Instructor: Christine Hassing
Maximum Enrollment: 10
Class Term: 10/02/2023 - 11/06/2023
Tuition/Fees
SCN Member: $165
Non-Member: $205
Class synopsis
Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. – John Muir. As Summer prepares to rest so that Fall can begin its season of shifting colors and teaching the art of letting go, this class will leverage Nature to explore how chapters of our lives might be reframed for healing, dignity, and worth.Class description
This five-week course will offer the opportunity to spend time in nature as a means of extracting symbolism and messages that will aid in writing and reframing stories of one’s life. Physical time in nature is not mandatory; if there are physical and / or environmental limitations, utilizing the exploration of nature through other avenues (on-line, books, photographs, imagination) will still lend well to writing and reframing one’s stories.
Class goals
The first and foremost goal is to provide a safe, compassionate, and unconditionally accepting environment to reflect and explore the stories of our lives. A second goal is to provide learning prompts that pique curiosity, offer enjoyment, and create ways to think about the stories of our life differently. A third goal is that through the process of exploring nature as well as seeing, listening, writing, and sharing, the narratives we tell ourselves about the stories of our lives may become reframed to offer healing, grace, self-compassion/ acceptance, harmony, and joy. A fourth goal is to establish, or re-establish, a daily mindfulness rhythm and routine with Nature, which is the grounding mechanism for balance and harmony to one’s day.
Class communication method
Learning prompts and a reflective assignment will be provided to attendees on the Mondays of each week via a collective group email. Attendees will be encouraged to journal on their own in response to their learning prompt(s) and reflective assignment. Over the course of the week, each attendee will utilize their reflective assignment and journaling to write a reframed life story. Note: a life story can be a specific chapter / memory or many; each attendee can discern/ decide what aspects of their stories they would like to write/ reframe. Attendees will be asked to share their reframed story (and their reflective journey to reframing if they would like to) via group email at the end of each week (Saturday/ Sunday) for supportive and celebratory feedback. In addition, if students are interested, weekly zoom meetings will be established for 1x1 or collective gatherings for any questions students have or any sharing students would like to do.Class outline
Week 1:
To see and see again; to hear and hear again. A solo exploration in Nature. Learning prompts will include guidance for exploring Nature and reframed life story excerpts.
Week 2:
Rhythm, Drumbeats, Signs, Messages, Nature Speaks Continued solo exploration in Nature. Learning prompts will include guidance for listening in Nature and reframed life story excerpts.
Week 3:
Rivers, Mountains, Caves, and Trees Continued solo exploration in Nature. Learning prompts will include guidance for symbols and metaphors of Nature and reframed life story excerpts.
Week 4:
Leaves, Roses, Daffodils, Perceived Weeds. Continued solo exploration in Nature. Learning prompts will include guidance for exploring plants and flowers of Nature and reframed life story excerpts.
Week 5:
Cold Noses, Unconditional Love, Wings, Hooves, Honeycomb and Bees. Continued solo exploration in Nature. Learning prompts will include guidance for exploration of animals of Nature. In addition, learning prompts will include guidance for observing Nature through the lens of compassion, presence, and grace.
Class time commitment
Attendees are encouraged to allow for 20 – 30 minutes per day (nature immersion / journaling) with an additional 1.5 -2 hours in the week allocated for reflective assignment, the writing/reframing of a story, and classmate feedback.Instructor bio
Christine Hassing is a life story writer/teacher, author, coach, business owner, advocate of cold noses as healers and a champion of unconditional listening and hope. She has published two life-story books (her personal memoir To the Moon and Back to Me: What I Learned from Four Running Feet and Hope Has a Cold Nose, a collection of twenty-three military veteran life stories). Christine publishes monthly hope-full articles in Good News (a local paper reaching 20,000+ readers) and via her blog “Blueprints for a Hope-Filled Life” (Christinehassing.com) When Christine is not joyously listening to, teaching, coaching, inspiring, or reframing life stories, she immerses herself in Nature and time with friends and family, including two souls in fur with cold noses.
