practices to rekindle vitality, joy, and awe through immersion in nature.
Mark Coleman