"A tree with strong roots can withstand the most violent storm, but the tree can't grow roots just as the storm appears on the horizon."
the 14th Dalai Lama.
What gets in the way of resilience?
In order to understand what's compromising your strong roots, you can ask yourself this question:
What's your most familiar flavor of overwhelm?
Overthinking? Overscheduling? Overcommitting? Overworking? Overconsuming? Overtalking? Overcaffeinating? Overstimulation?
Each of these weakens, injures, erodes, fractures and dissolves your roots, making it more difficult to access the resilience you need to get through, or rather grow through, difficult times.
Also very related to this, there's a persistent sense of collective misalignment with nature that is increasingly hard to shake off.
When we lose our balance in such a foundational way, it affects our ability to thrive in every aspect of our life. It affects our health, our relationships, our work, our dreams, our aspirations. And also, how we show up for the Earth.
Who is this for?
This is for you if you have a sense that it doesn't have to be this way. If you:
- you have a knowing that life is meant to be lived in a nature-centered way: grounded like earth, in flow like water, uplifted like air, passionately like fire and full of possibility like space.
- you feel the urgent call of alignment — from your heart, from the Earth and all our kin, and from those yet to be born.
How does this work?
There was a time when overwhelm was so intense, that I was tempted to move to the forest and become a monk.
That was when a tiny colibrí showed me that leaving it all behind wasn't necessary.
If I wanted to replace overwhelm with resilience, I could simply open the door, take a step outside and nourish myself from the greatest available source.
25 minutes of nature practice per day.
Inspired by the hummingbird, I’ll show you how to take regular, intentional, soul-satisfying sips of nature, to access your peaceful, vibrant, grounded presence more consistently. This is the place from which you can take the actions that align with your highest aspirations.
We will work in partnership with the Earth — our greatest ally. This approach is informed by decades I have spent studying with the Dalai Lama and learning from Indigenous wisdom keepers from around the world, as well as by my work as a filmmaker focused on these themes.
A Journey from Earth Lover to Earth Collaborator
The transformation is from Earth Lover, where you enjoy spending time in nature and may occasionally access resilience, to Earth Collaborator, where you actively partner with the Earth to experience resilience, whenever you need it most.
Here's what the journey looks like:
- SPROUT: You occasionally experience calm, clarity, courage with nature.
- SEEDLING: You set a meaningful intention to become more resilient with nature and develop a practice of appreciating it, when it springs forth in you.
- BUDDING: You develop a repertoire of practices to regularly access and experience resilience on-request with nature.
More experienced students will also be able to progress to these stages:
- FLOWERING: You have a regular, personalized daily nature practice to experience deeper resilience-on-request with nature. You are more actively building community around this theme and sharing how you are infusing it into all aspects of your life.
- RIPENING: Nature-infused resilience-on-request is your default state and you know how to return to this state quickly, whenever you're thrown off balance. You continue to deepen and expand your nature practice community, impact and expression.
I like to include a creative combination of teaching, storytelling, meditation, journaling, poetry, sketching, movement, and music.
Each part is designed to help you experience nature-infused resilience at different levels: physically, mentally, emotionally & spiritually.
What's Included?
When you join Nature Practice Foundations, I will personally work with you to help you become your most resilient self.
You will receive receive 5 things:
- three-weeks-worth of daily audio sips – guidance delivered through short audio recordings which are meant to be listened to right outside your door. You get lifetime access to these recordings. It's like yoga - the first time you learn the poses, then you can practice with the recordings over and over again.
- four live online sharing circles where I will answer any questions you might have and help you get unstuck. If you can't join live, you can submit your questions ahead of time and watch the recordings later. The sharing circles are spread out over 6 weeks, to support you in the integration of your practices.
- six weeks of access to our private online community to make new friends and be inspired and energized by an community of people aligning their wellbeing with the Earth's
- a printable journal which I designed to help you to track your progress and record your transformation.
- and finally - you get an exciting incentive that will give you extra encouragement to complete the program and enjoy the results within 3 weeks. I'll tell you more on your application call.
You likely won’t have to wait 3 weeks to experience a restored sense of resilience.
96% of people who participate in my retreats report significant restoration of calm and clarity within 90 minutes of practice.
Connecting with nature and your inner calm in such a short span was amazing. –– Bola.
Guarantee
If you follow the program, show your work, and let me know when you get stuck, in 3 weeks, you will be able to access, experience and radiate nature-infused, invigorating resilience every single day.
Regardless of how much time you already spend in nature.
Even if you live in the city.
Even if you work full time.
Even if you're not so good at meditation.
Even if you’re struggling with climate grief.
Even when you have to stay in bed.
Or find yourself in a hospital.
Or in a prison. Of any sort.
How much is nature-infused resilience worth to you?
Perhaps a better question is – how much is overwhelm currently costing you?
- How much time are you spending trying to overcome it?
- How much money are you paying trying to "manage" it?
- Is it intruding into your sleep?
- What is it doing to your health?
- What impact is it having on your relationships?
- Is it interfering with your work?
- Is it meddling with your life dreams and aspirations?
- How is it affecting how you show up for the Earth?
Here's how I see it:
- I’m happy to witness this investment in yourself. In becoming your most resilient self, during these trying times.
- I’m confident that through your daily practice, your investment will pay for itself many times over.
For you, for our beloved Earth and all our kin, and for future generations. - And — I’m honored to receive your funds, to breathe life into this nature practice movement, helping it flourish during these most urgent times, through courses, retreats, films, scholarship programs and free offerings.
Pricing will be adjusted by country for purchasing power parity.
BIPOC affirmative action pricing & scholarships available. Black, Indigenous and People of Color have enriched my life since childhood in countless brilliant, caring and generous ways. Diversity and inclusion in my programs also enhance the nature practice experience for all participants. I will share details on your consultation call. You can book your call here.
Why Now?
We live in intense times that call for our most resilient selves.
Your wellbeing depends on it.
As does the Earth's. And that of future generations.
Only by becoming our most resilient selves, will we be able to bring about the healing and regeneration of our wildest dreams.
Some people say it’s too late.
I have witnessed too many miraculous recoveries during my life, to give in to this paralyzing thought.
And even if it is too late, the energy that I wish to offer to the Earth when I am gone is not one of confusion and overwhelm, but rather one of immense gratitude and profound love.
That's why I do this work, and why it's my great pleasure to invite you to become your most resilient self.
Zilah
I learned to listen with new ears, to soften and love the moment-by-moment mystery and how to move forward toward collective healing.
Jenny
I have a new found sense of peace & gratitude for nature. I feel rejuvenated – sometimes even ecstatic! I have found solace.
Maureen
This program has greatly illuminated & enhanced my life! It is a pure joy to connect in community, especially worldwide!
Anne
As a health care worker, I believe every mental health practitioner would benefit from this course.
Hollie
This community was my winter sustenance – an embodied tending to the everyday sacred in nature.
Chloe
I have more thoughtfulness about how to pass on my reverence for nature to my daughter.
Roxana
I savored, in particular, the poems throughout the recordings & sharing circles. They inspired me to bring in more art into my work.
Sandra
This has been a time to deepen my rooted knowledge that I've always had as a little girl – to remember the joy of being outdoors.
Laura
I came to this practice looking for structure, insight, awareness & community during these difficult times. I found so much more.
About your guide.
Nature is the teacher. I'm happy to be your guide.
I was raised in Venezuela by the gentle laps of the Caribbean, under the watch of the tepuys and with the vibrant soundscape of the tropical rainforest.
My practice stems from a life of intimacy with nature and from the treasured guidance I have received from three main streams:
- 20 years of study with the Dalai Lama and nature retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh.
- many occasions since childhood to learn from Indigenous wisdom keepers, from Pemón, Warao, Mayan, Q'ero, Quechua, Kogi, Wiwa, Arhuaco, Hawaiian, Cherokee, Potawatomi, Diné and Winnemem Wintu communities.
- exposure to some of the great naturalists of our time, like Robin Wall Kimmerer, Jane Goodall, Sylvia Earle, David Abram and Peter Wohlleben.
My nature practice has affected every part of my life – my ability to show up fully, as a woman, as a mother, and as a daughter of this beautiful Earth. It has also been infused into my work as a filmmaker of several award-winning films centered around these themes.
Now, my mission as a nature practice guide is to help you do the same. I've had the pleasure of teaching nature practice at Stanford University, for groups at the United Nations, the Dalai Lama Fellows, the San Francisco Botanical Garden, One World Ayurveda in Bali and for a growing nature practice community around the World.
natasha deganello giraudie
See You on Your Consultation Call!
DISCLAIMER
The Nature Practice programs and mentoring are intended to educate and inspire you on your personal journey toward wellbeing and happiness. They are not intended to replace care best provided by qualified professionals and they are not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Photography by Pete Longworth. Design by Todd Schulte.
