6.12: Outside Conversations with Geneen Haugen + Laura Blakeman - An invitation for a deeper relationship with the animate world

Tuesday and Tim welcome Dr. Geneen Marie Haugen & Dr. Laura Blakeman, of the Animas Valley Institute, where they invite listeners to imagine a different future rooted in interconnectedness and a deeper understanding of our place in the world, discuss the concept of animacy and the importance of recognizing the aliveness and intelligence of the world around us. They explore the profound intimacy and reciprocal relationship that can be experienced with all beings, and the implications of this worldview at different scales. They also discuss the need to invite back the wild twin within ourselves and the importance of engaging in full aliveness. Geneen and Laura also provide practical advice on how to begin cultivating a deeper relationship with the animate world.


About Animas Valley Institute

Founded by Bill Plotkin in 1980, Animas Valley Institute offers a rich assortment of guided immersions into the mysteries of nature and psyche, including Soulcraft intensives, contemporary vision fasts, and training programs for nature-based soul guides.

About Geneen Marie Haugen, PhD

Geneen Marie Haugen, PhD, grew up a little wild, with a run amok imagination. Her matrilineal ancestors are the indigenous Sami of the European Arctic. A content creator and guide to the intertwined mysteries of nature and psyche with the Animas Valley Institute, she has been on the faculty of the Esalen Institute, Schumacher College, and the California Institute of Integral Studies. Her writing has appeared in Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth; Thomas Berry: Dreamer of the Earth; Parabola; Kosmos Journal; Ecopsychology; and many others. She believes in the world-shifting potential of the human imagination allied with the planetary psyche.

About Laura Blakeman

Laura Blakeman is a rural desert-dweller who draws from her trans-disciplinary background in the performing arts and studies in human flourishing to invite shifts in perspective for individuals and collectives. She spent the early part of her career in somatic education, producing dance events, live art immersions, and land-based programs that centered the aesthetic dimension of knowing. Her academic work has bridged developmental and eco-depth psychology, complexity principles, and transformative learning. Her doctoral research explored beauty as a catalyst for change leadership. She is a co-founder and creative partner at the Wolf Willow Institute and guides for the Animas Valley Institute.

Resources:

Back pocket advice from Geneen & Laura: