Leisha Preparing for Our First Living Ground Self-Reliance Education Retreat
There is something beautiful about preparing for something that has not happened yet. For the past few weeks, we have been setting the stage for our very first Living Ground Self-Reliance Education Retreat, a seven-day Live Blood Immersion Workshop. The gardens are being cleaned and tended, the workshop room is being painted and transformed, and the kitchen is becoming a place of nourishment and gathering. Every corner of the Project Site is receiving a little extra care and attention, and it feels a bit like preparing your home for family you have not yet met.
I find myself walking through the property and imagining it filled with people. I can see students gathered around the microscope, seeing live blood for the first time and understanding that the body is not a collection of separate parts but an interconnected living ecosystem. I can picture conversations in the gardens about soil, microbes, food, and health. I can imagine laughter around the dining table and quiet moments of reflection as people begin connecting the dots between the health of the soil, the health of our food, and the health of our own internal terrain.
We are thinking about every detail. We are planning menus and writing recipes, deciding what foods will best nourish and support learning. We are preparing soups, herbal infusions, ferments, salads, and meals that tell a story of living food and care. We are not simply feeding people for seven days. We are creating an experience that allows people to feel what nourishment can be.
The workshop room is slowly becoming the space I have imagined for years. There will be microscopes, discussions, questions, and discoveries. There will be hands-on learning and moments when someone’s understanding suddenly shifts and a new perspective opens before them. The gardens will become classrooms, the kitchen will become a classroom, and even the meals themselves will become lessons. Every part of the Project Site has something to teach.
As I am always learning and continually going deeper into my understanding of nature and humans, I also decided to completely rewrite my book, Live Blood for Laypeople. This new edition reflects years of additional study, observation, teaching, and experience. It is an invitation to look beyond symptoms and begin seeing the body as a dynamic, interconnected terrain.
The book is now available in paperback on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Live-Blood-Guide-Patterns-Microscope/dp/B0H3LJCP9W/
A digital copy is also available through our website:
https://livingground.art/shop/
Recently, I spent several days on the coast. Over the years, the sea has become one of my favorite places to write. There is something about sitting beside the ocean that creates space to think deeply, and the rhythm of the waves seems to pull thoughts and ideas to the surface. This year, much of my writing by the sea was dedicated to this workshop and to the new edition of the book.
I refined lessons, organized activities, prepared the student manual, and thought deeply about how to make complex ideas understandable and practical. I imagined the people who will be joining us, their questions, their excitement, and the moments that might stay with them long after they leave. I realized once again that this retreat is not simply about teaching live blood analysis. It is about creating an experience of learning.
During these seven days, participants will spend time at the microscope learning to recognize common patterns seen in live blood. They will begin understanding the body’s terrain and how digestion, stress, circulation, hydration, nutrition, and lifestyle can influence what we observe. They will learn to ask better questions and develop a more holistic way of looking at health.
There will also be hands-on exercises, discussions, demonstrations, nourishing meals, time in the gardens, and opportunities to connect the health of the soil microbiome to the human microbiome. Participants will experience what it means to view health as relationship and interconnectedness rather than isolated parts and symptoms.
This retreat is about learning, but it is also about care. It is about feeding people well, supporting them, and creating a space where they feel welcomed. It is about sharing knowledge with an open heart and allowing people the opportunity to experience something meaningful and transformative.
As I write this, there is still much to do. More cleaning, more organizing, more preparations, and countless little details that need attention. Yet I find myself feeling deeply grateful because, for years, the Living Ground Project has existed as a vision in my heart and imagination. Today, I can walk through the gardens, step into the workshop room, and stand in the kitchen knowing that the vision is becoming real.
We are not simply preparing for a workshop. We are setting the stage for learning, connection, and community. We are creating a space where people can gather, ask questions, share meals, discover new perspectives, and perhaps leave carrying seeds of inspiration that continue to grow long after these seven days together have ended.
And if you have been considering joining us, there is still time. We have a few spaces remaining for this first immersion. If you are curious about live blood analysis, interested in understanding the body through the lens of terrain, fascinated by the connection between the human microbiome and the soil microbiome, or simply looking for a deeper and more integrated understanding of health, we would love to welcome you.
You can message us directly on WhatsApp here:
https://wa.me/593988771568
This feels like the beginning of something special, and I cannot wait to share it with you.
