Most people are unprepared if they were to encounter a survival situation – lost in the forest, stranded in the desert, or surviving a catastrophic weather event and the collapse of the electrical grid.
Survival is part improvisation and part knowledge. It is learning the little tricks to secure food, shelter and water, harmoniously utilizing the elements provided by nature.
The basic survival course teaches skills like starting a fire, finding and purifying water, navigating foreign terrains, building a temporary shelter, determining cardinal directions regardless of the day or night, self-defense, First Aid, and coping with Post Traumatic Stress. The basic survival course is not physically demanding because survival is learning easy ways to do what is necessary to stay alive. Participants learn to work with Nature, not against it.
Advanced courses are more challenging physically and will include skills such as scouting, tracking, stealth movement techniques, attuning to the vibration of the forest, sensing danger and threats, fishing, archery (make your own bow and arrow), outdoor cooking, recognizing edible plants, testing plants or allergens, and setting up emergency triage with limited resources. These courses are taught in the forest without electricity or running water and require camping in hand built shelters. (All meals are provided. Participants do not have to eat bugs or hunt iguana for dinner!)
Unlike traditional survival courses, the workshop structure includes a meditative/spiritual component to remain in harmony with the universe, much like indigenous tribes throughout the world. The most important tool in survival is the ability to stay calm and think clearly. Understanding how other humans will react in crisis and having the emotional tools to create a cohesive group to utilize each person’s skill set is an important part of survival, one not addressed by most courses. These techniques can be used as meditation, team building, management, and personal counseling tools in times of crisis and mass panic.
The course offerings at Harmonia will prepare students with skills necessary for living a sustainable off-grid lifestyle and community building, allowing people the opportunity to thrive in adversity. Many of the skills offered in the survival courses will be held as individual classes throughout the year.