We have never lived through a global pandemic of this scale before. No matter our age, vocation, lifestyle, or family dynamics, our lives are much different than they were when the year began. We are quickly learning new ways of being in the world, in our homes, in our families. Some of us are busy rearranging our business and work schedules, or helping restless children find outlets for their energy while introducing them to online schooling. Others of us have too much time

While out taking my own nature walk this morning, I thought back to all the difficult times in my own life, when things felt uncertain. During one of those times, I felt myself noticing, for the first time, light shining from unexpected places. As though I had suddenly become a photographer, whose images depend so much on light, I noticed flashes of sunlight through trembling aspen leaves in the highest branches of the tree, reflections of early morning sun off of a puddle o

Hi Again! Your amateur nature therapist here, with another fun activity to do outside while going for your physical distancing walks and connecting with nature: a nature scavenger hunt! This hunt is based on principles of Take only photos, Leave only footprints, so you won’t be taking anything with you, just observing and recording in your favorite way. This is another activity that is perfect for any age, because different ages will observe and record nature on different le

When times are most confusing, massage offices and healing centers are made to close and we must stay home to keep everyone safe. But how do we reach out and connect with healing when we need it? In these uncertain times, countless employees are being sent home to work remotely. Working at home readily brings up images of teachers in video classrooms, corporate workers on conference chats, and even live-streaming yoga classes. Reiki, though? How would a therapist do a healing

Lots of people are taking kids on walks around the lake and along the creek. Being a nature lover, and amateur nature therapist, I created a list of questions for parents and caregivers to ask children of any age (I still ask myself these questions, and I am 53!) to engage in connection with nature. Based on naturalist Rachel Carson's book Sense of Wonder, the questions are meant to engage the senses and enhance connection, and not to teach, label, classify, codify, or count