"A Word for Nature": A Reflection on a Contemplative Teacher-Training Course in the Desert
Netta Baryosef-Paz, Nirit Assaf
Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education 2023 DOI: 10.25035/jche.01.01.07 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Practical guide or manual Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Guided mindfulness meditations contemplative-writing journals two-day base camping and hiking experience |
| Duration | Two-day base camping and hiking experience plus three on-campus meetings |
| Key points | The authors propose an interdisciplinary, contemplative pedagogy that integrates mind, body, and heart, illustrated by a course combining desert camping, nature writing and ecopoetry, guided mindfulness meditations, and contemplative journals. |
Abstract
This paper reflects on an interdisciplinary, environmental, and contemplative course the authors taught at Kibbutzim College of Education in Tel Aviv. Entitled "I am in Nature," the course was co-taught by an ecologist and a literary scholar. It included a two-day base camping and hiking experience in the Negev Desert and three on-campus meetings. The students read Nature Writing and Ecopoetry, practiced guided mindfulness meditations in the field, and kept contemplative-writing journals. In this community voices piece, we offer an innovative pedagogy for higher education that centers on the integration of the learner’s mind, body, and heart through interdisciplinary, contemplative, and holistic approaches and ways of being.