To become grounded
Coping with the many challenges of our contemporary world is like ”surfing at the edge of chaos,” and a proper stance is key. Your inner condition will be the ”stance” to make it possible to adapt to the uncertainty of change in any given context”. Refining each field of awareness and the senses will make you better prepared, more present, and more attuned. Sensing and meditation are ways to open up for clarity and cultivate intuition. This inner work will help you open up on a human-nature, deep-ecological level.

This foundational approach begins with relaxation, which opens the path by releasing contraction, tension, and blockages, and by letting go of the past, present, and future. This helps you be truly open to what is there, within yourself and beyond, in both the tangible and intangible domains. Ultimately, it is experienced as a complete surrender to the truth of here and now, bringing in the stillness and deep presence of the moment. The possibility of realising presence naturally arises once the tensions and blockages are released.

”To be fully present allows us to deeply connect, sense, and listen into whatever appears moment by moment. All distractions dissolve in the only time: now” – John P Milton – Way of Nature.

Sensing
Researchers have identified two forms of attention: focus and non-focus. Focus attention is used in everyday life and is very demanding because competing stimuli must be eliminated. This brain frequency is primarily observed in the left hemisphere. Overusing it creates mental stress, dysfunctions, and reduced tolerance for disappointments and misfortunes. Non-focused attention generates creativity, curiosity, and rapture. It comes spontaneously with pleasing sights, sounds, and smells. Non-focused attention seems to be a distinctive feature of the right hemisphere.

Consciously entering non-focused attention frequencies is a core skill we practice in our Nature Quest programs. Our aim is for all participants to become more creative and balanced after rediscovering and exercising their senses, enabling them to engage with the different domains and facets of their consciousness, in line with the demands of the situation. Read more: This is your brain on Nature – National Geographic.

Fasting
During most Nature Quests, we suggest but do not insist that you fast during the Solo period. We have had great success with the ’Master Cleanse’ as our method of choice. Master Cleanse instructions will be included in the packing list. If you choose to fast, your diet before and after the solo should be light and easy to assimilate. If you do not fast, we suggest maintaining a light, simple diet with only two meals a day and progressively reducing the amount of food you eat (particularly heavier foods) as you remain on the Solo. Be sure to drink at least half a gallon of water daily, even if fasting. You will bring your food during the Solo if you are eating. Read what the science says: Fasting can help against brain diseases – The Guardian.

This is how it goes:
Before the Quest, you will receive a welcoming call and a preparation letter with practical advice about the Quest, gear, and advice for preparation, etc. Attached is also a recommended but voluntary questionnaire, ”The U Journaling Practice,” to read and answer (only for yourself) to better tune in mind, heart, and soul to the Quest.

Digital Teaching – a 90-minute digital introduction and getting to know each other to build security and trust in the group. Assess where you are right now and identify your work and personal areas that need attention. Clarify what area(s) you want to explore during your solo time on Days 2-6. Learn to utilize the GetWiLD process to calibrate the inner compass. A brief introduction to Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, The Medicine Wheel, The 12 Principles, The U Journaling Practice, and Sensing e t c Q & A

day 1 – On-site Teaching – Wisdom and Intention
Assess where you are right now and identify your work and personal areas that need attention. Clarify what area(s) you want to explore and develop during your solo time on Day 2-(6). Learn and practice some Deep Relaxation, Presence, and Nature Awareness tools. Practice and learn the GetWiLD tool and methods such as the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, the Medicine Wheel, the 12 Principles, the U Journaling Practice, and Sensing for calibrating the inner compass.

day 2-5 – Solo days & nights – Insight
Spending solo days outdoors in the mountains or archipelago is a profound” presencing” experience. Days 2 – 5 are a unique opportunity to be alone, fully experience Nature, and reconnect with it. Practice and cultivate Relaxation, Presence, and Nature Awareness for Deep Adaptation.
With carefully selected, well-proven methods, the relationship between inner and outer Nature is deepened. Layer by layer, powerful tools peel it off until you reach the innermost core, at which point you can reset the Source code.

The layers peeled off are the blockages that stand in the way and prevent us from hearing ourselves and our true Nature (the source), the constant vibration through life and existence. A deep sense of meaning for those who can perceive and open their deepest consciousness, give up, and realize and surrender to the spiritual gift of being part of the metabolism in communion with all other life forms.

day 6 – Re-Entry and Integration
Integrate your solo experience into the story and deepen your understanding of its message and meaning. Weave your insights from the days into a compelling vision that will inspire you to practical action. Clarify and commit to what it will take to bring your new vision and insights into reality.

day 7 – Departure & Arrival
We will gather before lunch on the arrival day and prepare for the Solo. In this case, a Solo is spent alone on an island or a mountain slope with your ”Self.” Then, around noon on the re-entry day, we will come back together to integrate the Solo experience before you return to the ’civilization.’ The session will be held in either English or Swedish, depending on participants’ preferred language.

Your safety and well-being during the Nature Quest are of our utmost concern. Participating in a Nature Quest is as safe as going on a hike. Daily checks allow you to verify the safety of everyone involved while still honouring your solitude. A base camp is nearby, and a call will bring an adjoining solo partner or guide to your site shortly. During the Solo, no reading, writing, or campfires are recommended. You may fast or eat simple foods of your preference and enjoy the comforts of your tent. When you remove the demands, habits, and trappings of everyday life, your essence can be revealed.

A few voices

” Some months have passed since I spent five days on the Vålådalen mountain, and not a single day has gone by without me thinking back to that time. It was a magical experience – one I wish everyone could have.

In the preparation materials it says, “this is not a romanticized retreat.” That couldn’t be truer, and yet, even now, I find myself longing for my “5-day home” on the mountain. Alone, and at the same time closely accompanied by the birds, the waterfalls, the wind, the rain, the reindeer, the mesmerizing views, the light.

I discovered a new side of myself up there, and I loved meeting her. Months later, we’re still getting to know each other. This experience has given me the inspiration to keep exploring and to try new things – whether small or big, it doesn’t matter.

Thank you, Göran, for welcoming me. I’ve joined several retreats in my life, but you truly are one of a kind. You’re not a leadership guru you simply are. I would call you a tribal chief, a wise leader of the community. The way you guide is subtle yet powerful, and I felt deeply honored to be part of your group.”

Kim

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“When faced with no distractions (no people, no phone, no books), no routines or decisions (no dressing, no cooking), no tasks, not even time-tracking (just the sun), something magical happened.
I started paying attention. Once I accepted and got past the boredom that naturally arose, a whole new world opened up. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I started seeing connections in nature, my senses became more sensitive, and I started seeing bigger systems of how things are connected. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I started seeing all the small details of things I had no idea was there and realized not only how magical everything is, from a “simple” blueberry to myself, but I started seeing, and more importantly, feeling, how it’s all part of one system, how WE are all part of one system. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I started calling it true presence to myself because it felt more real. I wasn’t just there as a person observing an item or an experience; I WAS the experience!⠀
In that presence, in that state of mind, lived only joy and love. I was blown away.
Actually, after a while, I started laughing. Laughing at the irony of how we’re all walking around half miserable seeking happiness when all we have to do is stop and start paying attention. To ourselves. To other people. To all the beauty around us and inside of us. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A #NatureQuest can really be a life-changing experience. It surely was for me. If you’re in Sweden and want to know more, head over to @naturacademy.”

Philip