Talking Stick
Unlocking wisdom through outdoor intelligence.
What we do
Coaching, leadership and team facilitation
When we connect with the natural world, we discover our deeper wisdom and are able to release our imagination and explore new possibilities. When we physically move, especially when we are in nature, our brain is activated in very different ways than when we are sitting or looking at a screen. When we connect to the living world, we connect to more of ourselves.
Type of work…
Mentoring/Supervision
Coaching
Team Facilitation
Leadership
Men’s circles
Core Values…
Simplicity
Humility
Appreciation
Connection
Enjoyment
The approach
Connecting to ourselves, connecting to each other, and connecting to the living world.
What?
Inquiry-based leadership, a focus on intention and felt sense
Working with nature as a mirror and as a source of metaphor
Learning to be present and to trust our own wisdom
Opening up to new possibilities
Walking as a spiritual practice and as a way to connect to ourselves and each other
An ecological foundation (care for the self, others and our world)
How?
Deepening of connection in support of breakthrough thinking and wiser choices
Creating space for inspiration
Asking the right question
Confronting reality and joining the dots
Stepping into new possibilities
Learning from nature
For who?
Individuals
Leaders, or anyone, young or old, wanting to step more fully into their authentic self and in search of meaning:
What is life/nature mirroring back to you?
Who are you now and who are you becoming?
How might you more fully step into your leadership potential?
What metaphors and symbols are you being drawn to and what fresh insight and possibility might they be pointing to?
What is the contribution you are wanting to bring into this world?
Teams
For both intact act well as newly formed teams intent on shifting the quality of their conversation and increasing the impact they are able to have:
Exploring what’s meaningful to each team member
Nurturing connection, creativity and innovation
Unlocking the collective intelligence in a way that connects them to the living world and to each other (seeing patterns and having a more holistic understanding)
Finding new ways to solve problems, navigate turbulence and to dream bigger
“Look deep into nature and you will understand everything.”
— Albert Einstein
Why outdoors?
There is a growing body of evidence that being in nature has a dramatic impact on our:
Resourcefulness and physical state: our system calms down and we feel grounded, relaxed and more fully present
Mental wellbeing and clarity of thought, as well as a greater capacity for divergent thinking and imagination
Feeling of being alive, and helping us come to terms with our deepest fears
Creativity, increasing our capacity for insight and breakthrough thinking: when we move our brain works differently and we can access different ways of knowing beyond just our intellect
Humility, which increases as we connect to the living system which we are a part of and appreciate its complexity and beauty
Sense of perspective and time, which change when we are in nature, making us better able to recognise patterns and connections
In today’s world, we need an antidote to the dominance of screen time and busy schedules. Moments to be still and quiet, time and space to reflect, to just be and check in with ourselves. Nature offers the possibility for increased health and happiness, better decisions and the unleashing of our creativity and wisdom.
“If we want to encourage freer forms of creative cognition, we need to get people up from their desks, away from their screen, and get them moving.”
— Shane O’Mara, In Praise of Walking