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"Your spirit
imbues this place with energy and passion.
I value so much how authentic
you are and how authentic you try to make this place."
Rita Alfonso-LaBarbara, Portland, Maine
Jen with her cat Mollyocket
For the latest happenings:
NTN Winter Newsletter 2008 Beginning
our 10th season (!), NTN is led by founder and owner, Jen Deraspe, Licensed
Maine Guide, group facilitator and university educator. She finds her
passion in guiding people back home, to their hearts, by accessing the
wisdom & healing power found in nature and in themselves.
Jen
has extensive outdoor recreational experience, having led women on excursions
for the past 13 years. For her professional life, Jen has instructed in higher education in the areas of health, wellness and
sports medicine. After 17 years of service, Jen is stepping down from
her adjunct faculty post at the University of Southern Maine in order to
fully devote herself to her passions in retreat leading, group
facilitation, and walking in her own truth in the moment at hand.
A life-long learner, Jen is passionate about wild, natural places and has
been led down the path of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practices, as
well as the study of wellness, alternative therapies, and the universal
Truths found in many spiritual practices. In Jen's experience,
the most direct, simple and profound method
she has found to find freedom and lasting peace is through The Work of
Byron Katie.
Jen
is a graduate of The School for The Work of Byron Katie and loves to share
the simple and transformative process of questioning our stressful
thoughts for the love of truth with those that are open to it. The Work
work's miracles for those willing to look within for the
possibilities found in questioning the beliefs that cause so much suffering
and stress. Seeing the benefits first hand in her life
and in her clients, Jen is passionate about sharing her love for The Work
through the eclectic program offerings at Nurture Through Nature. Also a
yoga and meditation instructor and Registered Maine Guide, Jen's weaving of holistic offerings
and her love for nature brings great
possibilities through a great variety of methods.
A
Maine native, Jen's playground was and remains the woods, mountains, and
clear waters of western Maine . Fun-spirited and playful, Jen is most at home
in nature, taking in the gifts, teachings, quiet and beauty found there.
Nurture Through Nature
is an
EPA Green Power Partner!
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would like to thank Nurture
through Nature for making a significant green power purchase. Your
commitment, along with those of other Green Power Partners, helps to
reduce the risks associated with climate change by supporting technologies
that are more sustainable for businesses and communities.
Nurture
Through Nature is a member the Maine Business Listing, out performing other Maine businesses
in reliability, quality and customer service.
"The serenity, growth, and insights available
through our programming and in our carefully selected natural places that
we share with you has proven again and again to be transformative and
healing. If you are investigating your life and are ready to invest in
you, are seeking greater peace, of learning in a safe and supportive space, please
join our ever-expanding circle.
The greatest gift I can give, both to you and to me, is to expand my
consciousness~my awareness. As I do, I am adding to the expansion of the
Universe, and All-That-Is by my expansion. As my mind gets clearer, my
heart opens more and more and I am finding myself in love and appreciation
more than I ever have before.
I see and draw to me, through Divine Love, those who seek self-realization
through the processes that work for me and that I share with humility and
honor.
Source Energy, I ask to clearly speak your words; my words, to help lead others to broader understandings.
I come to share how I have found freedom and possibility in my life as
well as the places where they are still obscure to me. I come to serve and
to share my loves with you."
Jen Deraspe, owner, Nurture Through Nature
Words Inspired by the Teachings of Abraham, Byron Katie & in witnessing my
life unfolding along my journey home.
Testimonial
"The idea that one finds health and wholeness in the wilderness
was not new to me. I had experienced it before. I could have taken a
solo retreat from my busy life and gone camping alone. But then I would
have missed the richness that a group of women offers. I felt buoyed
by the support of the group and honored to witness the unfolding of
others. Jen is a powerful leader, speaking truth from the heart in word
and action. Not only did I really enjoy these eight wonder-filled days,
but I am also returning home with a sense of balance and mindfulness
that is carrying over into my family and workplace.
Thank you." Jackie Grannis-Phoenix, Maine, August '05
More about Jen
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NTN staff
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 Claire
Betze,
Registered Maine Guide
"I
remember myself as a kid always wanting to climb those "mountains" on
the side of the road when we would stop at rest stops on family
vacations. Now, I realize that was the beginning of wanting to be up
high on a mountain top, always with a view to breathe into my soul.
Years later, I find myself with an unquenchable thirst to be outside
and to experience the outdoors and simplicity of Nature. I find spirit
in Nature - my own and that of a higher power. It brings me back to
center and rejuvenates my soul. I believe that introducing people to
the outdoors is a wonderful opportunity to open
whatever doors that may be found along the way." |
 Sarah Weafer, LMT, has been a Licensed Massage
Therapist since 1995, and specializes in providing pain relief for
women in her Bridgton, Maine practice. She has advanced training in
oncology massage, and currently works with people with cancer in their
homes. When she's not working, you can find Sarah outside, hiking,
running or cross country skiing with her dogs and two children. Sarah
is available by appointment for therapeutic massage for our guests and
also offers her services during some of our retreats as announced. |
Jennifer
Ries,
Registered Maine Guide, is a naturalist, and Instructor at Earthways School of Wilderness
Living. She gives presentations and offers skill workshops at schools
and organizations throughout the state of Maine. Growing up in Missouri, Jen spent most of her time in the
fields and woods near her childhood home. After years of travel
and learning, she settled in Maine to pursue her passion for the
outdoors.
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Our Logo
In Native American teachings, the turtle is the oldest symbol for planet
Earth. It is the personification of goddess energy, and the eternal
Mother from which our lives evolve. We are born of the womb of the Earth,
and to her soil our bodies will return. In honoring the Earth, we are
asked by Turtle to be mindful of the cycle of give and take,
to give back to the Mother as she has given to us.
Medicine Cards, Jamie Sams
Our Promise...
"Let us guide you home..."
Our intention for your retreat is to create a space for you to
remember your heart
and it's awesome power in your life.
Your heart is your home and NTN is here to help you remember your
heart's whispers and longings.
Why
do we specialize in retreats for women?
"We have no competitive
element in our outdoor adventure experiences and instead focus on groups
coming together in cooperation and community, providing support for each
other in all situations, roles and settings. There is power in honoring
the comaraderie of women in nature. In creating a cooperative spirit in
all that we do, our retreats lead to special bonding amongst our participants.
Many strong friendships are established and maintained as a result of
time and rich experiences shared in nature. Many client's husbands or
partners do not prefer spending time in outdoor recreation or holistic
retreats. We create a safe space for women to join in with other women
who want to "get away", obligations and responsibilities left
behind for a much needed respite. We value the company of women.
Sharing in a new experience with other women has proven again and again
to be a healing, fulfilling and rewarding experience for our participants.
We are weaving an ever-expanding web of women who honor and remember their
authentic spirits as they rise up above the preconceived roles and expectations
set by self and others.
We incorporate gentle nature explorations to integrate body and spirit.
Our circles provide a balance of depth & lightness, group and solo
space, movement and stillness. We create space for reflection and restoration
in the natural world, deepening our connection to the living eart and
all of its dependents, including ourselves. Those ready to delve into
their inner world in a safe and supportive environment will gain a new
awareness that is priceless.
We offer Holistic Canoe Trips in Maine and the southwestern US, as well as Weekend Retreats
at our home base in Denmark, Maine, in the heart of the lakes and mountains
of Western Maine. The retreat land rests on 33 acres on Pleasant Mountain,
pictured above, in lofty view of the White Mountains, near the Maine~New
Hampshire border.
Civility and Diversity Policy
Nurture Through Nature (NTN) is a growing community of women from diverse
backgrounds committed to providing equal access for all community members to
learn and retreat together. In addition, NTN has an
anti-discrimination policy which requires that this access be available to
all people regardless of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national
origin or citizenship status, age, disability, or veteran status.
NTN is a place for the active examination, the exchange of ideas, and the
investigation of our internal workings. NTN strives to maintain a climate of
justice and safety marked by mutual respect for each other. We are committed
to the highest standards of civility and decency, and to promoting and
supporting a community where all people can work and learn together in an
atmosphere free of abusive or demeaning treatment.
NTN is not a place for threats or intimidation of others on any basis.
NTN rejects acts of discrimination or harassment based on race, ethnicity,
age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, veteran status, and political
beliefs. NTN encourages staff and guests to report any behavior which
targets individuals or groups based on race, color, religion, sexual
orientation, national origin or citizenship status, age, disability, or
veteran status. All reported incidents of alleged violations of this policy
will be investigated.
Testimonial
"This
retreat was the nicest thing I have ever done for myself~no spa, cruise,
concert, or travel has had the affect this week has had. I have seen beautiful
places, met fascinating people, had my body pampered and my mind challenged,
but none of these have given me this sense of self appreciation like the
experience I had with
Nurture Through Nature;
I now have the determination to improve my life."
SJ Kirksey, Maryland
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