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A journey to share my wild love for the world

A journey to share my wild love for the world

by | Sep 15, 2023 | Mindfulness, Reflection, Spirituality, Wandering and Wondering

In just a couple of days, I will set out on a month of travel for the calling I’ve been been working so hard to manifest in the world. Now the seeds I’ve planted are blooming in spectacular color and I get to share my wild love for the world with a lot of curious and creative folx.

My journey of spirituality is one most aptly described as rewilding. Some people call the journey of evolving faith “deconstruction” or even being lost in the wilderness. I am not lost in the wilderness. I am found in the wilderness. What I found, or what found me, is a transcendent acceptance in the forest, where my heart and mind have flourished in ways I would have never anticipated. My faith is most alive when I am experiencing awe and delight in a vast meadow, or deep peace in the cool tranquility of a forest, or quiet refreshment by a gentle stream, and connection to the wheel of the year that celebrates the earth’s natural cycles. Anyone, especially LGBTQIA+ individuals like myself, can find solace and acceptance in the natural world, fostering resilience and deep spiritual renewal.

I am so excited, happy and yes, even a little worried about some of the travel, mostly the travel that will take me back to the United States where it feels like (from our view way across the pond), things are not exactly safe or sane.

And of course I will miss my person from whom I have not been apart from for more than a couple of weeks since we began this wild ride nearly a decade ago.

But, these things I have put in motion are exactly where I want and need to be so, for the next 4 weeks or so, I get to be in:

Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
attending the 5th International Congress Forests and Its Potential for Health (ICFPH) with the ANFT leadership with the leadership of my certifying body, the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) guides and programming.
I have the immense privilege to join the team in their travels to harvest and share stories from the sojourn with esteemed practitioners of nature-connected human health and flourishing.

Jacksonville, Florida
Thanks to my dearest friends, the Kerr family, and pastor Susan Rogers, I received an invitation to hold sacred space with The Well at Springfield for their Church in the Wild Sunday. This will be my first time back to share my work in ecospirituality on the land currently known as America. On the autumnal equinox, we will gather on land formerly cared for by the Chatat and Muskogee peoples, and seek to reconnect with our place in the family of creation.

Hallowell, Maine
I will then head up to Maine for the The BTS Center’s Convocation to share two days of immersions in nature to contribute to their theme of Kinship: Re-Weaving the Great Web of Belonging. Many thanks to Rev. Nicole Diroff, Rev. Ash Temin, and Rev. Dr. Allen Ewing-Merrill for inviting me into the good and sacred work you are doing to heal our Climate Changed World on land sacred to the Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy).

Little Rock, Arkansas
Oh, and then my friends, a dream with many, many months of work is coming true when I head to Little Rock to co-host with Rachel Pinto, Our Sacred Nature Retreat with and for queer folx in the American south.

Over the course of the weekend, on land originally the home of the Osage Nation, we will engage in gentle outdoor activities such as forest bathing, labyrinth walks, yoga, and sound baths to nourish deep kinship with our innermost truth, other humans, and the more-than-human world. While we will weave spirituality into the practices, we are wide open as to what that means for everyone and welcome a multiplicity of understandings, traditions, and paths. It is our hope that the connections we make will breathe new life into our individual and shared human experiences and how we embrace our sacred nature. 

Atlanta, Georgia
I will return to Muskogee land to wrap up my time in the States in Atlanta to refill my bucket of delight visiting the jewel of my heart, my daughter, Farmer Z. I will also get to hug the necks of friends who have been and still are essential to who I am in this weird and wonderful world. Susannah, Kate, Leah – I’m looking at y’all!

 

If you’d like to see photos from the journey, you can follow the shenanigans as they unfold on Instagram @seekingsophia, @qsacrednature and @natureandforesttherapy.

And for real…

Friday Morning Mindfulness in Nature

Friday Morning Mindfulness in Nature

by | Sep 11, 2023

Give yourself the gift of slowing down. Join certified nature therapy guide Kimberly on a morning mindfulness walk to connect more deeply with the created world through a gentle, contemplative walk in the lovely Clingendael with morning inspired by shinrin yoku – forest bathing.

There will be a short hike at the beginning and end but very little physical activity overall, with plenty of time to just sit and be. Light refreshments are provided but please come prepared with whatever you need to be comfortable over a 2ish hour timeframe.

A good portion of our time together will be in silence. This offers you the opportunity to experience the forest and to connect with others who want to experience nature fully and deeply. By choosing to stay away from friendly chit-chat and explore what it’s like to walk in nature without speaking, we have a chance to engage our senses more fully and to truly connect with the natural world.

• Be Prepared

Dress comfortably for walking on natural terrains. Bring a water bottle, but little else so you are unencumbered for your walk. Participants will be asked to silence and pocket their phones, so let folks know you will be unavailable for a couple of hours.

All participants of Wildwood Wisdom activities are personally responsible for their own fitness, safety and welfare and must be equipped accordingly.

• Meeting Place

The Entrance to Clingendael on Wassenaarseweg

• Meeting Time

We will leave the entrance at 9:00 sharp and we finish around 10:00.

In the event of cancellation due to severe weather, participants will be notified by 7 a.m. the day of the event.

——-

Did you know that in 2018 the National Health Service of Scotland started prescribing “birdwatching, rambling and beach walks in the Atlantic winds to help treat chronic and debilitating illnesses for the first time.”

“Forest bathing” originates from a Japanese practice called shinrin-yoku, which means “taking in the forest.” This will be a slow paced, mindful time spent in the woods and an opportunity to reconnect with the natural world.

Mid-Week Mindfulness in Nature

Mid-Week Mindfulness in Nature

by | Sep 9, 2023

Give yourself the gift of slowing down. Join certified nature therapy guide Kimberly on a morning mindfulness walk to connect more deeply with the created world through a gentle, contemplative walk in the lovely Clingendael with morning inspired by shinrin yoku – forest bathing.

There will be a short hike at the beginning and end but very little physical activity overall, with plenty of time to just sit and be. Light refreshments are provided but please come prepared with whatever you need to be comfortable over a 2ish hour timeframe.

A good portion of our time together will be in silence. This offers you the opportunity to experience the forest and to connect with others who want to experience nature fully and deeply. By choosing to stay away from friendly chit-chat and explore what it’s like to walk in nature without speaking, we have a chance to engage our senses more fully and to truly connect with the natural world.

• Be Prepared

Dress comfortably for walking on natural terrains. Bring a water bottle, but little else so you are unencumbered for your walk. Participants will be asked to silence and pocket their phones, so let folks know you will be unavailable for a couple of hours.

All participants of Wildwood Wisdom activities are personally responsible for their own fitness, safety and welfare and must be equipped accordingly.

• Meeting Place

The Entrance to Clingendael on Wassenaarseweg

• Meeting Time

We will leave the entrance at 9:00 sharp and we finish around 10:00.

In the event of cancellation due to severe weather, participants will be notified by 7 a.m. the day of the event.

——-

Did you know that in 2018 the National Health Service of Scotland started prescribing “birdwatching, rambling and beach walks in the Atlantic winds to help treat chronic and debilitating illnesses for the first time.”

“Forest bathing” originates from a Japanese practice called shinrin-yoku, which means “taking in the forest.” This will be a slow paced, mindful time spent in the woods and an opportunity to reconnect with the natural world.

Embracing the Sacred Earth: A Guide to Observing the Liturgical Season of Creation

Embracing the Sacred Earth: A Guide to Observing the Liturgical Season of Creation

by | Sep 4, 2023 | Community, Mindfulness, Spirituality, Wandering and Wondering

“The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely. Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face. The ideal is not only to pass from the exterior to the interior to discover the action of God in the soul, but also to discover God in all things.”

Pope Francis
Laudato Si

In our individual creatureliness, we operate as if we are separate from one another. I from the buttercup, you from the lamb, she from the man and they from us.

But we are all in and of one another, bound by a shimmering strand of life that connects us not only to other humans but to every living being on earth. 

In the increasingly demanding and depleting world we inhabit, many of us have lost our connection to the natural world and the divine presence that permeates all of creation. This is where the Liturgical Season of Creation offers us a profound opportunity to rekindle our relationship with the Earth and our Creator. As a Wild Church and nature therapy guide, this season hold for me special significance as my spirituality thrives in celebrating my creatureliness in communion with nature. 

Understanding the Liturgical Season of Creation

The Liturgical Season of Creation is a relatively recent addition to the Christian liturgical calendar. It spans from September 1st to October 4th, with each Sunday dedicated to a specific theme, such as Earth, Humanity, Sky, and Water. This season invites us to shift our focus from traditional liturgical themes to a profound reflection on the wonder and beauty of creation itself. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with the Earth as a sacred text and to deepen our appreciation for the natural world as a manifestation of God’s glory.

For those us called to church outside the walls and outside of institutions, this season provides a unique platform to share our journey of spiritual exploration and ecological stewardship with folx who are worshipping and growing in congregations around the world. 

Here are some ideas for how you can bring the Season of Creation to your family of faith this season and all year round.

1. Outdoor Services: Embrace the spirit of the wild by conducting your worship services outdoors. Whether it’s in a forest glade, a riverside clearing, or a mountain summit, these settings will amplify the connection between your congregation and the natural world.

2. Sacred Sylvan Saunters: Organize nature walks where participants can immerse themselves in the wonders of the environment. Encourage reflection on the intricate web of life, and how it mirrors the divine plan.

3. Communion with Creation: Incorporate elements from the natural world into sacred moments of your services. Use local wildflowers, river stones, or even river water for baptisms to symbolize the interconnectedness of all life.

4. Earth-Centered Liturgy: Adapt traditional liturgical elements to align with the themes of creation. Use nature-inspired hymns, scripture readings, and rituals that resonate with the season’s focus.

5. Eco-Spiritual Education: Host workshops and discussions centered around eco-theology. Delve into the theological implications of caring for the Earth and nurturing a sense of responsibility among your congregation.

6. Nature Retreats: Organize weekend retreats in nature reserves or sanctuaries where participants can immerse themselves in a deeper contemplation of creation. These retreats can include meditation, nature-based liturgy, and silent reflection.

7. Environmental Action: Encourage your congregation to become eco-steward. Organize community clean-up drives, tree-planting initiatives, and other projects that actively contribute to the well-being of the Earth.

8. Nature Art and Expression: Nurture creativity through nature-inspired art and expression. Encourage your community to create art, poetry, or music that celebrates the Earth and its beauty.

Observing the Liturgical Season of Creation as a community of faith is a profound and enriching experience. It allows you to deepen your congregation’s connection to the divine through the lens of nature and encourages them to become stewards of the Earth. By embracing the outdoors, aligning your worship with the themes of creation, and fostering eco-spirituality, you can help your community embark on a transformative journey that nurtures the soul and rekindles the sacred bond between humanity, the Earth, and the Creator. It’s a season of spiritual awakening, ecological renewal, and a deepened appreciation for the sacredness of our natural world.

If you would like to work with Wildwood Wisdom to discern how your church might live into the Season of Creation, you can schedule a call with Kimberly right here.

Forest Bathing in Amsterdamse Bos

Forest Bathing in Amsterdamse Bos

by | Sep 2, 2023

Join certified forest therapy guide, Kimberly Knight for a walk at the Amsterdamse Bos to slow down, tune into your senses and reconnect with the natural of which we are a part.

Light refreshments and a handmade, upcycled journal are included.

We’ll begin with fully arriving in the forest and grounding our connection with nature. We will then slowly share in invitations to experience the forest intentionally and reciprocally. We will even enjoy some tea under the trees and have plenty of time to just be still and notice our noticing.

These walks are always slow and easy-going, not a hike; not naturalist tour of plants or trees.

Walk length: 2 hours; please wear comfortable, sturdy shoes for walking outdoors. Bring whatever else you require to feel comfortable.

Participants will be asked to silence and pocket their phones, so let folks know you will be unavailable for a couple of hours.

All participants of Wildwood Wisdom activities are personally responsible for their own fitness, safety and welfare and must be equipped accordingly.

A minimum of three participants is required for a walk to take place. If the minimum registrations do not happen, registered guests will receive a full refund.

Slow down

Reconnect with nature

Notice your noticing

Realign your inner compass

“Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart.”

― Robin Wall Kimmerer

Forest Bathing in Amsterdamse Bos

Forest Bathing in Amsterdamse Bos

by | Aug 23, 2023

Join certified forest therapy guide, Kimberly Knight for a walk at the Amsterdamse Bos to slow down, tune into your senses and reconnect with the natural of which we are a part.

Light refreshments and a handmade, upcycled journal are included.

We’ll begin with fully arriving in the forest and grounding our connection with nature. We will then slowly share in invitations to experience the forest intentionally and reciprocally. We will even enjoy some tea under the trees and have plenty of time to just be still and notice our noticing.

These walks are always slow and easy-going, not a hike; not naturalist tour of plants or trees.

Walk length: 2 hours; please wear comfortable, sturdy shoes for walking outdoors. Bring whatever else you require to feel comfortable.

Participants will be asked to silence and pocket their phones, so let folks know you will be unavailable for a couple of hours.

All participants of Wildwood Wisdom activities are personally responsible for their own fitness, safety and welfare and must be equipped accordingly.

A minimum of three participants is required for a walk to take place. If the minimum registrations do not happen, registered guests will receive a full refund.

Slow down

Reconnect with nature

Notice your noticing

Realign your inner compass

“Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart.”

― Robin Wall Kimmerer

Forest Bathing in the Panbos

Forest Bathing in the Panbos

by | Jun 23, 2023

You are invited to join certified nature therapy guide Kimberly to connect more deeply with the created world through a gentle, contemplative walk in the lovely Panbos with morning of shinrin yoku – forest bathing.

There will be a short hike at the beginning and end but very little physical activity overall, with plenty of time to just sit and be. Light refreshments are provided but please come prepared with whatever you need to be comfortable over a 2ish hour timeframe.

A good portion of our time together will be in silence. This offers you the opportunity to experience the forest and to connect with others who want to experience nature fully and deeply. By choosing to stay away from friendly chit-chat and explore what it’s like to walk in nature without speaking, we have a chance to engage our senses more fully and to truly connect with the natural world.

• Be Prepared

Dress comfortably for walking on natural terrains. Bring a water bottle, but little else so you are unencumbered for your walk. Participants will be asked to silence and pocket their phones, so let folks know you will be unavailable for a couple of hours.

All participants of Wildwood Wisdom activities are personally responsible for their own fitness, safety and welfare and must be equipped accordingly.

• Meeting Place

The bike racks in the carpark of the Panbos

• Meeting Time

We will leave the parking lot at 10:00 sharp and we finish around noon.

In the event of cancellation due to severe weather, participants will be notified by 8 a.m. the day of the event.

Space is limited to 18 participants.

——-

Did you know that in 2018 the National Health Service of Scotland started prescribing “birdwatching, rambling and beach walks in the Atlantic winds to help treat chronic and debilitating illnesses for the first time.”

“Forest bathing” originates from a Japanese practice called shinrin-yoku, which means “taking in the forest.” This will be a slow paced, mindful time spent in the woods and an opportunity to reconnect with the natural world.

A minimun of three participants is required for a walk to take place. If the minimum registrations do not happen, registered guests will receive a full refund.

Forest Bathing in the Panbos

Forest Bathing in the Panbos

by | Jun 19, 2023

You are invited to join certified nature therapy guide Kimberly to connect more deeply with the created world through a gentle, contemplative walk in the lovely Panbos with morning of shinrin yoku – forest bathing.

There will be a short hike at the beginning and end but very little physical activity overall, with plenty of time to just sit and be. Light refreshments are provided but please come prepared with whatever you need to be comfortable over a 2ish hour timeframe.

A good portion of our time together will be in silence. This offers you the opportunity to experience the forest and to connect with others who want to experience nature fully and deeply. By choosing to stay away from friendly chit-chat and explore what it’s like to walk in nature without speaking, we have a chance to engage our senses more fully and to truly connect with the natural world.

• Be Prepared

Dress comfortably for walking on natural terrains. Bring a water bottle, but little else so you are unencumbered for your walk. Participants will be asked to silence and pocket their phones, so let folks know you will be unavailable for a couple of hours.

All participants of Wildwood Wisdom activities are personally responsible for their own fitness, safety and welfare and must be equipped accordingly.

• Meeting Place

The bike racks in the carpark of the Panbos

• Meeting Time

We will leave the parking lot at 10:00 sharp and we finish around noon.

In the event of cancellation due to severe weather, participants will be notified by 8 a.m. the day of the event.

Space is limited to 18 participants.

——-

Did you know that in 2018 the National Health Service of Scotland started prescribing “birdwatching, rambling and beach walks in the Atlantic winds to help treat chronic and debilitating illnesses for the first time.”

“Forest bathing” originates from a Japanese practice called shinrin-yoku, which means “taking in the forest.” This will be a slow paced, mindful time spent in the woods and an opportunity to reconnect with the natural world.

A minimun of three participants is required for a walk to take place. If the minimum registrations do not happen, registered guests will receive a full refund.

Our Sacred Nature Retreat

Our Sacred Nature Retreat

by | Jun 6, 2023 | Courses, Learning, Mindfulness, Pride, Spirituality, Wandering and Wondering

At the end of the 1960s, a willful child was born into a Southern Baptist family. This child was raised on vacation bible school, Wednesday night suppers and twice-on-Sundays back-pew sitting. This girl child would grow up to get married to a nice man like she was supposed to, have a beautiful daughter of her own, begin to understand her own humanity enough to come out as a lesbian, graduate from seminary, marry a woman, move to The Netherlands, and became a certified nature therapy guide.

This gal – me – is now living into her fiercely tender calling to share immersions in the natural world which has, again and again, offered a sacred balm on a wild and sometimes woeful journey toward wholeness.

I am so excited for an opportunity, with the partnership of my friend Rachel Pinto, to briefly return to the States – the South nonetheless – to invite queer folx (and our trusted allies) to Our Sacred Nature Retreat this coming October 6-8, 2023.

Why a sacred nature retreat?

For me, nature has unfolded as a sanctuary, a sacred space where I have learned to discard the masks society often demands we wear. In verdant European forests and sun-drenched Dutch polders, the relentless pressures of conformity have yielded to an expansiveness where authenticity flourishes.

For Queer folx who are navigating a world that all too often dismisses, marginalizes or violently abhors our identities, nature offers unconditional welcome, emboldening our hearts to rewild our spirits in a way that defies the limitations imposed by the domesticated world.

The forest is a sanctuary where the Ultimate whispers their truth through the rustling leaves and the dance of sunlight upon still waters. In this sacred space, the boundaries of gender and identity dissolve into the boundless expanse of the natural world, inviting us to embrace our authentic selves.

Queer spiritualities are a luminous tapestry, its colors radiant and diverse and harmonizing with the vibrant mosaic of life. It calls upon us to honor the interconnectivity of all beings, to celebrate the myriad expressions of love and desire, and to find solace in the understanding that our existence is an inseparable part of the intricate web of creation. Within this sacred intersection of queerness and ecology, we find a profound communion with the Earth, nurturing our souls and guiding us towards a compassionate coexistence with our planet.

At Our Sacred Nature, we will engage in gentle outdoor activities such as forest bathing, outdoor labyrinth walks, silent simplicity saunters, yoga, and sound baths to encounter deep kinship with our innermost truth, other humans, and the more-than-human world. These connections can breathe life into the hearts of folx who have felt the sting of isolation or the weight of marginalization, fostering a sense of belonging, empathy, and unwavering support.

I hope you will be able to join us in October. Perhaps someone you know and love needs a just such a retreat where their presence, full and unqualified, is honored and cherished by the natural world of which we are all part.