Workshops & Retreats

Mindfulness in Nature:
A Restorative Day Retreat

An Immersive Introduction to Nature Based Therapy

Sunday 14 September | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Limited to 16 Participants

In the heart of a fast-paced, often overwhelming world, this half-day retreat offers a grounding return to self and to nature. Join facilitators Kit Kline and Sheryl Hanula for a restorative experience designed to reduce stress and anxiety through the gentle practices of mindfulness, nature-based mindfulness, and metaphorical reflection in nature.

Through guided activities, you will learn how to regulate your nervous system with the help of the natural world, awaken your intuition, and explore the messages that nature offers when we slow down and listen deeply.

What to Expect:

  • Mindfulness practices to calm the mind and body

  • Guided nature-based mindfulness walks

  • Reflective exercises using nature as metaphor for personal insight

  • Conversations around wellbeing, self-care, and sustainable integration

  • A nourishing shared lunch in good company

Whether you're new to mindfulness or looking to deepen your practice, this retreat is a gentle invitation to pause, reconnect, and realign. This is a welcoming and inclusive space—open to everyone, with limited spots available (16 max) to ensure an intimate and supported experience.

Facilitated by:
Kit Kline – Social Worker, Founder of Nature Based Therapy, Clinical Supervisor and PHD student.
Sheryl Hanula – Mindfulness Facilitator and Nature Connection Guide

Location: Cedar Room, VanDusen Botanical Garden
Date & Time: Sunday 14 September | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Ticket includes: all materials, guided sessions, and a shared lunch

Reconnect. Reflect. Restore.
Book now—spaces are limited!

Why Is This For You?

  • You’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious, and you’re ready to try a gentle, nature-based approach to support your wellbeing.

  • You’re craving time to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and breathe more deeply.

  • You’ve been curious about mindfulness or nature connection, and want to explore it in a supported, welcoming space.

  • You want to learn practical ways to self-regulate using tools that are grounded in both ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience.

  • You’re seeking clarity, insight, or answers—and are open to receiving them through the natural metaphors and messages found in the living world.

  • You value shared reflection, community connection, and meaningful conversations about how to care for yourself in a way that feels sustainable.

If any of this speaks to you, this retreat is your invitation to pause, listen, and come home to yourself—through nature.

The One Day Experience

We are living in a time of profound disconnection—from ourselves, each other, and the natural world that sustains us. In a society driven by speed, technology, and consumption, we are too often pulled away from our true nature—forgetting that we are not separate from nature, we are nature.

This one-day retreat invites you to remember.
To return.
To reconnect.

Guided by Kit Kline, founder of Nature Based Therapy, and Sheryl Hanula, a graduate of the NBT Accreditation Program and nature-based wellness facilitator, you’ll be immersed in a day of deep connection, reflection, and healing in the heart of Vancouver’s VanDusen Botanical Garden.

Together, we’ll explore the Fundamentals of Nature-Based Therapy—an approach that sees nature as both healer and teacher. Through guided mindfulness, nature reflections, and narrative dialogue, we’ll experience how nature mirrors our inner world, offering clarity, resilience, and embodied wisdom.

This retreat is not only for your personal wellbeing, but also for those working in healing and helping professions—counselling, social work, education, aged care, plant medicine work, and more. You’ll learn how to integrate these practices into your life and work to support the health of others while staying connected to your own sense of inner balance.

You’ll experience:

🌿 Guided nature-based mindfulness and reflection practices
🌿 Group discussions that honour ancient wisdom and collective insight
🌿 Shared meals and nourishing conversation in community
🌿 Integration tools to bring nature-based insight into everyday life
🌿 A sacred space where story, silence, and nature speak as one

This day is about more than relaxation—it's about relearning how to co-exist with the earth and each other. It’s a call to step into a biophilic way of living, working, and being—where connection to nature becomes central to our healing and our purpose.

Whether you're a professional seeking new tools, or an individual seeking peace and clarity—this experience is for you.
Come as you are. Leave changed.

Spaces are limited—book early to avoid missing out.

10:00 AM – Welcome & Grounding Meditation
Settle into the space and begin your retreat with a gentle grounding meditation to arrive fully in your body, in nature, and in the present moment.

10:30 AM – Nature-Based Mindfulness & Connection Walk
Guided by Kit and Sheryl, you'll explore the practice of nature-based mindfulness through a slow, sensory walk that awakens your awareness and deepens your connection to the land.

11:30 AM – Shared Nourishing Lunch
Enjoy a wholesome, shared lunch in community. This is a time to nourish your body, connect with others, and rest in the spirit of reciprocity and ease.

Sunday September 14th 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

12:15 PM – Nature Reflections & Metaphorical Inquiry
Through facilitated reflection and nature-based journaling or conversation, you’ll explore how nature speaks to your current experience—offering insight, symbols, and guidance.


1:00 PM – Integration for Daily Life
We’ll close with integrative practices and shared conversation on how to take your learnings forward—so you can continue to support your nervous system, emotional wellbeing, and intuitive wisdom in everyday life.


2:00 PM – Closing Circle
We'll come together to complete the retreat with a sense of groundedness, gratitude, and shared presence.

Retreat Agenda:

Why Attend?

🌿 Give yourself the gift of a nourishing day in nature—to rest, reconnect, and reawaken your senses.
🌱 Learn practical tools to support your mental and emotional regulation through mindful nature connection.
🍃 Explore how to use nature metaphors to gain insight and clarity in your personal and professional life.
🌼 Deepen your understanding of nature-based practices for integration work, including in the context of plant medicine.
🌞 Join a small, supportive group of like-minded people committed to wellbeing, reflection, and community.

Event Details

📅 Date: Sunday 14 September
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM (please arrive by 9:45 AM)
👥 Limited Spaces: Max 16 participants
📍 Location: VanDusen Botanical Gardens
🚗 Parking: Free/onsite parking available
🍲 Lunch: Nourishing, shared lunch provided
👣 What to Bring: Water bottle and comfortable clothing

FAQs

Is this event suitable for beginners?
Yes! This retreat is open to anyone curious about mindfulness, nature connection, or seeking simple, grounding ways to reduce stress.

What if it rains?
We embrace nature in all weather. Please dress accordingly. A sheltered area will be available for lunch and reflections.

Do I need to bring lunch?
No. A wholesome, shared lunch is included. Please let us know of any dietary requirements when registering

Kit Kline

Kit Kline was born in Vancouver, Canada and has Wampanoag, German, Scotish and Irish ancestry. She is a registered social worker and clinical supervisor with over 20 years of experience working as a counsellor specialising in mental wellbeing and addictions both within mainstream community health and Aboriginal healthcare services. Kit has a master’s degree in social work as well as a master’s degree in Aboriginal studies, a BA in Indigenous studies and post graduate qualifications in mental health, alcohol and other drugs, welfare studies, youth work, holistic healing and training and assessment. She is also a certified Compassionate Inquiry practitioner with a passion for social and environmental justice.

Kit is the Founder of Nature Based Therapy. Her approach consists of implementing nature-based interventions and takes a holistic approach to working with people supporting them to find and work with their authentic self. Kit lives on the surf coast of Victoria in Australia, where she moved to when she was 9, and has four children whom she enjoys spending time in nature with, traveling, and learning about different cultures.

Your facilitators:

Sheryl Hanula

Sheryl Hanula is a community wellness facilitator and a passionate advocate for psychedelic integration, ecological consciousness, and embodied living. Her work bridges nature therapy, somatic meditation, and creative expression to help individuals reconnect with their bodies, land, and inner knowing.

As the founder of Nourishmeant Radical Wellness, Sheryl designs transformative programs that weave together neuroscience, altered states, traditional wisdom, and nature-connectedness practices. With over two decades of experience exploring cultural diversity and consciousness studies, she brings a grounded yet visionary approach to healing and integration.

Sheryl’s offerings are rooted in authenticity, heart-centredness, and the belief that wellness begins with a return to the earth and the truth within.