Earth Alive 2026 – 10 Year Anniversary – REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

“What if you were a teacher but had no voice to speak your knowledge? What if you had no language at all and yet there was something you needed to say? Wouldn’t you dance it? Wouldn’t you act it out? Wouldn’t your every movement tell the story? In time you would be so eloquent that just to gaze upon you would reveal it all. And so it is with these silent green lives.”

 

                                                                                Robin Wall Kimmerer

Dearest Ones,

It is a great honor to extend this invitation for you to join us at Earth Alive 2026.  We are all humbled and excited that this will be our 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!  All information including registration, can be found RIGHT HERE.

I’m not a big book reader, but have been SO smitten this year reading Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Dr. Kimmerer.  A member of the Potawatomi nation, with PhD in botany, she’s uniquely qualified to speak of the convergence of indigenous wisdom and western science. There are such profound lessons that are both inspiring and hopeful and also heartbreaking – given how long these teachings have been around and how tragically underutilized they are in the “economy is king” mindset of our nation.

Might there be a common thread running through these bizarre times we now live in—the political divide, increasing global conflicts, rising depression and anxiety rates, especially for young adults and low-income populations, and competing narratives of reality as if we’re living in the Twilight Zone.  Consider:

  • Studies show the average time we stay focused on a single screen task has plummeted from about 2.5 minutes in the early 2000s to roughly 40-47 seconds today.
  • Research confirms we spoke roughly 28% fewer words daily two decades ago. This should surprise no one when we think of all the things that used to require a conversation and are now displaced by on-line interactions, self-checkout, or texts instead of a phone call.
  • A growing body of research suggests “cognitive offloading” to AI can have corrosive effects on our mental abilities and may even contribute to cognitive decline.
  • Experts estimate that today’s youth spend around 35% less time playing freely outdoors than their parents did.

Regardless of our feelings about any of these changes, we can’t deny the existential reality that Earth is the result of 3-4 billion years of evolution and humans 75-175,000 years.  Such sudden and dramatic technological changes and their cascading impacts are akin to jumping off a cliff – with little time for acclimation and integration in our very sensitive nervous systems.  In most of these instances, we lose opportunities to practice the art of BEING with one another.

On the Spiritual path, it’s hard to underscore the value of our quality of BEING-ness as a key to living joyfully.  It’s without a doubt a worthwhile investment of our time, attention and resources – just as we would with anything else that’s important and valuable.  Two POWERFUL allies are Earth and each one another.  The planet we so often take for granted is full of universes of life, and complexity, and unimaginable connectivity – realms that we have barely scratched the surface of fully understanding.  As we are all 100% fully made of (and will return to) Earth and

Earth Alive is a 3-day ritual that takes place in old growth forests of central Massachusetts.  Together we create Sacred space to slow down and connect, learn to really listen to Earth, other species, each other and ourselves.  Through a variety of processes, we strive to slow down, rest, recharge, heal, and cultivate a flowering of our hearts and expanded capacity to Love. If I’ve learned anything all these years, it’s that we can accomplish far more TOGETHER than alone – that’s the beauty and magic of SYNERGY.

All information on the gathering and registration can be found RIGHT HERE.  Along with the vitally important inner work we do, there’ll be lots of time for FUN & PLAY and for sure this year – CELEBRATION – of the precious BLESSINGS that are our lives as part of this Sacred Living Earth.

Recently I’ve been honored to have a number of honest conversations with young adults searching for meaning and purpose and how to live lives of integrity in the modern world. So PLEASE SHARE with anyone you feel could use a little support.  Some scholarships and financial aid are available to those in need.

We send you our deepest Love & Blessings and look forward to being with many of you soon.

The Earth Alive Team