The intention of Mountain Stream Academy is to provide people with wellness practices that incorporate nature and help people reconnect with the natural world while simultaneously finding more peace and contentment in their lives.

As an individual with generalized and social anxiety disorders, I often find staying in the present moment difficult as I tend to dwell on past situations and worry about the future. I’ve found incorporating both meditative and mindfulness practices as well as exploring nature to be helpful in reducing my anxiety and want to share the practices I’ve discovered and developed with a wide range of people.

I have always found the natural world to be inspiring and relaxing. I’ve hiked and explored mountains with lovely alpine lakes as well as open prairies, pine forests, wetlands, ocean shores, and rock formations in deserts. In all these locations, I feel a deep connection to the Earth that is often uplifting, calming, and inspiring. The restorative abilities of nature stay with me when I return to daily life as I often use these experiences as the foci for visualizations.

My love of nature led to my pursuit of multiple degrees (MS in biology; PhD in Ecology) in the biological sciences. Mountain streams were the topics of my graduate research, but moreover became my refuge from the stress and anxiety of life. They taught me to enjoy nature, to live in the present moment, and to be grateful for my interactions with all living things. I gained a deeper appreciation for the breathtaking beauty of blue skies, mountain peaks, and cascading streams. I waded through hot-spring enriched streams in Yellowstone National Park, crossed cold mountain creeks in Montana, and searched rocky streambeds in the Cascade Mountains. I examined transects in sagebrush streams in Idaho and collected samples in glacial till rivers in Tetons National Park. For over five years, my summers found me in streams, river, lakes, and wetlands across the western United States and although I learned a great deal of the ecology of these waters, being in these spaces was a balm for my soul. As I developed a deeper connection to the land and water, I became more connected to my own feelings and began to understand myself and my place in the world.

My hope for Mountain Stream Academy is to help others find their way back to nature and to themselves. The mindfulness activities, guided meditations, and nature-inspired courses are designed to help anyone at any stage in life develop the skills and knowledge to find peace, beauty, and connection with the natural world and within their own minds, bodies, and spirits.

With Loving Kindness,

Michele Larson, B.S., M.S, M. Ed, Ph. D.

Certification in Mindfulness and Meditation Instruction