Mindful BIRDING

Discover a simple yet potent way to cultivate relaxation, a quiet mind, and a deep love for birds.

Learn the secret language of the birds along the way.

EVENTS AND COURSES

Bird Kinship

Online and In-The-Land Series with

Weaving Earth

SUMMER | July 7 - July 30, 2026

FALL | Oct 6 - Oct 29, 2026

Bird Kinship is a journey into mindful birding and bird language. These simple yet potent practices cultivate a quiet mind, bring relaxation, deepen our kinship with birds, and invite us into the ecological conversation happening all around us.

Bird Kinship invites co-regulation with both the birds and one another, offers resourcing, and shares much-needed moments of peace. Attuning with the birds allows us to tune into the nervous system of the land — awakening the reciprocal conversation between the living world and ourselves.

Weaving Earth Center for Relational Education provides nature-based education for action at the confluence of ecological, social and personal systems change.

This course meets online twice per week for four weeks. Cohorts are available in spring, summer, and fall.

Lifeways Back fund, sliding scale, and scholarships are available.

TAMMAH WATTS

Author of "Keep Looking Up, Your Guide to the

Powerful Healing of Birdwatching"

"Right outside your door flies just what you’ve been looking for to help ease symptoms of stress, pain, depression, and anxiety. All you have to do is look up, take notice, and open your heart and mind."

CLIENTS

WHY MINDFUL BIRDING

MINDFULNESS

Relax into a quiet mind.

Enjoy watching birds? Did you know that birdwatching is a gateway to a powerful mindfulness practice? It’s called a “bird sit.”

A bird sit is like an outdoor meditation with a focus on birds. Bird sits provide similar benefits to mindfulness practices, including relaxation and quiet mind. The practice also cultivates a deeper bond with the birds around us and gives us an opportunity to witness them up close.

This practice reflects the power of simply showing up. As we sit with the birds, we form a strong kinship with them and the natural world around us.

BIRD LANGUAGE

Discover what birds are saying.

When we do mindful birding, the birds reveal their secret language. Birds pay close attention to everything that happens in the landscape because their survival depends on it. They communicate to announce food sources, declare territory, attract a mate, coordinate within a flock, and sound the alarm when danger appears. We can learn to decode their secret language – and quickly – with a little bit of practice. You'll be amazed.

Perhaps you have already noticed this subtle conversation:

Do you feel the ease and peace in your body when the birds are singing?
Has your body ever picked up on the tension that comes when the birds suddenly go quiet?
Can you walk down the street without making the birds fly away from you?

HEALTH BENEFITS

A potent wellness practice.

Studies show that spending time outside is healthy and nourishing for our bodies and minds. Mindful birding can help reduce stress, sharpen concentration, and improve our well-being.

A study by the University of Michigan concluded that if we connect with nature for at least 20 minutes at a time, 3 times a week, our cortisol levels will be lowered significantly.

Mindful birding is the perfect way to enjoy time in nature while both activating your senses and calming your nervous system.