Earth Time
A weekly nature connection meet-up
Mondays 3:30-5:30pm, Darebin Parklands
“Don’t just look at nature from afar – saturate yourself with it.
Get out on the edge of life and let the waves of the wilderness wash over you.
Feel the power, listen to the crashing roar, let the wind buffet your body and sweep the cobwebs from your brain.
Immerse yourself in nature’s symphony and let your senses burst with joy.”
It is a rare gift in the modern world to find time to sit, undisturbed in nature. To step out of the gushing torrent of middleworld tasks, and sink back into that other, more ancient stream. Earth Time.
We know we are wired to experience indescribable awe and wonder at the natural beauty of the wild, to 'revel in the now' as Tom Brown describes. It can feel like the easiest and most natural state in the world. Other times, frustratingly unreachable.
The discipline to keep up a practice takes work. To carve out regular Earth Time in our culture is a radical act, and a challenging undertaking. Too often it is squeezed between other commitments, or exchanged for sleep, social time or exercise. Or it is sacrificed for something else we 'should' be doing. Perhaps worst of all, is to emerge from a powerful encounter in nature with no one to share it with.
What if we didn't have to do it alone? What if we didn't have to choose between the precious timelessness of sitting in nature, and the bustle of community, celebration and belonging?
“The time of the lone wolf is over.
Gather yourselves! Banish the word ’struggle’ from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.”
For as long as humans have existed, we have come to know our place in nature not in isolation but as a community. Through exploring, playing, observing, pondering and celebrating the natural world, we have always built connections with our local landscapes, together. We accelerate our learning when we share our stories, ask each other questions, and bask in collective awe at nature's mysteries.
And so we invite you to come together as a community, like attending a weekly yoga or dance class, and collectively deepen our connection to the natural world.
With the sit spot as our core practice, we will learn about:
Bird language
Edible and medicinal plants
Trees and plants used for bushcraft and survival
Animal forms and tracking
Seasonal and ecological indicators
Mapping
Storytelling
Whatever mysteries allure us
It doesn’t happen overnight, but consistent commitment to these practices changes how we show up in the world. We become a part of our local environment rather than a visitor to it. Wilder. More attuned. We smell the change of season before we see it, and feel the arrival of a raptor before we hear it. Becoming a ‘walking sit spot’, we go through life with increased awareness, a quieter mind, more motivation, focus, empathy and compassion.
“I have so much to accomplish today that I must meditate for two hours instead of one.”
Are you ready to add some regular Earth Time to your week?
Program info
Mondays, 3:30-5:30pm, Darebin Parklands
Spring Term Dates 2023: October 2nd to November 20th
We meet rain, hail or shine, by the barbecues/toilets at Darebin Parklands.
This is for adults or older teenagers. Babes in arms welcome.
We will start in circle, with a brief introduction to the concept of the week, then separate out to have a solo sit spot or other nature connection practice, before returning to catch each other's stories in small or large groups.
Please arrive from 3:15pm as we will start promptly at 3:30pm.
If you are running late please text Emily on 0436115128.
Optional preparation reading: Sit Spot FAQ
Spring term details:
For the upcoming Spring Term of Earth Time we are taking a journey around the 8 Shields model of nature connection.
Following the path of the sun, we will travel through each direction and explore its unique qualities and the kinds of nature play and study it evokes. Each direction is associated with a time of day, a time of year, a time of life, and an attribute that develops organically in people who follow these practices. We also study a different part of the ‘Book of Nature’ in each direction, e.g. mammals in the North, and trees in the South.
You may have encountered this model in the online course Mentoring for Gifts, or the classic text Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature. It was developed by Jon Young and colleagues after years of experience teaching children and adults nature connection as well as consulting with Indigenous cultures. It has now been tried and tested on thousands of people all over the world.
Dates:
October 2: Introduction to the model & East - Happiness of a child
October 9: Northeast - Vitality and Motivation
October 16: North - Inquisitive Focus
October 23: Northwest - Empathy
October 30: West - Interconnectedness, Community and Service
November 6: Southwest - Awe and Reverence
November 13: South - Unconditional Love and Compassion, Resilience
November 20: Southeast - Quiet Mind & Wrapping the Bundle
FAQ:
Can I still drop in casually?
Yes, absolutely! Each week will stand alone.
I have never heard of this model, and I can't make the first week, can I still come in future weeks?
Yes! New people are always welcome.
I have already done the Mentoring for Gifts course, should I still come?
You can't go around the wheel too many times - Jon Young recommends circling in detail around the wheel at least 8 times.
What to bring
something to sit on at your sit spot (e.g. waterproof cushion, small picnic rug, or waterproof jacket)
binoculars if you have them
field guides if you have them
timepiece (watch, or your phone on flight mode)
waterproofs if it’s raining (though we won’t sit for as long in rain)
warm clothes + a blanket if you need
notebook and pen
water bottle/snack if you need it
Facilitator
Emily Coats
Emily has been a part of Nature's Apprentice for a year and a half now and remains grateful for the opportunity to share with the world her bubbling passion for deep nature connection, ancestral skills, and soulcentric nature practices such as Vision Quest. She is particularly drawn to practices that awaken full sensory awareness, quieten the mind, and enliven body and Soul, and feels that a reweaving of these capabilities back into our culture is essential medicine for these times in which we live.
Emily's teachers include master tracker Tom Brown, nature connection expert Jon Young and Australian bird language teacher Andrew Turbill, as well as multiple sit spots she has come to love over the last four years.
Emily is also a dancer and experimenting with weaving movement and nature connection practices together. She lives on Wurundjeri country in Warrandyte where she shares her garden with over 50 species of birds. She loves to escape to the bush and sink into Deep Time, practice her skills and apprentice to the mysteries of the wilds.
Testimonials
"Emily's facilitation for Earth Time is both generous and inclusive. I really enjoyed the sense of play and curiosity that she encouraged in our inquiries, and the emphasis on learning through listening and holding space for each other’s experiences. I always walk away from each session with more curiosity and feeling like I’ve deepened my connection with nature, fellow humans, and myself."
— Dennis Liu
"Emily is wonderful facilitator, her patience, dedication, anecdotes and support were second to none. Thank you Emily and all those involved. I look forward to working with and learning from Emily again soon.”
— Xander Donnelly
Cost:
Single session: $20
Spring Term 4 session pass: $75
Spring Term 8 session pass: $130
Buy tickets online, or just turn up on the day and pay by cash.
Spring Term passes must be used this term.
Previously purchased 6-session and 3-session passes are also still valid to be used in the Spring Term.
“One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began”