Book Release
Winter 2023
A radical reorientation around partnership with the natural world for these times.
Find your inspiration for how we can individually and collectively approach climate change, sustainability, and decolonization through innovative decision making and partnership with the natural world.
Interwoven with theory and storytelling, With Intention, With the Land: Weaving our Path of Reconnection & Partnership with the Natural World is an inspiring call out and guide forward for the new truth that is emerging in these tumultuous times: we need to radically reorient how we approach our relationship with the land, in our personal lives and in our institutions, to cultivate a sustainable future for the generations to come.
At its core – the book is an accessible guide for anyone who wishes to move from simply recreationally using the land as a supportive backdrop to relating with the land in a reciprocal way, wherever your feet are planted, and access the wisdom that comes from such a partnership.
Digging in
Learn straightforward ways to connect with the natural world, grounded on the wisdom shared by Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island, Ireland and Scotland, and it’s intersection with land art and the latest in eco-psychology.
With Intention, With the Land introduces a powerful approach developed by Sarah West, called the Triple Spiral Framework, which weaves us into the timeless, archetypal rhythm of how to ask, listen and reciprocate with the natural world. It grounds us in the knowing that we can bring a question, or intention to the land, and partner with the natural world to transform our individual and collective wellbeing and decision making.
Brimming with lyrical, vivid examples of encounters with the natural world, the book includes real-life stories from clients, as well as Sarah’s interactions with Indigenous Elders speaking about the importance of caring for the earth, understanding the land-based teachings of our ancestors, and her journey as a woman of Celtic descent to decolonize her relationship with the land.
This book is for you if:
You’d like to deepen your sense of belonging and connection with the natural world.
You orient around the intersection of social justice, personal development, eco psychology, decolonization and environmental activism to support the collective in tumultuous times with out-of-the-box thinking.
You’re a professional with a creative, nature-appreciative soul who is frustrated and looking for innovative ways to transform your business and workplace around decision making, resiliency and team building.
You’re a wellness practitioner (a.k.a. therapist, coach, social worker, outdoor educator, etc.) seeking to learn practical ways to create safe and ethical spaces for your clients to have meaningful encounters with the natural world.
Themes and issues explored With Intention
Understanding different modes of being when engaging with the natural world.
Remembering our connection with the natural world, why we forgot, and decolonizing mindsets.
Indigeneity, settler allyship and accessing our collective birthright to connect with the earth.
Benefits of an intentional connection with the earth.
Core principles for ethically and authentically relating with the natural world.
Straightforward practices for developing a partnership with the natural world, personally and professionally.
How to cultivate safe and reciprocal spaces for explorations with the natural world when working with clients.
The power of working with the natural world through acts of creativity to access out-of-the-box thinking.
Resiliency and innovation practices for professionals and organizations in a changing world.
Advance Praise
“Sarah presents an embodied, spiritually-informed, practical and concise route to awaken in professionals, therapists and their clients, teachers, environmental activists and educators that dormant, neglected or suppressed ability to experience the power of our relationship with nature. This work is informed and enriched by Sarah’s personal and professional journey, her connections with the land, her Scottish, Irish and English ancestry, and the Indigenous peoples and their Elders who have generously guided her and who are honoured in this work.
Her work has the ability, I believe, to bridge our community fractures, our lineages and our losses, inner and outer, to the human and more-than-human beings in nature which have suffered under the forces of colonisation. An empowering response to the psychological distress emerging as eco-grief and apocalypse fatigue.”
Beverley A’Court, Faculty, Russian Art Therapy Association; British Association of Art Therapists
“Sarah's commitment to creativity and land based healing inspires me so deeply. I cannot wait to have her beautiful book in my hands.”
Laura
“As someone who has just started reconnecting with the magickal elements of the natural world — both here in the rainforests of British Columbia and enveloped within the féth fíada of southwestern Ireland — I am very much looking forward to Sarah’s book.”
Chris
“Sarah's knowledge and understanding of the land is something that needs to be shared. Excited for her to get this message and information out into more hands!”
Dylan
“In a world filled with distractions and disconnect, this book’s timely exploration into reconnecting with the land and discovering our inner selves has been truly transformative. Through Sarah’s remarkable work, readers are guided on an incredible journey of self-reflection and growth. With the Triple Spiral Framework as the cornerstone for such self-discovery, Sarah illuminates a powerful path to holistic well-being. As a reader, I was constantly engaged by the myriad of vivid examples, stories, and powerful anecdotes that solidify the wisdom shared within these pages. The significance in understanding our connection to the land, ourselves, and the world around us is remarkably presented by Sarah in a manner that is not only accessible but also inspiring.
Sarah’s storytelling and ability to connect with her readers transform this book into a beacon of hope for those searching for a renewed sense of purpose, as well as a deeper connection with the natural world.
If you are seeking an enlightening and transformative experience that will forever shift your perspective, you will love this book and the Triple Spiral Framework. Dive into this thought-provoking exploration, and emerge with a richer, more authentic understanding of self, nature, and our place in the universe.”
Raelene Bergen, CEO, Origin Leadership Consulting Inc.
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