The Healing Forest: A Sanctuary Forest Seminary
An event that elevates how Faith-based Centres can adopt a Sanctuary Forest Model
A seminary for Faith-Based Scholars that explores the elements of faith and spiritual connection with nature. This seminary is non-denominational and pan-spiritual and takes place within a Healing Forest and in a camp environment. This event seeks to help faith-based scholars imagine how nature, ecology, stewardship and Forest Therapy can be incorporated into their work.
Our choice to connect with different vantage points and places allows us to expand our dreams and ideas about the natural world and the cosmos – within our discoveries we are astonished when we see how beautiful it all is.
We see beauty in everything and it is our quest to seek more of it. We have ideas about “beauty” that are unique to the beings of planet Earth. Other beings connect their need to be beautiful with procreation. But to be human is to perceive beauty within layers of dimensions so vast that it transcends time and space.
We are capable of seeing beauty in everything, and we are also capable of creating beauty for the sake of beauty itself. Our ideas about beauty are unique to every soul and when you really think about it, such a gift is a miracle of presence within the cosmos.
It is entirely possible that if there are a vast number of intelligent civilizations across the galaxy, that “we” as humans here on this planet, are the only ones that hold the gift of comprehending “beauty”.
Beauty is something that we take for granted but remains astonishing to us within every moment of our lives.
The Earth is beautiful.
You are beautiful.
Sometimes when our world becomes chaotic and we lose both our meaning, purpose and even our faith we lose sight of the beauty that inspired us. When this sense of loss becomes unbearable we often seek escape – sometimes a senseless escape.
However, an escape into nature might bring us the strength we require to find spirit again. Our ancestors developed sacred understandings of how trees could heal. They probably experienced forests much the same way we do today, as a community of love and healing. We are all connected to nature and each of us depends on her for our lives
Nature brings us in touch with the Creator. Trees, forests and all living beings represent our extended family – our kin.
It would not be a stretch for us to comprehend that within the spiritual values found within nature that there would be certain healing powers, and thus this process provides a connectivity with God, Creator or Great Spirit. For our ancestors and for today’s Indigenous People it becomes important to understand that in order to engage with the true healing power of a tree or plant we must understand a collection of things. First to understand the various roles that the plant has in a wild ecosystem; and then to understand these roles we must comprehend the natural guilds that interact with each plant and tree.
Each plant is supported by these guilds it’s how they survive, strengthen and have purpose. As humans it is our role to interact as stewards so that these guilds can naturally support themselves. When we do this we become part of the guild ourselves and we then have a working and spiritual relationship with these plants and ultimately the ecosystem, the planet, the cosmos, and the Creator.
There are many stories that can be found in the forest, There is an over-story, mid-story and under-story. Each has a set of lessons with many experiences.
The Wildcraft Forest Foundation presents this 2-day Healing Forest Camp as a seminary for Faith-Based Scholars to explore the elements of faith and spiritual connection with nature.
This seminary should be considered all-inclusive and pan-spiritual and pan-religious. It focuses on sharing the spiritual attributes found in nature that can be used both factually and metaphorically to support any spiritual belief. This camp provides opportunities for bringing faith-based groups outside into nature. It also provides an opportunity to refresh interest in faith-based camps and create new narratives that will link to new communities. This event also includes an online toolkit which provides further education, ideas and support.
The term Forest Medicine includes a number of features but one of the more popular modalities is Forest Therapy popularly known as Forest Bathing or Shinrin Yoku. The practice was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has since become a building block for preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. Researchers primarily in Japan and South Korea have established an extensive body of scientific literature on the health benefits of spending time under the canopy of a living forest.
Research indicates that Forest Therapy can alleviate stress, uplift mood and boost cognitive and immune functions. It may also reduce blood pressure and heart rate and improve sleep quality. These results have created foundation interest from healthcare agencies to have healthcare professionals recommend and even prescribe Forest Therapy to treat some of their clients and patients.
The Wildcraft Forest School has been delivering Forest Therapy training programs for a number of years and has incorporated a Sanctuary Forest component within its teachings which we also describe as a Healing Forest. We have developed this event for faith-based scholars who are seeking to know more about the science and the findings connected to Forest Therapy and other nature-based activities as well as how a Healing Forest can help their efforts.
The Creator can be found within the beauty of nature, every great spiritual teacher has told us so.
There are teachings that suggest that when “qi” is in disarray, misfortune envelopes the space; the Creator seeks to ensure that cosmic energy remains in balance – however human beings have thrown nature out of balance, cosmic forces are out of alignment causing “chi” to be in disarray. What is required is a strong human effort to help nature become restored so that balance can be returned.
The “Guardian Spirit Complex” is an ancient phenomenon of considerable cultural, social and psychological significance for the great majority of indigenous societies throughout the ages. The Guardians take on many forms, they can be people, ancestors, spirits, plants and animals, even energies. The basic premise is that all things or “beings” which are alive, have varying degrees of sentiency whether they be a stone or a person. All of these Guardians exist surrounded by an energy field that contains extraordinary abilities. The social sciences refer to this energy and these beings collectively, as the “Biofield.”
All of these notions are slowly being embraced by new generations of spiritual people who are seeking to incorporate such beliefs into their spirituality so that they may become better Christians, Muslims, and Jews and so on.
Here are a few more trends to ponder:
For many, this transformation in consciousness utilizes nature as a platform where community, prayer and celebration reside. Nature is trending up in churches.
Bringing the outdoors inside is a trend that is gaining popularity in church design. Incorporating natural elements such as wood, stone, and plants into your church's decor can create a warm and inviting atmosphere for your congregation.
A spiritually open generation is a reachable generation. Spiritual leaders who are open to change, who are ready for real dialogue, and who are ready to listen to a new generation will find themselves in the best position to reach Gen Z.
And while that doesn’t require a rethinking of the historic orthodoxy connected to faith, it does require a rethinking of how we communicate that message and express it.
Wise leaders who are willing to rethink their methods will preserve their faith centre’s mission.
When planning, it’s always a good idea to think about the other reasons that cause people to gather:
Community
Kids and student ministry
Connection
These experiences don’t always translate online. While the spiritual message is important, it still requires these other components as well.
In today’s world a faith-based centre with a great online presence drives demand for in-person experiences because the line between what happens online and in real life continues to get thinner every year. In the future centre, a robust online experience will lead to a growing demand for in-person experiences.
But there is a difference between the creation of content and the system of distribution which is what the internet provides. Creating better messages will always represent the backbone for distribution. Incorporating the wonder found within nature provides a sense of place for the spirit which then drives dynamic imagery, stories and experiences.
Highlights of this Seminary and Demonstration Series:
An open discussion regarding your faith-based centre and your views regarding Nature Deficit Disorder and Plant Blindness. Tell us about the spiritual and social dynamics that your community is facing and why you think nature and Forest Therapy might fit within your spiritual model?
An introduction to the Healing Forest and the Reconciliation needed between people and nature; about Forest Therapy and the current science and trends you need to know.
Experiencing and examining Forest Therapy exercises and the incentives required for your community to remain engaged with a program so that positive results can be achieved.
The seminar outlines the differences between guided and self-guided Forest Therapy, providing recent research about both options.
Is the forest safe? The importance of understanding botany as well as knowing about the biotics and abiotics that play a role in the forest and outdoor environment. Understanding risk and liability issues.
Creating goals and achieving and measuring spiritual success; and community and volunteer success.
Creating fresh content and messages for your community every week.
The outreach, fundraising and business case.
Implementing a Healing Forest and Forest Therapy within your center – what are the steps?
Trends in faith-based demographics, Forest Therapy and nature-based wellness.
This annual event is designed to meet the needs of faith-based scholars but is also open to administrators and NGO’s which have an interest in providing community or private theological missions. This event was also designed to consider participants from North and South America, members of the European Union, Africa as well as Pacific Rim nations. This program is presented in the English language and will be featured online from the Wildcraft Forest Channel on the Roku platform.
Explore and register: http://www.wildcraftforest.com/School/Camps/11-HealingForestCamp-FaithScholars-1.html
Special Note: The trends outlined here are found within Carey Nieuwhof’s website. He is a bestselling author, speaker, former attorney, and he hosts one of today’s most influential leadership podcasts. www.careynieuwhof.com
Spiritual Stewardship: The Sanctuary Forest Model
The modern ecological crisis has created a need for environmentally based spirituality and is embraced by people wanting to free themselves from a consumeristic and materialistic society
The Wildcraft Forest Foundation encourages a unique method of Spiritual Stewardship within what we call a Sanctuary Forest which represents a place to heal and a location where stewardship is taking place which seeks to protect, expand or rewild the natural biodiversity of the place. A Sanctuary Forest is also a spiritual centre where the stewards of the place have created a sentient relationship with all of the biotic beings located there. In Buddhism, sentient beings are beings with consciousness, sentience, or in some contexts life itself. Sentient beings are composed of the five aggregates, or skandhas: matter, sensation, perception, mental formations and consciousness.
A Sanctuary Forest can be located on private or public land and is largely placed there by the sheer will, of those individuals willing to steward that place and it is created upon certain pillars that include stewardship, science, sentience, semiotics, spirit and sanctuary.
The forest can be of any size; stewards are provided with training and toolkits so that they can better understand their role and responsibility. Sanctuary Forests help to seed stewardship within communities and cultures where it has become lacking. This effort seeks to create an understanding that the natural world is sentient. The forests can provide a platform for learning about the natural world, and for research and data collection as well. These forests are networked regionally and globally by the Wildcraft Forest Foundation which supports stewards with training, tools and other forms of support.
The design of a Sanctuary Forest can also include a plan for human habitat, a food and medicine forest and wild plant and tree nursery which do not conflict with the regeneration of wildlands and the biodiversity of the place.
The forest provides weekly nature-based faith sessions which are pan-spiritual, pan-religious, stoic and secular in nature but represent an Eco-spirituality perspective that is friendly to all participants.
Eco-spirituality connects the science of ecology with spirituality. It brings together religion and environmental stewardship and advocacy. It has been defined as "a manifestation of the spiritual connection between human beings and the environment." Proponents may come from a range of faiths including: Islam; Jainism; Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism, Evangelicalism and Orthodox Christianity); Judaism; Hinduism; Buddhism and Indigenous traditions. Although many of their practices and beliefs may differ, a central claim within all of them is that there is "a spiritual dimension to our present ecological crisis." Similar in scope are those with a secular perspective who feel that there is an intuitive and spiritual dimension to nature, one that they seek to define for themselves through exploration.
According to the environmentalist Sister Virginia Jones, "Eco-spirituality is about helping people experience 'the holy' in the natural world and to recognize their relationship as human beings to all creation.
While a Sanctuary Forest might be perceived as presenting a forest as a spiritual temple it might also be similar to a monastery or ashram because of the tangible stewardship work that’s being carried out. Such spiritual centres have long been associated with daily “chop wood – carry water” practices along with being pilgrimage destinations which together offer important activities on the way towards personal regeneration and peace.
The Wildcraft Forest is located on the eastern edge of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia and is home to one of Canada’s first sculpture trails, which celebrates environmental art. This artist run centre has been operating non-stop since 1981 and has been home to the Wildcraft Forest School for over two decades. The school has become renowned for teaching unique forms of environmental education, Forest Therapy and stewardship.
In conjunction with Canada’s National Healing Forest Initiative the centre is now embarking on an expansion called, “The Trail of Song”. The National Healing Forest involves inviting communities, citizens and institutions to set aside land for the development of Healing Forests where survivors and families of the Residential School legacy and murdered and missing Indigenous women, as well as all Canadians, can come together to heal, do ceremony, reflect, talk or meditate. Within the Healing Forest, all individuals, including survivors and their families, can share and better understand the legacy of the residential school system and move forward in a positive way.
To learn more about the Wildcraft Forest and Sanctuary Forests visit: www.wildcraftforest.com