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Offering holistic programs in natural healing, living foods nutrition and organic land stewardship.
Mission
The mission of Living Soil is to provide the highest quality education in vitalistic traditions that effect profound transformative healing in the soils of our own bodies and the soil of the Earth.
The only course offered in 2011 is:
Local, Wild, Living Foods Nutrition & Chef Certification Program, 120 hours
Local Wild and Living Foods Nutrition & Chef Certification program.is a 30 week, 120 hour course that runs from September 7th, 2011 - April 25th, 2012 on Wednesdays from 9am -12pm. The course includes two overnight wilderness outings in addition to wild food field trips. The course explores an in-depth dimension of internal and external health, covering practical applications from the powerful uses of greens in our diet, making our own toothpaste from wild plants, to gourmet local and wild food recipes. Each week class includes demos, snacks and hands-on participation. The course will prepare students to be competent as a gourmet holistic chef, offer nutritional education services, teach wild food identification and preparation workshops, and to incorporate holistic living skills into daily life practices.
History
Living Soil was established in 2011 in Durango, CO. It is the shared vision of Don Lewis, owner of Amaya Natural Therapeutics; Katrina Blair, director of Turtle Lake Refuge; and Hiroki Ide, DOM, owner of Shizendo Oriental Medicine. Together they pursued a simple aspiration for personal and global transformation through holistic education, whereby individuals could empower themselves to make choices that supported the highest octave of health for both themselves and the planet.
Educational Philosophy
Living Soil is influenced by the historical philosophy of Vitalism. We, like so many before us, believe that there is an intelligent and unwavering Life Principle that orchestrates balance, harmony and healing in our own bodies and upon the planet. Speaking of this wise principle, the 15th century metaphysician Paracelsus simply stated that “Nature should be the teacher of Science.” In this way we aspire to be good listeners, like the Taoist philosophers of old, and learn from Mother Nature, being attentive to her intelligent expression both within the body and in the natural wilderness.
The educational offerings at Living Soil seek to support such natural wisdom and are inspired by an effort to return the soil of our bodies (our tissues) and the soil of the earth back to health. By removing obstacles or blockages in the natural flow of energy, restoring structural balance, offering the highest quality nutritional inputs, and facilitating the removal of excess waste from the system, we support this Intelligence in bringing harmony to natural systems, including that of our own body.
In providing a strong background to several approaches of natural therapy, students are encouraged to realize the underlying consistencies that weave together vitalistic healing traditions. Swedish Massage, Polarity Therapy, Asian Modalities, Cranial-Sacral Therapy, Living Foods Nutrition, and even our Organic Land Stewardship offerings over the summer, unfailingly give evidence of how when natural systems are cared for they return to balance, and in good time, express an abundance of health and vitality.