Meditation and Environmental Awareness:

5 Element Nature Connection Retreat

Starved Rock State Park

Saturday, April 5th, 2025

In a world increasingly marked by environmental crises, the call for deeper, more conscious connections with the planet has never been more apparent. Join us for an immersive workshop at  exploring how meditation can serve as a powerful tool for fostering environmental stewardship, reducing egoism, and nurturing empathy for all beings.

This workshop will draw from ancient contemplative practices, including Zen Buddhism, to explore the transformative potential of meditation in advancing key values held by environmentalists:

• -Deepening our appreciation of the natural world

• -Fostering empathy for all living beings

• -Clarifying intentions and aligning them with sustainable action

• -Preventing burnout and cultivating resilience in the face of global challenges

• -Realizing a profound sense of oneness with the universe

Through guided meditation, reflective exercises, and group discussions, we will explore how meditation can shift our mindset from one of separation to one of interconnectedness. As a Zen master once said, “Mind is not other than mountains and rivers and the great wide earth, the sun and the moon and the stars.” This workshop invites participants to embrace this profound sense of unity with the nature, helping us move from awareness to action in support of environmental justice and sustainability.

Whether you are new to meditation or an experienced practitioner, this event is open to all who are interested in deepening their relationship with nature and cultivating inner peace to support outer change.

Date & Time: Saturday, April 5th, 2025 – Bus departs Ida Noyse at 9am, returns 5pm
Location: Starved Rock
Facilitator: Katarina Stanisavljevic

Join us in cultivating a deeper, more compassionate connection with the Earth and all its inhabitants—one breath at a time.

REGISTRATION COMING SOON