Today's global challenges are enormous, affecting biodiversity, societies, and living conditions. This in turn
affects our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
In the techno-industrialized world, disconnection from nature, urbanization, digitalization, and a feeling
of powerlessness in the face of events and decisions beyond our control, increase our anxiety and
desensitization in a headlong flight.
Simply sharing devastating environmental data is no longer enough to catalyze change.
Instead, this workshop proposes addressing these challenges through embodied, emotional, and
imaginative experiences. By reconnecting with the sensitive, we aim to restore our kinship within the Tree
of Life, reawaken our sense of being Earthlings, and rediscover our purpose and well-being.
Botanic gardens provide unique and privileged spaces where the richness of biomes, the wondrous dance
of the seasons, and the evolutionary history of Life are tangible and relatable. They are the ideal places to
rediscover the art of wonder and to restore our sensitive intelligence. They bridge scientific knowledge and
poetic imagination.
At Meise Botanic Garden, we offer 4 “wellness” workshops:
Poetic Botany, Sensory Workshop, Qi Gong, and Deep Time Walk.
Beyond scientific knowledge, they all involve and interweave:
- embodied mindfulness
- timefulness (present moment, seasons, Deep Time)
- envisioning positive futures
- emotions, imagination, poetics, and creative art
- porosity of internal/external “ecosystems”
- biophilia cultivation
Our methods include ecopsychology, deep ecology, art therapy, body health practices, …
The session will include:
- A brief introduction to the workshop.
- Hands-on experimentation with selected practices from our workshops.
- A concluding discussion to reflect on experiences and explore applications in participants' own contexts.