Art of Vitality, October 2019-June 2020

Aligned with the seasons, Art of Vitality is an immersive program in transformative well-being, of vitality on a personal, interpersonal, and ecological level. Drawing on emerging science and the essence of that which heals, we are building community around vitality and deep nature connection.​

What would our lives be like if we were living into our healthiest potential? How would we feel if each meal was a nourishing experience that optimized our vitality and decreased risk of disease? What would we gain by learning to attune ourselves to the rhythms of nature and our natural world? What might shift if we brought our behaviors and lives into alignment with our highest selves?​

We know there is a way toward healing, wholeness and vitality, and that it starts from within. We know that living systems, including our human bodies, have tremendous regenerative potential. We know that we belong to the life-giving body of the Earth, and that remembering and reconnecting to this source renews our body, mind and spirit.​

We invite you to join us in exploring liberating, life-affirming and life-sustaining ways of being. Drawing inspiration from time-honored wisdom, advances in integrative medicine, and nature herself, we’ll be empowered to walk our individual and collective paths toward wellbeing.​

Covered topics include:

• Practices to prevent or reverse chronic disease processes by limiting inflammation and detoxifying.
• Mind-body practices that harness the relaxation response, deepen your connection to the natural world, increase energy and decrease harmful stress.
• The use of food as medicine, through chef demonstrations and medicinal pot-lucks. This will include seasonal wild-crafted delights.
• Practices to support a healthy gut ecology, and the emerging awareness of the farm-food-gut ecological connection as pertains to health
• Practices supporting healthy sleep
• Self-directed, facilitated goal-setting toward behavior change with between-workshop support, partner work, and consultation.
• Practice with honing intuition, insight and vision in manifesting one’s utmost mind-body vital potential.
• Engaging and accessible yoga poses and qi gong practices​

This is a nine-month (October-June) journey in self-discovery and awakening to your vital potential. We will come together for four three day weekends (Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer), with each weekend's course content reflective of the metaphorical, nutritive, emotional, physical and sociocultural energies in motion. We ask that you commit to attending all four of the gatherings.​

In addition to the four weekends, you will be supported between the gatherings with group conference calls with Anna and James, a buddy relationship to anchor you in integrating new nurturing practices, and supportive material to assist you in attaining your vision of vitality for yourself.​

Many people stay on-site. Camping is included in the registration; limited alternative accommodations are also available (and a fund-raising campaign is underway to expand the site's capacity to accommodate those unable to camp).  ​

Co-taught by Anna O’Malley and James Stark in the Commonweal Garden- 

Apply using the link below. Learn more on our website: https://www.naturainstitute.org/art-of-vitality