Learning from Life and the Earth

Abstract

 In an attempt to calm the chaotic effects of the current pandemic, I returned once again to wander and attend to nature. The reflections in this article constitute a meditation on deep regenerative attentiveness in the classroom and in nature. Nature nurtures the soul, which is the abiding depth of the whole person. Miller (2000) refers to the soul as an animating energy. Thomas Moore’s (2019) approach to depth, myth and the care of the soul in education opens the discussion. Descriptions of mind-body exercises, originally featured in Learning in Nature (2021), offer diverse ways to attend to nature as well as provide pedagogical grounding. Unexpected encounters with like-minded humans and the more than human world affirm nature as the source of being and learning. The discussion focuses on the personal and collective implications behind allowing the magnetism of nature to care for the soul. Phenomenological inquiry methods, Whole child and Indigenous education provide perspectives for a more inclusive future in education.