Opening Celebration and Information Session!

Recorded Live Online February 19th, 2025

In this Free Event with Jon Young, Sarah Fontaine, and Guests, share about the origins of the Initiation Path from its roots in the Kamana Naturalist Training Program, to it's current evolution, and the role it plays in the vision of spreading deep nature connection far, wide, and into the future.
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Commitment

The Natural Mind Initiation Path is for people seeking the authentic and deep felt sense of connection with nature gained through lived experience on a focused path. 


Guidance and Accountability

The Initiation Path follows the Natural Mind Journey, guiding you step-by-step with errands and exercises to practice, and requires that you close the circle by bringing what you learned back to the village.


Community

The Living Connection 1st Village is a community centered on valuing our natural world, consciously designed to support, uplift, and empower the journey of nature connection initiation.

  • Nature

    Learn about the many species and elements of nature around your home and in your local area... and discover what they have to teach you!

  • Awareness

    Practice time-tested core routines to develop your awareness skills on many levels and experience the felt sense of connection

  • Connection

    Create and build relationships with your place, understand ecological relationships, and connect with other people on the journey

How to participate...

If you are interested in the Natural Mind Initiation Path, join us at the Living Connection 1st Village!

Everyone in the Living Connection 1st Online Village gets access to the Natural Mind Journey and the first steps of the Initiation Path requirements with the option to fulfill them. The requirements include reflections on the exercises from each Petal of the Natural Mind Journey, and submitting handwritten/drawn journals. 

Once inside the village, you can preview and start the Initiation Path at no extra cost, and only pay when you want to submit the requirements for review.

Learn about the Living Connection 1st Village here.

Ring 1 through Ring 4

There are 4 levels of the Natural Mind Initiation Path being developed!


Ring 1 - Awakening the Natural Mind


Ring 2 - Gathering Stories of the Landscape


Ring 3 - Expanding Awareness in our Relationship with the Land


Ring 4 - Embodying the Voice of the Earth


Because our vision is for authentic, embodied connection, this journey needs time to experience and integrate into our reality!

Ring 1 is expected to take 4 months to one year to complete, you are encouraged to go at your own pace, and need only commit incrementally as you progress on the Initiation Path.  

Here's an outline of the Ring 1 content...

Awakening the Natural Mind

Ring 1 of the Initiation Path

Sunrise

Core Routine

Journaling with Storyteller’s Mind

Petal 1 — Sunrise

 Ambassador of Connection

Core Routine 

Sit Spot

Ring 1, Petal 2 — Mid-morning

Motivation, Curiosity & Vitality on the Connection Journey

Ring 1, Petal 3 — Midday

Eyes, Ears & Hearts of the Village ~ The Mystery Catcher as a Voice of the Earth

Core Routine of Connection

Sense Meditation

Ring 1, Petal 4 — Mid-afternoon

Deepening Connection to Place ~ Embodying the Voice of the Earth

Sunset

Petal 5 — Sunset

Ecology, Landscapes and Indicators ~ Expressing Our Place on the Earth

Core Routine 

Gratitude

Petal 6 — Twilight

Heritage Species & Elements ~ Between Ancestors & Future Generations

Petal 7 — Midnight

Trees, Shrubs, Woody & Fibrous Vines and Plants ~ Ancestral Skills

Core Routine

Renewal of Creative Path

Petal 8 — Pre-dawn

Becoming the Eyes and Ears of the Village

Go at your own pace...

Choose when to start and when you are complete!

Here's how it works:

Step 1 : Complete the Ring 1 Sunrise Requirements — this includes reflections and 5 written/hand-drawn species journals each for Petals 1 through 4, plus journals for the Journaling with Storyteller's Mind, Sit Spot and Sense Meditation Core Routines (this content is included in the Living Connection 1st Village at no extra cost).

Step 2 : Get the Ring 1 Sunrise Review — a Certified Natural Mind Facilitator will review your work so far and have a face to face check-in conversation with you on Zoom ($125 in one or two payments)

Step 3 : Complete the Ring 1 Sunset Requirements — this includes reflections and 5 written/hand-drawn journals each for Petals 5 through 8 plus the journals for Gratitude and Renewal of Creative Path Core Routines

Step 4 : Get the Ring 1 Sunset Review — a Certified NM Facilitator will review your required materials, and have a face to face check-in conversation with you on Zoom ($125 in one or two payments)


The cost for review of Ring 1 of the Initiation Path is $250 (split in 2 to 4 payments) which includes review of your work, plus two one-on-one sessions with a Certified Natural Mind Facilitator


The Natural Mind Facilitation Path

For those called to pass this forward, the Natural Mind Initiation Path is a stepping stone on the Facilitation Path...


More details coming very soon!!

Kamana Naturalist Training Program


The Natural Mind Initiation Path is our upgraded version of the Kamana Naturalist Training Program!

Kamana was a training program that changed lives for over 30 years, also with 4 levels, and on average took 4 years to complete.

We will be using parts of the Kamana text throughout the Natural Mind Initiation Path, and the requirements for completion will remain the same.

The most common feedback for people feeling challenged in completing the Kamana program was that they were going at it alone...

This is why we are committing to going together on this journey with the support of our village!

There is power in the group field, we all have a need for tribe, and what better to connect around but our roots that tie us to nature.

If you have completed all or part of the Kamana program and would like to know how to move forward, email us at [email protected] with your inquiry and a copy of your certificate for the highest level you have completed.