“We shall be known by the ones who sow and reap the seeds of change alive from deep within the earth."
—MaMUSE
Wild Contemplation offers new perspectives and practices to reconnect to our untamed spirit and renew our relationship with the natural world. From the ground up and in connection to the flowing river, we will cultivate an intimate, dynamic conversation that nourishes wholeness, invokes reverence, and fosters compassion and joy within the individual, the animate and inanimate community.
Today, many of us are caught up in the consumptive busy-ness of our daily routines, focusing on our individual problems, plans, and desires. Our egocentric orientation takes much for granted. Perhaps we stop only briefly to gaze at the moon, commenting on its reflected brightness. But what happens when you watch her rise with innocent eyes as if you have never seen it before? Drink in the stillness of the night sky, allowing the mystery to percolate throughout your body. We will cultivate this wonder with curiosity and freshness, as if meeting a new friend for the first time.
Coming into resonance with nature is a communion, not simply a heady verbal description or analysis, but rather engagement with all senses, wide open. Enter with reverence and a deep curiosity to feel into another. Flood your body with a sensual experience. Let go of the habit to casually name something “beautiful” while moving on to the next attraction. We will allow our senses to be overwhelmed with the extraordinary mystery of the wild and sacred world. Infused with sensual impressions, we can embody the beingness of others. Enlivened, we connect, we belong. No longer an outside observer, we become an integral participant in the wondrous ecosystem of life.
Come join us on the wild and sacred Green River in Utah for a deep dive into Wild Contemplation. We will row, we will sing, we will dance, and we will eat well.
We will canoe on the Green River in Labyrinth Canyon, Utah, for 7 days of daily contemplative practices in nature, accompanied by dance/movement, hiking, ritual/ceremony, writing, delicious homemade, organic meals and a Wild Contemplation workbook.
A retreat for everybody. 15 participants max.
Pricing: $1,999. Scholarships available. Payment plans upon request.
Please note: the deposit and cost thru The River’s Path Canoe Adventures with Lauren Bond are non-refundable. Thirty days before departure, we will charge the credit card on file for the remaining balance. We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance through our partner Outward Travel to protect your investment.
“Without the recognition of the spiritual aspect of our ecology,
we are like a tree without roots, a wave without motion,
a heart without a soul that continually longs for what gives it life.”
—Stephen Harrod Buhner
Meet Your Guides
Esther Cohen – Lead Guide
FOUNDER, ALCHEMY OF NOURISHMENT
Esther Cohen, MS, RD, FNT at The Alchemy of Nourishment is a master herbalist, gifted energy healer, intuitive wisdom keeper, registered dietitian, author, and guide for embodied well-being, supporting humans in becoming more whole and available to their souls’ truest expression. Her uplifting teachings are rooted in the sacred feminine of the wild natural world and her work invites somatic healing through an integration of Eastern and Western traditional medicines, nutritional science, and energetics. Her work delves into the root causes of illness, exploring ancestral and familial trauma, the voice behind the symptom, as well as the organ consciousness that is an expression of our unique essential nature.
Esther loves designing environments that nourish the whole person, creating a sense of coherence and balance within the internal and external landscapes, as well as regulation of the nervous system. She is passionate about holding space for community to participate in sacred ceremony and the expressive arts. As a holistic professional chef, Esther creates recipes for life that deeply nourish, not just the physical, but the emotional and spiritual body, as well; all to encourage remembering, repair and activation for evolutionary healing, growth, and magic.
Esther is the mother of two lively daughters and lives with her husband and dogs on 40 acres backing up to national forest on sacred Ute Indian land in northern Colorado, USA. She is blessed to spend much of her time playing in nature.
Lauren Bond – Lead Canoe Guide
FOUNDER, THE RIVER'S PATH
After dedicating a career and a master’s degree toward working in outdoor and environmental education, I found there wasn’t space in my work for stopping, sitting down and becoming lost in conversation with an eagle or a waterfall. I found myself interacting with the natural world in a way that I couldn’t explain. Deeply connecting with Western Red Cedars, a Brazilian capybara, an Alaskan black bear, porcupines and a very curious Gray Jay eventually helped me realize I needed to create my own path. I had to create space for magic to happen, to form bonds that forever change lives.
Canoeing rivers right outside my back door in Boulder is the perfect way to find that magic. There is profound healing to be found in the gentle pace of the current amidst the towering cottonwoods and the soaring wild birds. The river retreats on the Green River in Utah are the culmination of my journey thus far, beginning with a conversation with a waterfall nearly 20 years ago.
Now in our eleventh official season, The River’s Path has gone beyond my wildest expectations. I’ve spent nearly 35 years of exploring rivers and streams, and nearly twenty guiding them. We have guided thousands of people down the St. Vrain river and taken over 200 down the Green River. The gratitude I feel is indescribable. It is a joy for me to share the sacred havens of the river with you.