Alexis Slutzky leads a “Land Listening & Earth Circle” on January 18

In the wake of the devastating L.A. fires, it seems an especially poignant moment to pause and take time to reflect on our relationship with the land. For Alexis Slutzky, MA, MFT, a longtime local who works as a mentor, facilitator and educator in a wide variety of depth-oriented practices with a focus on cultivating a wise, wild, and compassionate inner landscape, just about every day is the right time to commune with the earth for the benefit of both the people and land.

Recently, though, Slutzky has started leading a “Land Listening & Earth Circle” gathering on the third Saturday of each month, a practice for participants to offer their attunement to the land and receive the gift that comes with listening, opening to guidance and shifting our orientation away from human supremacy towards all the beings in creation. 

“Given how easy it is for us to create stories and hear what we want to hear, it’s important to take time to listen to the land, which is our ancestral inheritance,” she said. “Indigenous people all over know that it’s a primary way of orienting ourselves in the embedded field of relationships and receiving guidance. With just the state of the world – politically, socially and technologically – it makes that simple gesture of offering our attention and respect a way to access the deeper wisdom beyond our human minds.”

Slutzky said she has often gravitated towards nature more than humans for long periods of her life, even more so after an experience at the beach on her birthday several years ago. 

“I went out to speak to the ocean and give my thanks and praises, and a whale emerged close in front of me and looked at me. The impact of that kind of exchange, a mutual reverent encounter of speaking in a language that’s older than words, still gives me the sense of being connected to something much bigger than our human communities, which of course is
so essential.”

Participants in the January 18 “Land Listening & Earth Circle” will have the opportunity to both open to the natural world and share connection with other people in the three-hour experience, which starts with a circle to ground, set context, and orient with an embodiment process and song. Then people can wander out on their own “To meet a non-human being and listen to the land” – a fly, a rock, a plant or the elements, for example – for an hour or more before returning to the gathering space for a council circle where each participant will have the opportunity to share a story or whatever arises from the experience.

“We just began in November, so my hope and intention is that over time we function as an organism with the folks who come,” Slutzky said. “The opening is really just an informal ritual flow, checking in and letting ourselves be known who’s here, but trying not to spend too much time with our own stories and our chattering minds. Then we move off into our own space to be with the wonder of the natural world, which is such a balm for
these times.”

Slutzky said that the anxiety and grief over the L.A. fires are likely to emerge this Saturday, as is the whole topic of climate related disasters. 

“All of this stems from our relationships and lack of regard for other than human beings and the elements,” she said. “But it’s in our capacity and our DNA to know how to make beauty and how to actually steward and tend the land.”

There is no fee for the gathering (although donations are accepted) held in the Santa Barbara foothills, in historic Chumash territory 10 minutes from downtown Santa Barbara and Montecito. People will receive the location and instructions after registering online at www.alexisslutzky.com/land-listening-earth-circle, where you can also learn more about Slutzky’s workshops and upcoming grief circles. 

Online Offerings 

Veteran meditation teachers Dr. Lorin Roche and Camille Maurine, who presented a riveting workshop based on Roche’s transcendent book The Radiance Sutras at Yoga Soup in the pre-pandemic days, are participating in the eighth annual “The Power of Meditation” online summit. The free 10-day event, which begins January 21, addresses “How to Heal Anxieties and Cultivate Enduring Peace Through Dharma, Somatics, and Psychotherapy.” Teachers representing a wide swath of wisdom traditions will be included in the emailed summit that features 40 expert interviews, 20 embodiment practices and 10 guided meditations. Visit https://powerofmeditationsummit.com. 

New York City-native Sharon Salzberg is once again offering her 15th annual “Real Happiness” challenge, a 28-day exploration of meditation based on her 2010 New York Times bestselling book of the same name. The February 1-28 program covers a full spectrum of meditation techniques to empower participants with a robust tool kit for a happier life. The seven to 10 minute long lessons are organized into four one-week themes covering Concentration, Mindfulness of the Body, Mindfulness of Thoughts & Emotions, and Lovingkindness, with each lesson including a teaching, guided meditation via pre-recorded video plus a transcript, meditation tip of the day, inspirational artwork and FAQ. Participants have full access through May 31. The Challenge is offered on a sliding scale basis, with a suggested contribution of a dollar-a-day ($28) with full scholarships available for those who cannot contribute financially. Visit www.sharonsalzberg.com/real-happiness-challenge-2025.