“When we go into nature with mindful awareness, it allows our heart to be touched, moved, and inspired. This fuels the necessary work to bring about a radical transformation in how we live sustainably on this planet.”
~Mark Coleman
Finding Stillness
Pairing nature immersion with contemplative practice since 2003
Background & History
Awake in the Wild (AitW) was founded by Mark Coleman — a leading mindfulness meditation teacher, nature guide, and author. Mark published the seminal nature meditation book, Awake in the Wild, in 2006, with an introduction by Jack Kornfield.
Mark has led AITW retreats and programs in the U.S., Canada, Alaska, Europe, and Australia, and he leads apprenticeship AitW teacher training in the U.S. each year. He has now trained 50+ AitW teachers to lead their own AitW programs across the U.S, Canada, Europe, and beyond.
About The Practice
AitW programs focus on everything from opening the heart to joy, to healing grief, to engaging in environmental activism. While many of our programs are hosted online, AitW teachers have led retreats in breathtaking settings across the globe — from the coast of Baja, Mexico, to the mountains of Peru, to the desert canyons of the South-West. These retreats include a wide variety of contemplative activities like hiking, backpacking, forest bathing, kayaking, river rafting, cross country skiing, rowing, canoeing, and more.
AitW teachers offer a wide variety of contemplative nature programs, from free daily online meditation sessions, to full moon practice circles, to 3-day wilderness retreats.
The Benefits of Nature Meditation
Focusing on the delightful fragrance of flowers, the light in a grassy meadow, or the flowing movement of a river can ground, relax, refresh, or enliven us. Nature immersion pulls us away from technology, out of our anxious minds, and into the present moment.
Nature meditation can allow us to:
- Tap into feelings of peace, joy, wonder, love, and well-being
- Gain spiritual insights and understanding
- Remember the preciousness of human existence
- Cultivate love and care for our planet
- Reconnect with ourselves, the earth, and the entire web of life
“I feel like a different person. I feel completely at peace, very happy, to the core of my being.”
~ AitW retreat participant
A word from our founder
The Key Elements of AitW
Mindfulness
We dwell in the present moment.
Mindfulness refers to our depth of awareness, or, our ability to inhabit the present moment. When we practice mindfulness, we become curiously aware of both our inner and outer environments and receptive to spiritual insight. Modern research reveals that the ancient practice of mindfulness can reduce our stress levels, increase our capacity to act with wisdom and discernment, as well as our overall sense of wellbeing. With skilled guidance from the likes of AitW teachers, we can develop these valuable mindfulness skills.
Connection
We celebrate interdependence.
We live increasingly independent lives, cut off from one another in our cars, cubicles and condos. When we consciously spend time in nature, we reconnect to the earth’s intricate web of life and all of its flora and fauna. The illusion of separation falls away. Through mindfulness in nature, we can forge deep connections with ourselves, with all living beings, and with the Earth itself. Our AitW teaching community is dedicated to helping people awaken to their interconnectedness.
Love for the Earth
We protect what we love.
The Earth is our greatest teacher; she reminds us about the preciousness and fragility of all living things. As we humans face a surmounting ecological crisis, it is crucial that we cultivate a greater appreciation for, and understanding of, our natural home and its myriad species and life forms. The more we connect to the Earth, the more interested we become in caring for our planet and its abundance of creatures and eco-systems. AitW teachers are connected by their passion for the natural world, their interest in helping preserve and protect nature, and a desire to share that passion with you.