Episode 67: Sharing Nature and the Power of Deep Play with Joseph Bharat Cornell

Episode 67:
Sharing Nature and the Power of Deep Play

Guest: Joseph Bharat Cornell

Hosted by: Marina Robb

Joseph Bharat Cornell

In today's episode I have the deep honour of welcoming Joseph Bharat Cornell - a world-renowned author, educator, naturalist, and pioneer in the field of nature connection.

Joseph’s Sharing Nature books have sold over a million copies and been translated into twenty-five languages, sparking what’s been called a worldwide revolution in nature education.

Back in the 1970s, Joseph pioneered an experiential, heart-centered approach to learning in nature, now known as Flow Learning™.

This transformative model, along with his joyful and accessible activities, has touched the lives of countless children and adults across the world - from inner-city classrooms to remote wilderness trails. His latest work, Deep Nature Play, continues this mission, guiding us into a deeper sense of wholeness, creativity, and connection through immersive play.

In this deeply inspiring conversation with Joseph Bharat Cornell, we explore the power of nature connection, experiential learning, and the inner stillness that transforms how we live, teach, and relate to the world. Meditation, yoga philosophy, and other wisdom traditions greatly influenced his work. Joseph has lived in the Ananda Community as a monk and teacher since 1975.

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In this episode, we dive into how:

Joseph shares how moments of stillness and inner joy led him to a life of nature connection

The natural world evokes a sense of reverence and belonging when we engage through feeling rather than intellect

Flow Learning™ offers a four-stage process that supports deep, meaningful experiences in nature

Joyful play helps quiet the ego and allows children and adults to be fully present

In states of deep play and nature immersion, there is a diminished sense of ego — attention shifts from self to experience

Experiential learning is transformative — people retain the feeling of an experience long after facts are forgotten

Studies show that while most information is quickly lost, the emotional tone of an experience is remembered

Lasting learning happens when the whole being is involved — body, heart, and mind together

True education begins with experience; understanding follows naturally

Facilitators need to cultivate their own inner stillness in order to guide others

Activities like “Build a Tree” and “Camera Game” help participants enter a state of reverence

Calm feeling allows for deeper perception and connection than reactive emotion

Nature is egoless - being outdoors supports inner clarity and connection

Play is a universal language that encourages openness across all ages

Experiences like “Interview with Nature” use imagination to build empathy and awareness

Reflection and storytelling help integrate and deepen nature-based learning

Meditation and inner practice are essential parts of Joseph’s work and life

Hope comes from developing inner awareness — our calm presence can subtly influence the world.

Music by Geoff Robb: www.geoffrobb.com

Links and Resources

Joseph’s books, activities, and training courses are available at sharingnature.com.
Explore their online courses and international in-person trainings: sharingnature.com/worldwide.html

Many nature lovers have a deep desire to share nature with others. Sharing Nature Worldwide is a global movement that helps us share nature deeply and impactfully.
In May 2024, Sharing Nature Worldwide hosted a week-long international conference of core leaders to mentor new leaders and organizations interested in Flow Learning and the Sharing Nature methods and philosophy.

We offer two online training courses: An introductory Sharing Nature with Children course, and a nine-week comprehensive Sharing Nature Guide Training Course, with instructional videos and guided in-the-field activities and handouts.

We also offer in-person trainings in Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Europe including Portugal and Spain.
Visit https://www.sharingnature.com/worldwide.html for contact information for more details.

Meditation, yoga philosophy, and other wisdom traditions greatly influenced his work. Joseph has lived in the Ananda Community as a monk and teacher since 1975.

1. Watching the Breath: The Hong Sau Meditation Technique
https://www.ananda.org/meditation/meditation-support/articles/hong-sau-technique-of-meditation/

2. The results from the 2018 study, Flow Learning’s Resonance with Conscious Energy70, demonstrate Flow Learning’s power to uplift human consciousness. Before and after five Flow Learning workshops, the study measured 112 participants’ blood pressure, heart rate, brain waves, and other markers.

The study also employed questionnaires to rate participants’ degree of concentration and observation, calmness and stillness, level of consciousness, and heart connection with nature. Dr. Hsiao, Shu-Bih, a former doctoral student and researcher at National Taiwan Normal University, and senior staff member at Yangmingshan National Park, cited in her Chinese language study many remarkable results:

96 percent of participants experienced an increase in their ability to feel nature deeply.
99 percent of participants were able to relax in body, mind, and spirit, and to obtain relief from stress.
97 percent of participants had retained deep memories of the session.
97 percent of participants were strongly inspired to love and protect nature.
97 percent of participants were able to focus on the present moment, often so intensely that they felt a sense of ecstasy.
100 percent of participants were “able to open themselves to nature with innocence.”

Here is an article in Time Magazine about the study on goldfish attention spans:
https://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/