About MBEI
What is the Mind Body Ecology Institute?
Our work lies at the intersection of health & wellness, education, and environment with an emphasis on sustainable, regenerative living.
We guide people in reconnecting with our inner/outer nature to foster both personal and planetary flourishing, while encouraging wise and responsible environmental stewardship.
In the face of global environmental challenges and the alarming decline in mental health, especially among young adults, our mission is more vital than ever.
Though we remain optimistic about the future, we view the environmental and mental health challenges as a reflection of a deeper, internal crisis—a disconnection from ourselves, each other, and the natural world of which we humans are a dimension.[1]
At MBEI, we are shifting the narrative from crisis and fear to one of opportunity, action, and growth.
Our work weaves Western science and humanities with global Indigenous and Buddhist wisdom along with nature-based meditation and embodiment practices to cultivate reverence for the preciousness of life in all its rich diversity.
MBEI programs are rooted in a unique synthesis of:
Community building, talking circles, deep listening, storytelling
Meditation (a blend of nature-based open awareness and compassion meditation along with mindful movement and somatic practices)
Creative arts
Discussion of worldviews, values, interdependence, resilience and flourishing
Exploration of thinking, emoting, and behavioral patterns
Personal reflection on ways we can cultivate an ecologically and socially engaged path to support individual and planetary health.
Our participants report profound improvement in their mental health, community engagement, personal growth and environmental action.
Specific goals for program participants include:
Cultivating well-being and natural connection through nature-based contemplative practices, community building, and discussion of worldviews, values, and ideas related to flourishing.
Bolstering emotional resilience around climate anxiety, grief, fear, anger and despair
Catalyzing wise and responsible environmental stewardship and compassionate community leadership
Fostering a culture of belonging and inclusion while building lasting relationships and networks to amplify and integrate personal and communal change
We hope people who attend our programs leave well equipped with the skills of well-being[2] as well as an expanded self-awareness, enhanced social connectivity, and greater resilience and compassion.
We believe the first step to a better world is to help people thrive personally, so they can harness their inherent capacity for growth to contribute meaningfully to their communities and a flourishing world.
[1] C. Wamsler, “Nurturing Inner Development,” presented as part of the "Connected Consciousness for Planetary Health" event hosted by the Nova Institute for Health, in collaboration with the Planetary Health Alliance, and the Garrison Institute.
[2] R. Davidson. “Well-being is a Skill: Through Cultivating Healthy Habits of Mind, We Can Nurture Key Pillars of Well-being” (2022). Mind and Life Institute, Insights. Online.
OUR MISSION
Creating a regenerative, equitable, and ecologically harmonious world.
OUR VISION
By transforming ourselves, we can be more responsible citizens of nature.
“There’s a revolution that needs to happen and it starts from inside each one of us.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh
Our Work
We offer a variety of eco retreat programs and workshops designed for transformation, fostering personal insight, well-being, and collective flourishing.
Our multidimensional approach guides participants through three key phases of focus:
Understanding Worldviews
Awareness + Insight
Connection + Action
From this foundation, we choose specific practices, discussions, and activities to best fit the needs and dynamics of each group. This flexible approach allows programs the freedom to operate successfully for as short as a few hours to a few weeks. Our programs and practices center coming into relationship with the Earth as a gateway to deeper understanding and wholeness. Our scholarship fund creates access to retreats and workshops for those with limited financial means.
This is made possible through our multidimensional approach that combines various modalities.
In this way, participants reawaken connection with nature and are able to envision ways of making a meaningful impact in the world.
As a community-led organization, we have helped individuals transition to more sustainable careers, deepen their understanding of interdependence, and engage in a journey of self-transformation that has far-reaching impacts on their immediate communities, the land, and beyond.
Together, we grow.
Our Core Values
Honoring and respecting the intrinsic dignity and worth of all persons
Awareness, insight, compassion, trust, kinship, practice, purpose, action
Building communities of belonging, growing circles of connection, and empowering wise change makers
The Mind Body Ecology Institute is committed to pursuing an equitable, regenerative, and flourishing future for all.