Renewing Kinship

Among my earliest childhood memories are deep, soulful connections with nature. Long before the lyrical beauty of poetry, the scholarship of a public education, or the uniformed mediocrity of domesticated society began their patchwork assemblage of my life, it was the ancient and unwritten language of the natural world that nourished my soul and enshrined me in an interdependent relationship with the living world. 

“The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness.” Robin Wall Kimmerer, “Braiding Sweetgrass” (2013)

While genetic inheritance is largely credited for our physical and behavioral characteristics, I believe our deepest identities are more exquisitely shaped by an intimate and reciprocal relationship with the untamed world. We arrive on our living planet not with encyclopedic knowledge of human history, but with the intrinsic wisdom of a more-than-human world. In what ecopsychologist Chellis Glendinning calls the original trauma, in the hours that follow our birth we begin a lifelong separation from what was once a seamless embrace with nature toward a painful breach in our sense of belonging. 

Robin Wall Kimmerer reminds us that “The land knows you, even when you are lost. Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart.” That’s what Renewing Kinship aims to do: help us restore connection to ourselves, one another and the natural world through guided explorations of our internal and external landscapes.

Over the last two decades, I’ve been helping people shape a new path towards safe, nourishing relationships that enables them to transform the effects of trauma and discover a sustainable practice of wellbeing. This summer I’m delighted to team up with ecological consultant, educator, and animal tracker Meghan Walla-Murphy as well as wildlife biologists Hilary Zaranek. We have designed a unique, intimate retreat located on a breathtaking 20,000 acre ranch in Centennial Valley, MT. During this 5 night, 4 day immersion experience we will support you in awakening your relationship to nature.   

Through interactive activities with horses, personal coaching, animal tracking, and exploration of Montana’s natural landscape, we’ll look at the way Mother Nature is holding an important road map that guides us back to a state of belonging and true kinship with ourselves, one another and the natural world.

I hope you will join me.

Retreat Benefits

• Discover the common coping strategies that can prevent you from forming secure, consistent relationships.
• Apply a new level of self awareness to support the key elements you need for meaningful connection to yourself and others.
• Discover how Mother Nature thrives in cycles of reciprocity and explore what you may need to engage in healthy relationships of interdependence.
• As you rest into the rhythms of nature you can uncover new layers of curiosity, compassion, resilience, and a renewed capacity for intimacy.

Come as You Are

No previous horse experience is required. It’s even okay to be afraid of horses. If you feel pulled to attend this workshop, know that Koelle has years of experience gently and safely guiding participants at their personal level of comfort around horses. 

This retreat will include on the ground interactions with horses (no riding) as well as 2 half days of walking the land to engage in the story that nature is offering to us. You will need the physical fitness for hiking on foot through the natural landscape for 2 to 4 hour periods.

Cancellation Policy

Due to the costly, non-refundable nature of reserving venues for various events, and the limited spaces available in workshops and retreats, a cancellation made 60 days or less from the dates of an event is non-refundable. Fifty percent of the event fee will be refunded for a cancellation made between 90 to 61 days prior to a scheduled event. Any cancellation made 91 days prior to a scheduled event is fully refundable minus an administrative processing fee.

Please note that should an issue or challenge arise due to Covid-19 (either with travel restrictions or health matter) we will make every effort to apply your payment as a credit to a future retreat program.