What is Eco-Spiritual Companioning?
As Victoria Loorz puts it, eco-spiritual companioning (sometimes called eco-spiritual direction or eco-spiritual mentoring) “integrates the wisdom of wilderness into the process of spiritual companioning.” Wilderness is any member of the natural world, the waters that flow from the sky, the crow calling from a nearby tree, the sun that rises every morning.” Eco-spiritual companioning seeks to bring the natural world, the animals, plants, fungi, rocks, landscapes, and other beings into the process of spiritual companionship. Rather than seeing nature as incidental, we learn to listen to the wisdom that is being offered and form a reciprocal relationship.
Why Should I consider Eco-Spiritual Companioning?
We live at a time of ecological crisis when it seems like the future of humanity and the rest of the world is constantly in question. At the same time, many people in the western world feel disconnected from the natural world, the world they belong to. As Charles Eisentstein puts it, “We never were separate from nature and never will be, but the dominant culture on earth has long imagined itself to be apart from nature and destined one day to transcend it. We have lived in a mythology of separation.” Eco-spiritual companioning seeks to reconnect us to the natural world, to develop a relationship with the natural world, to help us remember our interdependence with the universe and to act from a deep sense of belonging.
How Does It Work?
In a spiritual companion relationship, we typically meet once a month for an hour. You may come with a question for us to explore or something that has been weighing on you. Sessions typically start with a short centering or grounding exercise, after which you are invited to talk about what’s on your mind. I am available to meet online via Zoom or in-person in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
In eco-spiritual companioning, we typically endeavor to bring the natural world into our sessions, whether it be by meeting outside, playing nature sounds during our session, or engaging in an eco-spiritual practice. Eco-spiritual companioning can be done both in-person and through Zoom.
Training
- Urban Spirituality Center, 2021
- Cherry Hill Seminary, 2023
Specialty Training:
- Congregation-Based Spiritual Direction, Center for Congregational Spirituality, 2022
- Eco-Spiritual Direction, Stillpoint, 2022
Discover the benefits of eco-spiritual companioning now by booking a FREE consultation with Rev. Chris!