About Us
The name Green Insights carries two meanings: "green" for the natural world; and "green" for the fresh insights that emerge when we slow down enough to pay attention. Both are at the heart of what we do. Our programs are founded in these six core beliefs:
- The lessons of the natural world are ever-present if we slow down enough to hear them.
- Connection to nature is a basic human need and one that modern life makes increasingly hard to meet.
- Mindful awareness is a bridge to genuine connection with nature, ourselves, and each other.
- Opportunities to experience the restorative power of nature should be available to everyone, not only to those with money or proximity to wilderness.
- A strengthened connection to the natural world can awaken a deeper understanding of the earth and a desire to protect it.
- We are not inventors of mindfulness in nature practices, but merely stewards of traditions that have evolved across thousands of years and cultures.
Our Founder
Green Insights was established by Mindfulness Teacher and Landscape Architect Jane Sedonaen. Jane has over 30 years of experience in outdoor recreation, nature programs, landscape architecture, leadership, group facilitation, and wellness.
As the founder of Green Insights, Jane leads nature retreats, mindfulness courses, and facilitated workshops for groups and individuals seeking restoration and connection. She is passionate about the connections between people and outdoor spaces and the benefits to health and wellness. Her teachings explore the use of nature-based meditation practices to counterbalance the effects of technology on our lives.
Prior to Green Insights, Jane spent twenty years as co-founder and principal of Integrated Design Studio (IDS), a landscape architecture firm that designs outdoor spaces for schools, community-based organizations, and public spaces. She believes that site design must consider not only the physical site but also the larger social context and the relationship between users and the environment. She now retains a role as a consulting principal emeritus at IDS.
In her earlier career endeavors, Jane served as a summer camp director for several summers. She also served on the faculty at San Francisco State University Department of Recreation where she taught undergraduate courses in leisure wellness, play, and outdoor leadership. At SFSU, she also directed a program to train students, recreation professionals, and summer camp staff in the facilitation of activities and inclusive games for young people.
Jane is a certified mindfulness teacher through the Mindfulness Training Institute and the International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA) and has completed the Awake in the Wild Teacher Training, an in-depth program in nature-based meditation and facilitation. She holds a Master's in Recreation from San Francisco State University is a licensed landscape architect in California (RLA #5057).
Jane lives in Berkeley, CA, and enjoys biking, swimming, gardening, and spending time with her wife and small dog. Jane is also a landscape painter whose work reflects her love of stillness, observation, and the natural world.
