Julie is an improvisational dancer/performer and choreographer influenced heavily by tai chi, contact improvisation and storytelling. She teaches dance to children and directs intergenerational performance projects with Seniors. A Shamanic practitioner, she has danced extensively with the Plants of the Puertorican Rainforest as well as those of Northern California. She is an Acupressurist, gardener, and professional seaweed harvester and lives in the Redwood forest of the Mendocino Coast with all her many redwood tree friends. She enjoys introducing people to the world of plants and their world of movement.
1. Dances of the Plants: Dances of Weather (All levels)
As in the movements of Tai Chi, nature, the wind, animals, and the sea influence the movements of people and cultures. Why can’t the energetic qualities of plants influence people as well? All of herstory, meaning the experiences of our past and present are in our bodies as cellular memories. So too are the dances of the plants. In this class we will be introduced to the concept that every plant and every change in meteorology has its own movement pattern, which we can re-create in our own bodies. through experimental movement exercises we will prepare ourselves to feel the exquisite dances of the plants and dances of weather.
2. Healing, Journeying and the Dances of the Plants (All levels)
Plants have dances. This simple sentence defies the language many people understand as dance, but if seen from the perspective of place, energy and time -- all the things indigenous people and those who work with spirits understand -- it makes perfect sense. Every creature on this earth is endowed with a spirit -- rocks, water, plants, people -- in that spirit is the energy of its ancestors; the energy of its essence. It is this spirit that transmits its dance to us. This class makes the connection between the energetic movements the plants show us and how the movements can be used to heal others and ourselves.
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Melanya is an outdoor enthusiast who loves children and functional art. For the last three summers she's been working at Camp Augusta in Nevada City playing in nature with 8-16 year-olds. She loves keeping her hands busy, usually in the form of knitting. Melanya has been knitting for 7 years and is very keen on spending time with mid-kids whenever possible.
1. Knitting for Mid-kids, part 1 and part 2
Come join Melanya for a fun filled class of knitting. We’’ll be making our own needles from scratch, examining different types of fiber, and learning to create beautiful art with or without a pattern. We’’ll have the opportunity to learn new stitches as well as work on existing projects. This will be a two part class, plus you’’re free to work on your project, while waiting in the food lines, at the campfire circle, listening to an informative lecture on sustainability, or even bring it home. Knitting is a continuous act as much about the process as the product.
2. Felted Pouches for Mid-kids
3. Veggie Print-Journals for Mid-kids
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Susan is a vision quest guide, an award-winning nonfiction writer, and co-author of the post-9/11 book, Women at Ground Zero: Stories of Courage and Compassion. She has been leading nature-based writing programs and facilitating earth-based healing practices related to ancient ways of being on the earth for 10 years. www.womenatgroundzero.com.
1. INTENSIVE: Medicine Walk: Time Alone on the Earth for Self-Awareness and Spiritual Growth (All levels)
Being alone with oneself in nature for a designated period of time is one of the most ancient practices of self-awareness and spiritual growth known to humankind. The Medicine Walk is an opportunity to spend time alone with the living world, under the guidance of an experienced vision quest guide and with the support of a community of other women. The ceremony begins by declaring an intention of asking a question about your life. Before venturing out on your own, your guide will prepare you to meet the challenges and receive the benefits of your time alone on the earth. Then you will journey into the natural world by yourself, learning to listen to your instincts and look to the living world for teachings about your life. When we come together again at the end of the experience, each participant will have an opportunity to share the story of her journey. Your guide will then reflect and confirm the gifts you received during your solo time.
2. Writing in Nature as a Spiritual Practice (All levels)
This workshop offers a safe, respectful setting for women of all ages to explore the stories of their lives through the written word. Beginning and experienced writers alike will benefit from this powerful method of writing practice with Women at Ground Zero author Susan Hagen. Susan’s programs are intuitive and experiential, with a unique blend of guided imagery and nature-based practices designed to set aside the thinking mind and clear a path to the deeper inner life. During this outdoor workshop with attention to the natural world, you'll learn simple techniques for effortless writing and share your stories in a safe, supportive circle of women. Most participants are amazed by what they write in circle and are inspired by the gift of deep listening they receive from others.
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Luna has been practicing healing arts since 1999. She completed her massage and polarity therapy training at the New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts in 2000. She has continued her studies in craniosacral therapy in a two and a half year training through the Milne Institute. Her current focus is learning somatic experiencing through the Foundation of Human Touch. Her inspiration for assisting people in healing will forever keep her learning more. Luna is also a personal chef and includes nutrition in her own healing.
1. The Ancient Art of Fermentation (All levels)
This class will give a brief overview of the herstory and purposes of fermentation. Students will be given foundation recipes anwih plenty of open space for personalized ingredients. We will talk about how to introduce ferments into the body and health benefits of fermentation processes. The class will provide demonstration, along with finished products for everyone to taste. Bring your cup and silverware/chopsticks to use for sampling.
2. Kitchari and Congee (All levels)
This class will provide base recipes to inspire each of you to be creative in your own kitchen. You will be given recipes and samples of both kitchari and congee. You will decide what ingredients will be most beneficial to your body based on a brief introduction to Ayurvedic doshas, the use of intuition, as well as your personal likes and dislikes. There will be time for questions, along with a tasting of Luna’s own kitchari and congee creations. Bring a cup and silverware/chopsticks for sampling. Yum!
3. Unleashing the Vitality of a Seed: The Process of Sprouting (Beginning)
This class will provide instructions on how to soak, rinse, and sprout a variety of seeds and nuts. You will receive a comprehensive sprouting chart and various sprouting methods. The process will be made fun and easy. There will be examples of different stages of the sprouting process and you will receive full instructions on how to store sprouted foods. We will go over recipes and ways to personalize them. The class will include finished examples to taste, so bring your silverware/chopsticks and a cup or bowl.
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Leslie is a natural builder, an educator and a musician. She has been working in cob, straw bale, earthen and lime plasters since 2001, having learned from Ianto Evans of Cob Cottage Company, Michael G. Smith of Emerald Earth, and Janine Björnson of Clay, Bones and Stones. Leslie is also an independent publisher, helping writers by playing several roles from collaborator to editor and from coordinator to layout designer in order to see a book from the dream to the shelf. Between book projects, she gives workshops in Rocket Stoves and natural building subjects and consults for the local natural building community. Leslie lives at the juncture between high tech and primitive simplicity in Oakland, California. She can be reached through her website, www.mudfest.net .
1. Rocket Stoves: Burn Wood Efficiently
Rocket Stove is a somewhat generic term describing a range of highly efficient wood burning stoves. Called "rocket" because of the loud noise they make and their intensity of burn, these stoves were developed by fire experts working in mostly third-world countries, mostly for women, who were concerned both with the scarcity of wood fuel and the smoke from cooking inside their homes. We will talk briefly about a version of this stove which can be installed in a cob house or incorporated with cob furniture to create a cozy contact heater. Students will learn some of the principles of wood combustion, how to choose good firewood, and how to keep a fire going in a downdraft wood stove, which is different from any other wood burning device.
The book, Rocket Mass Heaters: Superefficient Woodstoves YOU Can Build, by Ianto Evans and Leslie Jackson will be available for purchase.
2. Lime Washes for Interiors and Exteriors: Making the Conventional Look Natural, part 1 and part 2
Lime washes are the glowing white over-loaded surfaces on old plastered buildings in all over the world. Lime is making a come-back in the Natural and Green Building movements for its benefits over Portland Cement, its durability, and its beauty. Pigmented lime washes are the finishing touches on a lime plaster, the hard-shell finish on some straw-bale homes and other natural buildings.
Can a pigmented wash be applied to a more conventional surface, add color and the water-resistance of any paint? In this workshop we will talk about alternative uses of lime wash. Leslie has been finishing all sorts of surfaces with lime wash, from her always-foggy bathroom to the exterior OSB walls of a new steel-stud storage shed. We will talk about the Lime Cycle, the different types of lime, how to slake it, how to apply it, and safety features.
Bring, if you have: Safety glasses, and brushes of various sizes and qualities and clothes to get dirty in. Brushes, safety glasses, and trowels will be available for those who don't have them.
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Solar Kelly operates an alternative energy design, installation and repair service in Northern Mendocino County. She received her electrical engineering degree from UNR in 1991, is a NABCEP certified California electrical contractor. Kelly worked as a staff engineer with Alternative Energy Engineering (now AEE Solar) for 7 years. She has taught renewable energy and electricity classes since 1996, and delights in simplifying complex concepts for students of all ages and abilities.
1. Basic Electricity (Beginning)
Be intimidated no more! In this class we will cover the basics of electricity, (such as volts, amps and watts), with simple analogies. No experience necessary.
2. Living With A Smaller Energy Footprint (All levels)
As global climate change and rising energy costs bring energy into the mainstream conscience, little is said about how every one of us can be part of the solution. In this workshop we will explore ways we can lesson our impact on Mother Earth. Focusing on the ways energy is used in our homes and communities, we will delve into how we can save energy with solar and other renewable resources. Participants are encouraged to share solutions and brainstorm ideas.
3. Solar Electrical Systems (All levels)
Gain the understanding you need to get your electricity from the sun. In this class we will discuss Grid-tie and off-grid solar electric systems. We will look at the cost of systems, how systems work, and the equipment used to build them.
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Claire has been a flower and plant person all her life. Her maternal ancestors grew flowers and made bouquets for the village festivals as far back as anyone can remember. She has been a full-time artist most of her adult years and considers it her true calling. She has been attending the Symposium for many years with her daughter, Cecilia.
1. Animal Totem and Plant Artwork (All levels)
We all have significant animals and/or plants that come into our lives or dreams to help lead us along our various paths. They are strong messengers that offer us clues to understanding our challenges, gifts and opportunities. In this class we will choose a totem animal (or several) that speaks to us deeply and while focusing on the message, we will create a collage to keep as a reminder of this special creature's wisdom. There will be templates of many of our native animals and critters for your use, or of course, you might want to make your own. Incorporate leafprints into your design to support the fauna. Come see what the creatures wish to share with us! Make a beautiful, lasting piece of artwork for your home, office or altar.
2. Creating Magical Garden Space (with a limited budget)
(All levels)
We will discuss and share simple ways to make an inviting, enjoyable space with one's own personal touch. Among the subjects covered: cross-breeding plants to get wonderful and unique surprises; easy ways to create sacred space in our outdoor areas; also sensible tips to ease the workload and promote success with our plants. All gardeners and would-be gardeners welcome.
3. Leaf and Flower Prints (All levels)
This will be a basic printmaking class using natural materials such as leaves and flowers to create a work of art. We may have an idea for a finished product or we might let the plants lead us along a different path wherein process is the teacher. Our green friends and their flowers offer limitless patterns and designs to play with. Come, relax and have fun!
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Palika is a renaissance woman fully intoxicated on everything bees and all things green and permaculture. She lives in Santa Cruz, where the Santa Cruz coastal honey aptly named "Queen’s Gold" has been gifted to her and the community by the golden winged angels buzzing in her backyard apiary, and the wonder of bees has enriched her spiritual and material life deeply. She continues to learn their magic and share the nectar with anyone who will listen. BZZZZZZZZ!
Beekeeping to Save the World, part 1 and 2 (All levels)
This introduction to Beekeeping will inspire any renaissance woman interested in permaculture, living deeply in spirit with nature and those with hands-on service propensities. Backyard beekeeping has delighted human beeings for centuries and bees have enchanted humans since the beginning of time. The service of pollination alone that the bees provide to our planet and our species makes them the most valuable insects on the planet. And the intoxicating fruits of their communal labor provide food, medicine, sweetener and euphoric states of well-being. Many women are suited to become “bee-whisperers” and will serve well healing the rift between human culture and nature, as well as the hole in our hearts, by serving a colony or two in their backyards. Is there a ‘“Melissa” inside of you?
Womyn Drumming, Marking the Rhythm of Spiritual Living,
part 1 and part 2 (multi-levels)
In this two-part class, we will explore our heritage as keepers of rhythm, time weavers and manifesting the heartbeat of our mindful living. In a safe and supportive, circle Palika will teach basic rhythm theory to help you participate respectfully and successfully in drum circles as well as basic Arabic rhythms in 2/4, 4/4, 8/4, 6/8 time, and if time permits, some odd meters as well. We'll also explore call and response, holding the heartbeat for others to fill in, droning and drumming and learn a few sacred chants to celebrate our attentive life. Class is for multi-levels, djembes, doumbeks and frame drums welcome.
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Alison is a community planner, grantwriter and permaculturist with a passion for teamwork, creative solutions and unique partnerships. Alison works with individuals, local and tribal governments, designers, and non-profit and community organizations to plan, design, fund and build resource-efficient and livable communities. Alison is a member of the Laytonville Area Municipal Advisory Council, a co-founder of Polcum Springs -- a burgeoning intentional community near Laytonville, CA, and is active with the economic localization movement in Mendocino County. She enjoys soap-making, building with natural and reclaimed materials, and living simply. She lives in Laytonville, CA.
Crystalrae is an herbalist and massage therapist with a passion for plants, permaculture, natural building, alternative fuels, music and politics. She wants to be the change she hopes to see in the world. She has gained her knowledge and insights through her participation in community organizing as she strives to live with integrity for the planet and all its inhabitants. Over the years she has accumulated observations of the underlying energetics and guiding principals of community projects noting why they have succeeded or failed. She has run a community ‘activist’ newspaper, worked with non-profit environmental groups, operated a holistic day-care, attempted a permaculture focused feed-store, participated in community and natural building projects, organized and taught watershed education and creek restoration and currently is holding a vision for a non-profit alternative health and wellness center. Crystal currently lives in San Rafael, CA .
Building Sustainable Community, Part 1 and 2
Many of us believe that living in community - and reclaiming tribal, earth-based lifestyles - provides hope for the future. Intentional community makes it possible for us to grow healthy food, cooperatively raise children, practice right livelihood, build our homes, and live together with deep meaning and connection. A wide set of tools and resources are available to help us become more successful with these efforts. This workshop will explore: joining communities, founding communities, visioning, how to co-own land, legal and tax considerations, communication and decision-making tools, and other elements of building sustainable community.
Facilitations, Leadership, and Decision-Making
...are the heat of sustaining relationships, communities, and social-- and environmental--change movements. Facilitators are content-neutral people who help groups become more powerful and efficient in accomplishing their goals. Leaders are people who use their charisma, vision and values to inspire themselves and others into action. Decision-making is central to how groups create a culture that provides a sense of inclusiveness and safety in order to accomplish their work in the world. This workshop will explore how these tools and skillsets can further the revolution of compassion, sustainability, and community.
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Lilith has fooled around with and loved gourds for many years now. (Did you know they are the world’s oldest cultivated seed and are found on every continent except Antarctica?) Lilith’s current passion is for Rachel Carson, author of SILENT SPRING, and she has recently completed a DVD of her one woman performance piece about her RACHEL RETURNS: THE LIFE AND WORK OF RACHEL CARSON. Contact her at Lilithrogers1@juno.com or 707-523-9907 for more information.
Fun with Gourds, part 1 and 2
Fun with gourds will be just that. With a class limit of fifteen--unless
you’ve brought your own gourd--this beginner and intermediate group will select a gourd, clean and prep it as needed, and, using simple tools and art supplies provided, create a rattle, shaker, bowl, or art object of your choosing. Children ten and over are welcome but beware, sharp tools are involved.
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Marcey is a physician in private practice in Berkeley, and has worked with herbal medicine for over thirty years. She has extensive experience in Western and Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, mind-body techniques, flower essences, hands-on healing and nutrition. She continues to listen to the voice of nature to learn healing from the source.
1. Emotional Well Being:
Addressing Depression and Anxiety Naturally
Mood disturbances are found all too frequently in modern life. Emotional health can effect all levels of the person including the physical, mental, and spiritual. In this workshop we will address many strategies for supporting emotional well being while honoring the individuals’ desires and uniqueness. These include herbs, homeopathy, vibrational essences, breathing techniques, positive visualization, nutrition, movement and exercise, and commonly available dietary supplements. Students of all levels will are likely to learn something in this workshop.
2. Flower Essences and Other Vibrational Elixers
Flower and vibrational essences are valuable tools for support of well being, useful for restoring balance on mental, emotional and spiritual levels. Essences are vibrational impressions of a flower, leaf, gem, or other entity, stabilized in water, and preserved with grape alcohol or another neutral medium. In this workshop we will discuss a brief history of essences, tools for selecting essences, using and combining essences, and methods for making them. We will also discuss combining essences with herbs and homeopathy. Students of any level are welcome to attend.
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Karin began with an MS in Zoology, and later pursued herbal studies at the Selfheal School in Britain, earning a diploma in herbal medicine and iridology. She has a private practice in Mendocino, teaches classes in herbal healthcare and yoga, and works as a nutritional consultant for Corners of the Mouth in Mendocino, CA. Karin has recently published a book entitled Botanical Body Care. Much more info about the book, articles, the author and her contact info, et cetera can be found at her web site at rainbowconnection.net. It's also available on Amazon.
1. INTENSIVE: Connective Tissue (Intermediate)
Bones, muscles, tendons, blood and skin – it’s holding us together but what are we doing about it? Explore the challenges our connective tissues must overcome almost daily, and how to prevent and treat various ailments using plant power in its many energetic forms.
2. Sustainable Health and Wellbeing - Managing Your Piece of the Planet (All levels)
Together we will explore how to help ourselves deal with stress in these ever-changing times, while maintaining our energy and personal power for expressing our gifts into this world. Each of us will design our own top-to-toe tonic tea blend, plus dietary and lifestyle changes that will augment our energy and support our unfolding.
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Jen is an herbal woman who lives on a small farm in Point Arena, CA. She raises her children, goats, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, and gardens chemical-free and lives a healthy happy life.
1. Natural Goat Keeping and Cheese Making, part 1 & part 2
We will explore all things goat: housing, feeding, bucks, breeding, kidding, milking, horns, harvesting for skins and meat, common ailments, be our own vet! Keeping your goats healthy without chemicals using herbs and wild foods. We will make cheese and explore goat mild products. An interactive class for all levels. Come with your experience and/or curiosity.
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1. Estrogen Mimickers
Why Plastics, Sunscreen, Body & Skin Care Products (even most natural ones), Cleaning Products, Agriculture Sprays, & Non-Organic Meats contribute to female and male hormonal imbalances, Fibroids, Breast & Reproductive Cancers and how to clear our bodies of these unnecessary and unnatural insults.
2. Our Immune System
Protecting, Strengthening and Restoring the inner environment and our body's natural ability to heal
3. Understanding and Healing Environmental Illness and Chemical Sensitivities
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