Becoming Conscious of One's Own Limits Within Nature to Live Sustainably

Becoming Conscious of One's Own Limits Within Nature to Live SustainablyThis outdoor nature immersion experience and inquiry was part of our Outdoor Environment class and took place in the Thompson-Okanagan region, including Penticton, West Kelowna, Vernon, and Kamloops in the spring of 2025.As a group, we explored how our sensory, embodied encounters with morethan-human beings can reshape how we understand ourselves and become more conscious of our own limits within nature to live sustainably.Initially drawing on the practice of Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing), we examined how slowing down and engaging deeply through our sense of touch could create space for relational and pedagogical transformation.Our experiences, often marked by discomfort, became generative moments that invited us into connection with the more-than-human beings.Through our processes and encounters, we noticed how the sensations could disrupt our ways of thinking and call us to be more responsive with(in) nature.Stepping in with no pre-determined outcomes, we connected our experiences to Gert Biesta's (2020) concept of subjectification, where we were active participants in our own education and outdoor immersions.Our work highlights the pedagogical possibility of uncertainty, emergence and relational encounters.Through curiosity, agency, discomfort, and attunement, we gained true knowledge, relationships, and learning with(in) our outdoor environments.