In the spirit of mentoring and whole person (and whole culture) cultivation, rites of passage play an invaluable role in re-culturing.  Utilizing vision fast ceremonies to allow individuals to claim and mark life passages, this practice of engaging with wild nature as teacher and a mirror for the psyche/soul is ancient in cultures around the world, and an integral part of not only the passage into puberty/adolescence, but also into adulthood.  If we are to regenerate culture, we need not only the opportunity for people to claim their gifts and live them as an offering to Nature and Culture, but we need the mentors and elders who have already undergone such initiatory experiences to guide them.  This need for elders, then becomes apparent as a core thread in the reweaving of culture.  The result is more wisdom being lived and expressed on this planet that would not only manifest as a more conscious and caring culture, but a more honored and respected human-nature relationship.  Some could see this as an expression of awareness of our ecological-self, not as simple as this body, but as wide as the watershed or as enormous as this whole Earth.

Offerings include modern wilderness quests/vision fasts and Day Quests as shorter, closer-to-home opportunities to engage with Nature in a ceremonial way.  I have also faciliated multi-year rite of passage programs through Stepping Stones Project, Vilda Nature and can create custom programs.  With each of the structures, I offer specialized framing – Yoga Wilderness (or Day) Quests integrating Yoga & Ayurveda philosophy and practice, Dao of Day Quest weaving Daoist views with elemental qigong practices.  With youth, I focus on nature and wilderness survival as core components of our curriculum – including tracking, edible/medicinal plants, fire making – in addition to council, storytelling, and nature awareness games and adventures.