What is it to live an unmediated life? A life in direct contact with the physical, wild world, rather than through the intermediary of our devices?

The Lost Art of Being Human is an invitation to step out of screen life and into real life. Into the wild, sensual and fascinating world of nature, humans, and real connection. Here we awaken our ancient capacities for intuition, enchantment, adventure, discovery, wonder, joy, and the beauty of small things.

This program is born of both a sadness that some of our ancient capabilities are being lost, and a passion to reclaim them. We explore such questions as:

Rather than always use google maps to navigate, how might we create connections with the wild world to help us find our way?
What other avenues are available to remember, integrate and embody significant moments and places and beings, than photographing or recording them?
How might we learn to listen to the voices of nature and synchronicity when we have questions, and not always need to ask the internet?
If it is part of our humanness to use tools, what does it look like to be in right relationship with them?

And so, through ancestral practices of deep nature connection, rewilding, deep listening and curiosity, we will start to engage in sacred, mutually beneficial ways of interacting with our natural world that are neither extractive to the landscape nor self-destructive to the human, but regenerative, restorative and enlivening.

Over the course of the day, we will:

build slow connections with real beings, human and non-human
open our senses, including our intuition
practice routines of nature observation and awareness that root us deeply in place and time
allow life to be an adventure
learn skills to replace reliance on apps and enable more time offline
PLUS: Making peace with your phone: physical and spiritual practices for befriending your pet rock

If you sense that technology has taken all the fun out of life, join us to get it back!

Program info:

Location: South Golden Beach, Northern Rivers, NSW, 15 mins from Mullumbimby,

Emily is a Melbourne-based facilitator. This is the first and likely last time this event will be run in the Northern Rivers!

Please arrive at 9:15 and prepare to stay for the duration of the day.

This events is for adults and older teenagers. Babes in arms welcome.

Early bird price is available until Oct 4th.

Testimonials:

“This was one of those rare days where you completely lose track of everything else and just get to be present. I came away feeling calm, more grounded and with a real sense of connection - to nature, to myself and to a group of people I'd never met before. Emily and the volunteers created such a welcoming environment, and every activity felt thoughtful and purposeful. Emily's depth of knowledge was evident, but what I appreciated most was how she shared not only her own experience, but also the wisdom and teachings she'd gathered from others. I genuinely can't recommend it highly enough.”

—Shan Maxwell

“Emily is a great guide into undoing the snagged mess that my relationship with my phone has become.”

—Clare McDonald

“Emily has a deep knowing and understanding of the land. Her expertise in the natural environment and the means to engage organically are extraordinary. I’m pleased her guidance has led me to the profound wisdom within nature alongside the ways to continue my rewilding journey.”

—Paula Saltalamacchia

Facilitator:

Emily works at Nature's Apprentice, facilitating deep nature connection practices, ancestral skills and soulcentric nature-based ceremony. Recently returned from seven months alone in the wild, she brings passion for practices that awaken full sensory awareness, quieten the mind, and enliven body and Soul, and feels that a reweaving of these capabilities back into our culture is essential medicine for these times in which we live. Emily's teachers include master tracker Tom Brown Junior, nature connection expert Jon Young and Australian bird language teacher Andrew Turbill, as well as Claire Dunn, founder of Nature's Apprentice, who set her on this path some seven years ago.

Emily has a complex relationship with technology, having previously worked as a policy analyst researching a circular economy for consumer electronics, and as a software developer in a renewable energy company. She is an advocate of open-source software, a Linux user since 2010, and yet even as a programmer, never liked computers and wished she could write her code with pen and paper. Emily was also co-director of the UK Tar Sands Network, a grassroots organisation partnering with First Nations Canadians battling oil developments on their lands. Emily has a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and a MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Policy, both from the University of Oxford. More recently she has completed an Advanced Diploma of Transpersonal Counselling, and is a trained Vision Quest Guide.

Photos by @lensoforion

Contact the host of The Lost Art of Being Human