Planning with the Seasons

Returning 2025

Planning with the Seasons is a 4-week course that guides students through a process of personal Reflection, Review, and Renewal by exploring and building connections with the cycles of nature. Living with these rhythms of the seasons benefits self-care, personal growth, and relationships as we learn about our own nature.

This is an expansion of a lesson called "Integrating your Habitat" found in the 9-month Self-Care Through the Cycles of Nature course. Throughout the Self-Care course we explore different aspects of the seasonal cycles as we live through the year. One core aspect is creating your own personal Habitat by exploring different self-care needs and building regular supportive habits each month.

In this course, we build on the Habitat metaphor as we cultivate our "inner garden" or "inner wild space," perhaps it is a little of both. We begin with an overview and spend some time surveying the land, discovering meaningful connections, checking the soil, sun, and shady spots. Along the way we will build some protective boundaries and supports for our plants, do some weeding and trimming, and perhaps bring in some new plants to try out in our "inner garden."

Personal improvement, like land stewardship, takes time and experimentation to find what works and promotes growth.

I hope you enjoy this metaphor and this process of self-renewal that I have been doing myself for many years.

Planning with the Seasons is for you if you:

Are looking for a new way to start the year with supportive personal reflection and inspiration
Would like an introduction to the 8 Directions and living with the cycles of nature
Are a previous or current student and would like to dive more deeply into your personal connections
Are curious about the 9-month Self-Care Through the Cycles of Nature course and the Nature Self-Care Community

This process of exploring connections is helpful in building communities, teams, and organizations as well. I recommend moving through it individually first to see if it is a fit for your group.

Planning with the Seasons includes:

4 weeks of lessons with thoughtful journaling prompts for self-exploration - course materials online and downloadable
4 live discussions (not recorded) to review each week's topics and share thoughts
2 months membership in the Nature Self-Care Community (A growing Mighty Networks private community where I host my courses- see sidebar)

This course works well for independent study or you can be as active in the community as you like. I am available for additional calls for personal focused conversation. Contact me if you are interested or have questions!

Course Details:

Week 1

Introduction to the cycles of nature and their relationships to the days, years, and human life cycles.
Introduction to the rhythms of the seasons and how planning with those ebbs and flows can help us become more closely connected with nature, ourselves, and those around us.

Week 2

Exploring connections and obstacles to connection
Establishing boundaries that support connection

Week 3

Reviewing influences and patterns in our lives
Recognizing abilities and skills

Week 4

Letting go, weeding, and trimming
Integrating and planting new ideas

The Nature Self-Care Community is a private online network where I host my courses and am building resources for nature connection and gratitude including sharing of books, recipes, crafts, weekly ponderings, and other inspirations.

If you are curious about the Nature Self-Care Community and the 9-month course Self-Care Through the Cycles of Nature, this short course is a great place to start!

—

Join my e-mail list for blog and article updates, course offerings, and seasonal inspirations.

Kris August

Celebrating the Interconnectedness of Life

Planning with the Seasons

Nature Self-Care Community