8
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
NATURE: Nature
connection is a free,
available resource
Continued from page 3
plots of land,= she said. The
students sat for twenty min-
utes, silently watching and
listening to the natural world
around them.
<Both the teacher and I
were amazed at how well
they did,= Prince said.
Then the students made
a <story map= with Prince,
drawing on a long sheet
of paper and sharing what
they9d observed.
<These kids, they9re amaz-
ing,= she enthused. <I was
thrilled! I didn9t think they
could go there.=
Go where, exactly?
<I wasn9t sure if they9d
have the capacity to sit quietly
and focus,= Prince explained.
<Because their lives are so
busy, I don9t think they sit
quietly without a phone or a
friend very often.=
She feels passionate about
<getting them out there, so
they can actually connect
without all the devices and
expand their awareness.=
The sit spot method has
been used for generations,
Prince said. Here in Sisters
Country, some folks might
normally walk through the
forest without really experi-
encing it.
She pictured it this way:
<We9re talking, we9re on our
phone, we9re thinking about
what we9re going to make for
lunch. By the time we get to
the end of our walk, we don9t
even know what happened
out there.=
Sit spots allow people
to <drop in, listen, hear, and
feel, sensing what9s happen-
ing around us,= she said. <We
notice so much more about
what9s there. We figure out
what birds are there, we see
little bugs, we feel the wind,
we start to notice how the
whole system fits together.
It9s got so much to teach us.=
What does Prince learn
from nature?
<It teaches me that I9m not
the center of the universe,=
she said. <There9s a whole
world out here that9s func-
tioning just beautifully with-
out me. It9s very skilled at
what it does. It changes as the
seasons go.=
For many people, the
COVID-19 crisis has inten-
sified the need for mental
health and self-care tech-
niques of all kinds.
<I9m finding it uncomfort-
able to be with some of the
feelings that are coming up
right now,= Prince acknowl-
edged. <I9m also having
these incredible feelings of
connection.=
Nature connection is a
free, available resource for
the fortunate residents of
Sisters Country (see how-to
article, page 9). It can even
be done indoors.
<I spent 10 minutes look-
ing at the new orchid bloom-
ing on my windowsill,= said
Prince. <I got out my mag-
nifying glass. She9s got an
incredible face, this flower.
And the smell!=
A strong lineage informs
Prince9s approach. She
learned from Jon Young of
Wilderness Awareness School
near Seattle, a nonprofit orga-
nization founded in 1983,
recognized throughout the
world as a leader in outdoor
education.
<Jon has started over 60
wilderness awareness schools
in the U.S.,= said Prince. <His
teachings about bird lan-
guage have been truly inspi-
rational. And for many, like
me, these insights have been
the impetus for seeking out a
much deeper connection with
nature.=
Young studied cultural
anthropology, learning how
cultures develop and break
down. Explained Prince,
<Jon believes that our mod-
ern cultures are in dire need
of repair, and to that end he
has studied many indigenous
societies,= such as the San
people of the Kalahari Desert
in sub-Saharan Africa, also
known as the Bushmen.
Young9s international pro-
gram, Art of Mentoring, helps
create intergenerational com-
munities where all ages have
an integral role, especially
elders.
Go Beyond Your Edges
is the name of Prince9s life
coaching business. She
believes that transforma-
tional inner work happens
when people are experienc-
ing major life transitions,
<at the edges is where life
is most interesting and most
challenging and most full of
PHOTO BY TL BROWN
Educator and life coach Susan Prince scouts a riparian area near Sisters
for a nature connection workshop.
potential.=
Prince is offering free,
one-time <Coping with
Covid= coaching sessions.
Her contact information is
available at www.gobeyond
youredges.com, which also
offers resources on nature
connection and conscious
elderhood.
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