Mindfulness with the Meadow
A Monthly Nature Immersion at Conestee Nature Preserve
Monthly | 90 minutes | $25 | Limited to 25 participants
If you've ever felt that your deepest sense of the sacred lives somewhere outside of buildings and belief systems, Mindfulness with the Meadow offers a different kind of gathering — one rooted in direct relationship with the living world, where forests, meadows, and other creatures become doorways into connection, meaning, and belonging.
Details
Location: Henderson Meadow, Conestee Nature Preserve, Greenville, SC
Duration: 90 minutes
Date and Time: Sunday, May 24th, 1030am to 12pm
Investment: $25
Group size: Limited to 25 participants to preserve intimacy and spaciousness
What to wear and bring: Dress comfortably for the weather and wear shoes suitable for walking on natural terrain — you may be on grass, dirt paths, or uneven ground. Bring water, and consider sun protection (hat, sunscreen) and bug spray. A small blanket or sit pad is helpful for your wander and sit time. Leave your phone in your pocket if you can — or better yet, leave it in the car.
Mindfulness with the Meadow is rooted in earth-based, indigenous wisdom traditions and informed by the Church of the Wild and the work of Bill Plotkin. It is open to people of all spiritual backgrounds and no spiritual background.
What to Expect
Each gathering follows a simple, unhurried rhythm — and each month carries its own theme, drawn from the season, the land, or an aspect of the inner life worth exploring together.
Arrival & Introductions — We begin by coming together, greeting one another, and settling into the space. No need to know anyone; this circle welcomes strangers warmly.
Land & Directions Acknowledgement — We orient ourselves by honoring the land we're gathered on and acknowledging the four directions — a simple practice of presence and respect that roots us in place before we wander.
Mindfulness & Grounding Practice — Before we disperse, we drop in together through a guided mindfulness exercise — a chance to arrive fully in your body, your breath, and the living world around you.
Sacred Wander & Sit (30 minutes) — You'll be invited into unstructured time to move through the preserve at your own pace, with gentle prompts to guide your attention. This is not a hike. It is permission to slow down, notice, and let the natural world meet you where you are.
The Call Back — When it's time to return, the drum will call you in — a grounding sound that marks the transition from solitude back into community.
Sharing Circle — We gather to close, and those who feel moved are invited to share what arose — what was noticed, what surprised, what the land offered. Witnessing is welcome too; you never have to speak.
Closing Song — We end together with song, sealing the gathering and sending you back into your day a little quieter, a little more whole.
Why Nature?
We live in a world that moves faster than our nervous systems were designed to handle. We are overstimulated, overscheduled, and chronically disconnected — from each other, from the earth, and from ourselves.
And yet the antidote has always been right outside our door.
Research consistently shows that time in nature:
Lowers cortisol levels and reduces physiological stress
Decreases activity in the part of the brain associated with rumination and negative self-referential thinking
Improves mood, focus, and overall sense of wellbeing
Restores attention and cognitive clarity
Deepens feelings of awe, connection, and meaning
But this isn't just about stress relief. Indigenous cultures and earth-based wisdom traditions have known for thousands of years what science is only beginning to confirm — that nature is not a backdrop to human life. It is a living, breathing teacher. And when we slow down enough to listen, it has a great deal to say.
"You simply need to learn how to listen. And allow your heart to be broken, just like you do every time you fall in love. Because the holy is in your place too." — Victoria Loorz, Church of the Wild
Who This Is For
Mindfulness with the Meadow is for anyone who:
Feels the pull of nature but rarely makes time to actually be in relationship with it
Is curious about mindfulness but finds indoor meditation difficult or inaccessible
Longs for a sense of connection — to something greater, to community, to themselves
Needs permission to slow down
Wants to experience the kind of quiet joy that only comes from paying attention to the living world
No experience with meditation or mindfulness is necessary. All bodies and abilities welcome. Come as you are.
MEET YOUR GUIDE
Andrea is an ordained Interfaith Minister, 500-hour yoga teacher, and somatic practitioner (Hakomi-informed) who has spent years exploring the intersection of embodiment, spirituality, and the natural world. Her love of nature is not academic — it is personal and devotional. She has found God in yoga studios, on mountain tops, paddleboarding at sunset, and frolicking barefoot in the grass. Trained in the tradition of Church of the Wild and deeply influenced by the earth-based and soul-centered work of Bill Plotkin, Andrea believes that nature is not a backdrop to human life — it is a living teacher, and one of the most reliable paths home to ourselves. She created Mindfulness with the Meadow because she wants everyone to experience the particular kind of quiet joy and belonging that only comes from slowing down and paying attention to the world that surrounds us.
Have any questions?
Send your inquiries my way to andrea@embodiedwayfinding.com