What creates a Healing Space? Light and air, colors and textures, palpable feelings of well-being, a magnetic energy of beauty and safety.

The Gathering Room (pictured above) is just one of many healing spaces at Mesa Refuge. Surrounded by curvy coastal live oak trees, tidal wetlands, and fragrant wild grasses, sunlight and fog dance across every window. A peaceful quiet, a warm fire, and mug of herbal tea nurtures the writer in us. We can sink into and delight in our own deep creativity, and, possibly, an experience of healing.

“The notion that nature was important to healing had been around for thousands of years—going back to classical times, when temples to Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, were built far from towns, high up on hilltops overlooking the sea. But by the late twentieth century, the field of medicine and state-of-the-art hospitals were generally designed to accommodate state-of-the-art equipment.

“Before the technological revolution of the twentieth century, medicine had often believed that environment played a role in healing. The idea that physical space might contribute to healing now in twenty-first century ecological systems thinking has a scientific basis.

“Healing is thought of in the twenty-first century as a sense of wholeness experienced alone and with others in beautiful sunlight and starlight, in thrilling conversations, in feelings of empathy and shared grief, in the joy and support of true friendship.”

 – Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being by Esther M. Sternberg, M.D.

Come join us to explore your creativity in Mesa Refuge’s Healing Space.

Sliding scale $50-100. Limited to 12 participants. Please reach out to nkansky@mesarefuge.org if the cost of the workshop is prohibitive to your participation.

Cancellation Policy: In order to receive a partial refund (a $15 admin fee is deducted from your payment), we require 7 days notice. 

Jaune Evans is a writer and visual artist. She serves as a senior meditation teacher and ordained Soto Zen priest with the Heart of Compassion Zen Sangha and the Bay Area Everyday Zen lineage. Jaune worked in public policy and philanthropy for three decades as the Executive Director of several foundations. Her ongoing interests and professional expertise include public health and hospice, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, protecting sacred lands and waters, cultural and human rights, gender empowerment, and global justice alliance-building. She serves on the Board of Directors of Commonweal, as well as the leadership team of Healing Circles Global. Her relationship with and love for Mesa Refuge as Board Member, Spiritual Writing Fellow, and Creative Advisor spans seventeen years of vibrant life in the Bay Area.