About Julia and Her Offerings

About this word, “Eairth”

“Is this a misspelling?”….I have felt for a long time that the word, “Earth” lacked inclusion of the sky or air element. Like a yin-yang symbol, both elements should be represented.

During my Awake in the Wild training with Mark Coleman, I learned about the geo-philosopher and cultural ecologist David Abram who in his book, Becoming Animal - An Earthly Cosmology, resolved this conundrum. He explained how in this sedimentary-like cosmology, there is the Earth layer and the Air layer; to better express this unification of these elements, he inserted the word air into the word Earth… becoming Eairth. What an elegant solution!

Click here to view an 18-min. perspective-shifting video of David eloquently stating his view of “The Animate World and Becoming Animal.”

Below, I share more about my Eairth offerings and my spiraling journey of education and experience that has brought me to this season in my life in Yoga, Awake in the Wild Nature-based Mindfulness, Meditation, Morning Altars, and Birding.

About Julia’s Training and Experience

Discover Mindful Movement

Join me on a journey to a more mindful yoga practice by slowing down and embracing the present moment. By enhancing proprioceptive awareness, you’ll explore a sustainable and healthy range of motion for your joints and ligaments, while also boosting bone density and muscle tone. This heightened awareness opens the door to a deeper inner connection, the essence of yoga.

With a 500-hour yoga teacher training under the guidance of Scott Anderson, founder of Alignment Yoga, I’ve been sharing my passion for yoga since 2013. I’ve had the privilege of teaching several 200-hour RYT teacher-training programs and assisting Scott in his 500-hour RYT program in Eugene, Oregon.

I hold additional certifications from Dr. Loren Fishman in Yoga for Osteoporosis and Dr. Baxter Bell in Yoga for Healthy Aging, along with another 200-hour training with Sarahjoy Marsh, founder of DAYA.

Stay tuned for exciting series on topics like Yoga for Healthy Bones, Healthy Aging, Healthy Backs, or Hypermobility. Let me know if you’d like to be notified when these sessions are available!

Mindful Meanderings -
Awake in the Wild

After savoring the profoundly nourishing benefits of Mark Coleman’s daily Awake in the Wild nature-based meditations in 2020 and 2021, I decided to embark on his year-long teacher training and become a certified Awake in the Wild teacher. This transformative experience led me to transition my 43-year indoor meditation practice to the outdoors, where I could immerse myself in the natural beauty and tranquility that emanates from connecting with the natural world.

My restless mind found a sense of calm as I assigned it the task of listening to the sounds of nature, feeling the gentle breeze, experiencing the warmth of sunlight, or observing the intricate textures of plants and trees.

Consequently, I now offer guided Awake in the Wild practices, known as “Mindful Meanderings,” for 3-4 hours during our non-rainy months. You can find me teaching on the AITW daily sits at 7:30am-8:15am PST from time to time. Occasionally, I delve deeper into the concept of mindfulness-based nature connection through a 6-week series developed by Mark Coleman.

For all my Mindful Meandering offerings, please visit my Events page.

Eairth Art

I am a graduate of Day Schildkret’s year-long “Morning Altars” teacher training where we explored the nexus between nature, art, and ritual. In addition to creating my own Morning Altars, which I call Eairth Offerings, I am available to teach workshops on the steps to create such offerings.

Please check out my Gallery for a sampling of my art or visit my store for luminous glass prints, calendars, and other gifts in the making.

Check Day’s animated short about the essence of making Earth Art

Meditation

I am a lover and student of nature, both inner and outer, and so meditation is at the heart of all my work. I discovered deep reservoirs in meditation during high school and began a daily lifelong meditation practice in 1977 inspired by my teacher, Prem Rawat, and later received further meditation instruction with master teacher, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.

Mark Coleman introduced me to the idea of using nature as a support for meditation. These Awake in the Wild practices helped me experience that we ARE nature; we are an expression of nature… a part of the moving landscape.

All Things Bird

Listening and watching birds is a primary way I connect with the rhythms of Nature; it brings me into the present moment and fills me with deep joy, awe, and gratitude, and of course concern for their future well-being.

In 2006 I became more curious about the birds in my backyard and found a class series on the relationship between birds and plants led by naturalist, Dave Bontrager. Dave would become my primary birding teacher; he taught a life-changing series on how to identify birds by their vocalizations which is how I identify most birds now. I took numerous series workshops with him, and went on to participate in a number of citizen science projects.

Thanks to Dave, I now co-lead monthly bird walks with another fellow student of Dave’s, and lead Area 14 in Lane County’s nation-wide Audubon Winter Bird Count. Up until COVID, I taught a 4-week series on identifying birds by sound for Mt. Pisgah Arboretum in the early summer.