All of my programs build on and utilize the dynamic relationship between the individual and the natural world for inspiration and healing. Whatever the particular experience (a women’s kayaking adventure, professional team building outing, adults in recovery backpacking trip), the core elements of the practice are found in the vision quest.
 


The vision quest is a form of solo retreat with ancient roots in many cultures. It can serve as a rite of passage to mark important life changes as well as a profound healing experience. The heart of the vision quest is a solo encounter with wild nature. Core elements include an intentional period of solitary fasting in nature. Duration of the solo could be several hours to several days and requires the quester to dwell in the wilderness with a minimum of equipment and distraction. The solitude is uninterrupted by contact with other people so that the participant can look clearly into the soul of nature for wisdom and understanding. Guides occupy a nearby base camp and are available if needed throughout the solo. Fasting is recommended unless the individual’s medical condition won’t allow it, in which case alternate options are possible. Water is consumed to promote health and physical cleansing. During the solo, the quester will have a tarp, sleeping bag, and enough clothes to sustain a basic level of comfort. Distracting media are discouraged. As a result of this simplification process, the participant experiences a retreat of exceptional depth. In virtually every case the vision quest is a profoundly life changing experience. The vision gained in the solo time motivates and empowers the individual to take on a whole new definition of one’s self and purpose.
 

Though all life experience carries with it some element of risk, I do my best to minimize the risks inherent in wilderness travel. As a rule, the trips are not high risk backcountry adventures but are slow-paced, using the landscape as a mirror for reflection and inspiration. Participation does require a willingness to forego civilized comforts for a time and live on the earth in a self-reliant and simple fashion.

 
I frame my work in non-dogmatic and non-denominational formats so that it can be useful to a wide range of people. I do not offer religious practices tied to any specific organization or system. I honor the many indigenous traditions that also work with the spirit of the land. I have no intention to mimic these traditions. My method seeks to respect the authentic knowing of any person or group who is seeking a genuine engagement with the spirit of the world.

My guidance is supportive rather than authoritarian. This keeps the work grounded in the earth, the elements, and the soul of the participant. Nature’s myriad forms are powerful teachers in themselves. I lead people to the threshold of mystery and let the experience speak for itself. My role is to establish a safe and empowering container for this encounter. Within such a haven, the participant can unfold her/his heart and senses to receive nature’s profound offerings.		  

STAFF
 

Hannah Maris, MS, Environmental Studies, Registered Maine Guide:

My work centers on the nature-person relationship and the amazing dialogue and collaborative healing that can be found there. I studied wilderness rites of passage at The School of Lost Borders in California and received further training in wilderness first aid and various creative and spiritual disciplines. I earned my masters degree from Antioch/New England.

From earliest memory, I have experienced nature as a safe haven and source of companionship and inspiration. The practice of enjoying solitude in nature and learning from the wild ones is at the very core of who I am. The joy and wonder of engaging with the spirit in nature has been my lifelong guide and guardian, sustaining me through times bleak and confusing.

I am a singer/songwriter with one CD out and another in the works, an activist, and mom. My long term sobriety and personal recovery brings depth and compassion to my work as a vision quest guide. Avid loves include swimming, hiking, kayaking, and biking. I am happiest living outdoors and am partial to Maine’s lakes and mountains, Florida's beaches and springs, and the canyon country of the Colorado plateau.

 

 

 

 Experienced guest co-guides support many trips depending on the location and theme of the outing as well as the needs of the participants.