Hypha’s name comes from the thread-like parts of mycelium that move across a forest floor searching for connections and communication information. We are inspired by nature’s example to find solutions that connect and regenerate. My ideas about interconnectivity have been adapted from adrienne maree brown; Roshi Joan Halifax, and Stephanie Pace Marshall.

Humans are storytelling animals. While data and science are necessary for changing systems, we need stories to spark imagination and empathy. Narrative is an important therapeutic tool for connection and healing. Writers and thinkers like Rebecca Solnit, Anthony Doerr, and Krista Tippett, who use story—whether in essays, fiction, or podcasts—to share complex information are my teachers.

The body holds a lot of wisdom that we too often ignore or don’t even understand how to access. When we stretch or play or dance or simply walk on the earth, our perspective is enlarged; we remember we are animals. My work is informed by somatic practitioners who come from the worlds of yoga, dance, theatre, and psychology, including Kripalu yoga, Michael Rohd, Staci K. Haines, Liz Lerman, David Berceli, and Peter Levine.

Where we do our work effects the work. A windowless meeting room and a forest teeming with microscopic life will bring about different ideas. We must be respectful of the role that space plays when we trust in emergence, and when we give ourselves time and space to hear ourselves. My teachers are the Driftless region, the California coast, the many retreat spaces I’ve entered, the woods of my childhood, and my own garden.

This phrase has become a bit too trendy in recent years, but I stand by it! It speaks of the need to have someone in the role of witness during the many difficult or complex conversations our world needs. We need people present who don’t have a vested interest in an outcome. Rather, they make sure everyone is heard and offer unexpected and perhaps playful ways to approach the issue. They track moods and time and if the room is too hot. They are the care takers and the guides. I’m grateful for the examples of Anna Jackson, Fisher Qua, Michael Rohd, and Heather Plett.