What is a Vision Quest and Why Do One?
Each of us comes
to this world with a destiny. Along the way, fate intervenes, and we find
ourselves at a crossroads. During these times, it’s common to feel an urgency to
re-examine priorities and how we want to live the rest of our lives. The Vision
Quest is a ceremony of confirmation, initiation, and integration that serves as
a guide to remembering our true and essential nature.
It’s a time of
solitude, supported by appropriate ceremonies, dedicated to seeking a vision
that will enhance the meaning and direction of the seeker’s life. During this
time, the quester gives up shelter, physical comforts, food, and the company of
other humans. By revealing itself as a mirror to life experiences, nature becomes
the teacher and serves as a catalyst for transformation. It’s as if the Earth
speaks, making visible the previously unseen. Bear becomes a symbol for inner
strength, Tree reminds of of our inner resources, and Sunrise is a new
beginning. These images act as guides that inform us of our desires and invite
us to act accordingly.
Given the dire
cultural, political, and environmental problems that currently threaten the
world, we are all at a crossroads. There’s no single political movement, belief
system, or think tank that can save us. What’s required is that each of us live
a life imbued with purpose and meaning, and that we share our unique gifts in a
meaningful way that serves the Earth and the greater community of all living
beings. How we emerge from this time of transition and what the future holds
depends on who we become. The Vision Quest helps us to know who we are and what
is meant to happen through us so that we can be the elders the next generation
needs.
I have always loved nature. It's where I'm most at peace. For 10 amazing and intense years, I had the privilege of sharing my love for wild places with youth and families struggling to find their way in mainstream culture. We kayaked, hiked, spoke our truth at Council Fire, and formed uncommon bonds that to this day remain a source of inspiration. The place we did this work is called Ravenwood. It is a healing forest.
In 2010, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare and incurable plasma cell cancer. I needed a stem cell transplant and a radical change of lifestyle. Along with a good medical team and a strong and loving circle of people supporting me, Ravenwood saved my life. 8 years later, I'm still here. Ravenwood is now home to my family. Although I can no longer do the physical work of a wilderness guide, it remains my calling to share the healing powers of nature. I still call myself a guide but the places I now navigate and explore are the wild terrains that live within the human soul. Nature is my co-guide.
I work with the natural world to help make sense of inner emotions and life experiences. I believe that spending time in nature fosters awareness and interconnection to the world around us, providing the space for inward reflection and the potential for transformation. How we encounter and interpret the natural world creates a personal narrative that gives meaning to experiences and emotions allowing us to develop new ways of understanding ourselves and feeling fully integrated in our lives. Through connection with the natural world, we ultimately become connected to our ‘inner’ nature. Personal distress can be alleviated by developing the mutual connection between inside and outside.
The process of change I foster involves restoring balance to the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions, reconnecting to the Earth, and adopting life-long practices that help incorporate new behaviour and thought patterns into a congruent way of life. My work as guide is to help reveal and cultivate the health and sanity which is already there rather than manipulate or modify sick people to be better adjusted. This requires a focus on healing through a process of whole-ing (recognizing the wholeness that already exists within), rather than healing or fixing a problem by eliminating it; wholeness-centered (holistic) instead of pathology-centered
I work with a range of practices including mindfulness and awareness, experiential activities, direct contact with nature, narrative therapy, environmental action, journaling, ritual, ceremony, and play.
As an aboriginal woman of Métis descent, I weave cultural teachings into my work, inspiring personal growth and a love and respect for the natural world.
Academically, I hold a Bachelor's in education, from McGill University and a Master’s of Arts in transpersonal psychology with a concentration in ecopsychology, from Naropa University. I have also completed masters level clinical counselling courses in counselling theory, family systems therapy, group therapy, and research methods, and have trained with the Vancouver School of Narrative Therapy. I am a recognized facilitator of Joanna Macy's Work That Reconnects and a Level 3 Reiki Usui Practitioner.
