The early days of dipping into wisdom traditions can be trippy and seductive. Was it like that for you? Were you lucky enough to find a skilled teacher to talk you through breath and movement that left you feeling better in your body than you had in a long time? Then come those luscious moments, pregnant with promise, of something resembling euphoria or deep peace, thanks to guidance through a juicy meditation.

Those early, transformative sparks deserve celebration. They keep us curious, inquiring, and hungry to uncover the source of those irresistible stirrings.

But/and? Recollection of that early bliss gets handcuffed to the blind faith and straight-line thinking that comes from being human, and next comes the unconscious contract. We presume these inspiring experiences can be re-created if we continue coloring inside the same lines: with the same guidelines, the same settings, the same teachers, and same techniques.

The good news is that time and humility can offer a panoramic perspective that can bust us out from a flawed, linear agenda.

Losses and Lessons: The Revelation of Unlearning

Un-learning is how many of us begin to recover value, and meaningful staying power, from these practices. From a physical instruction perspective, plenty of teachers I respect now talk openly about how many alignment cues drilled into us early on that, when held up to scrutiny, make no sense. So we give up something that was easy habit — parroting what was handed to us as objective truth.

It's a humiliating, disappointing loss at first.

And then, a revelation.

The stakes get higher, and the lessons more consequential, when we dare to peel and peer into the metaphysical or spiritual layers of the practices. What stirred us to life and reliably pulled the psychic weeds years ago can start to feel stale. Or even silly. That's when we begin to catch on: those teachers who pleaded with us to stop looking to them for answers but to look inside and cultivate self-trust instead? They weren't kidding.

French-born American diarist Anaïs Nin claimed that blind acceptance of dogma of any kind — political, literary, and so on — turns us into automatons. "We cease to grow," she cautioned.

Nature as Our Nature

In recent years, and accelerating by the hour, my discovery is that Nature surpasses just about anything else when it comes to a teacher that reliably transmits truth. A fiction I've been dropping is that there is any distinction between humanity and nature. Many days, I get as much, or more, of the experience of Yoga from from paddling a kayak on a quiet waterway or sitting in a forest enveloped by birdsong and morning light as I do from a sensuous asana and meditation practice. Both have value, both have their place. But the former drips with so much ineffable truth that it can bring me to my knees. Humbled and humiliated. Relieved and thankful.

Do our own senses, when we insert them into a natural setting, offer a deeper capacity for capital-k Knowing than fickle and capricious thoughts?

One consequence of this revelation is how the annual retreat that I co-guide each summer, together with talented friends at my favorite spot on the planet, continues to evolve. The primary teacher at The Mindful Unplug isn't me. And it isn't the devoted co-guides who help to choreograph and keep the week on track. It is the land of the Feathered Pipe Ranch itself.

As home to one of the oldest, non-guru based healing retreat centers in North America for 47 years and counting, the Ranch in Helena, Montana supports the qualities of nurturing solitude, reflection, and rejuvenation that are only found in the natural world. We Mindful Unplug human guides defer to Mother Nature as the true teacher. We spend much of our time outdoors, soaking up the soul medicine of that sacred place as we move, meditate, stroll, inquire, and reclaim relationship with land and sky.

The Mindful Unplug is a come-as-you-are retreat. No experience with any of the practices offered during the week is expected or required. We ask only that you bring your beginner's mind, a sense of curiosity, and maybe a willingness to jettison old habits in favor of healthier ones.

A sense of humor and appreciation for gentle adventure can help complete an unforgettable week. It's a chance to reflect on the grace of nature through daily breath-centered yoga and mindful movement sessions, accessible meditation, lightly guided forest immersion, rhythm, music and dance, contemplative practices, and life inquiry. Plus, we have a rollicking good time with plenty of laughter along the way.

Mindfully Unplugging in Montana

The seventh running of our nature-based mindfulness retreat is happening in the heart of next summer, 8-15 July. Many spots are already spoken for (people seem to like coming back!) so if spending time there appeals to you, I encourage you to read the full retreat writeup and maybe dive even a little deeper and peruse the FAQs that we've assembled to answer common questions. If the idea glows, I vote that you take the leap and put down your deposit. If cost is an issue, know that generous scholarships will be available beginning in late winter. I would cherish the opportunity to share this extraordinary place and experience with you.

If you have questions or want to talk it through, email me and we'll schedule a chat.

Ongoing Class Offerings - In Person and Online

I'm fortunate now to be sharing yoga two days every week at Sun & Moon Yoga Studio here at home in Arlington, Virginia. These are hybrid classes — they happen simultaneously in person and on Zoom, with recordings available for 30 days. Each class, whether it's the all-levels at 9am ET on Sundays or Hatha 2 class at 11am ET Tuesdays, has a strong freedom yoga twist.

We begin with an accessible meditation/centering. In the middle, the focus is on healthy alignment foundations within the context of a breath-centric practice steered strongly in the direction of encouraging deep inner listening. It’s about finding your own practice, not imitating mine. If you're interested, here's where to go.

Whether or not I see you in Montana or in class, I appreciate hearing from you. How are you feeling your way through these days? What dogmas are you dropping? What's making you laugh? What's humbling or humiliating you?

Oh! And I want to share a poetry book recommendation. Catherine Young's latest offering, Geosmin. Catherine is an architect and connoisseur of eco-poetry. Her writing is exquisite. If you're keen on writers with a reverence for nature like Mary Oliver, David Abram, Wendell Berry, or Richard Powers? You will be relieved to hold Catherine's book in your hand and, as she urges everyone, to read her words out loud. Catherine appeared live at a Wisconsin bookstore to talk about her book; the video replay of her enchanting presentation is here.

Thank you for staying kind.