About Mara Bishop MA, MS, ThM, CSC
Mara Bishop is the founder of WholeSpirit, the Enatured™ method, and the non-profit Whole Nature Incorporated. With over 25 years of experience as an ecospiritual/shamanic practitioner, intuitive consultant, teacher, author, and artist she works with clients and students around the world.
Enatured™ draws from ecospiritual practices, psychology, mindfulness, and scientific research about nature to help us consciously engage the environment for relationship, support, and restoration. Her Personal Evolution Counseling™ method provides an integrated approach to spiritual healing, personal growth, and emotional well-being.
Mara’s books and courses are guides for spiritual practice, creating healthy energetic boundaries, communing with nature, and preventing burnout. She lives in Durham, NC with a beloved family of people, animals, and plants.
Books and Audio Courses by Mara
Mara is the author of several books, audio courses and numerous articles including:
- Shining Bright Without Burning Out: Spiritual Tools for Creating Healthy Energetic Boundaries in an Overconnected World
- Shamanism for Every Day: 365 Journeys
- Inner Divinity: Crafting Your Life with Sacred Intelligence (and companion series of guided meditations)
Shamanic, Energy, Intuitive, and Psychology Training
Mara has been in practice since 1995. Her training includes:
- Psychology — Columbia University, Teachers College and Spirituality Mind Body Institute
- Shamanism — Varied, including: Sandra Ingerman teacher training, Foundation for Shamanic Studies, Michael Harner, et al.
- Energy Medicine, Intuition and Theology — Programs created by Founder of the American Holistic Medical Association
Mara's Teaching & Presentations
- Columbia University, Teachers College
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Medical Center — Program on Integrative Medicine
- Duke University — TIP, CAPS, OLLI
- Rhine Research Center
- NC State University University — OLLI
- Appalacian State University — WIELS (Women in Educational Leadership Symposium)
Philosophy & Nature
My philosophy evolves, as I do, but I always come back to the power of the natural world to help me keep my footing. The spirit of nature infuses my personal world and my professional world. It is one of the aspects of shamanism that engages me consistently and profoundly. Nature speaks to us if we stop and listen. We are nature, nature is us. Shamans of all ages know this. Immersing ourselves in nature reactivates our connection to our source. It reminds us of our animal nature and of our divine nature. Being in nature helps break down the barriers our egos have created. It allows us to shift more easily to receptive states where we can hear our own instinctive voices as we hear the wind in the trees. The warmth of the sun on our faces rekindles the knowledge that we’re not alone in the universe. Being in nature makes it easy to look through our shaman’s eyes, to see the interconnection between all beings and the larger patterns at play. Nature creates a space where we can find union with each other and with the divine.
Working With Mara
We are living in potent, intense times. If you feel like the world is shifting under your feet, you are not alone. If you feel like you’ve been waiting for change and are getting impatient, you are not alone. If you are struggling externally and internally to stay balanced, you are not alone. You may have friends and family, a doctor or a minister, a therapist, or all of the above. However, now may be the time to try something new, because what you are experiencing doesn’t fit neatly into any one category of support. Responding proactively, rather than reactively, to this sense of urgency (or gentle voice, or feeling that something is not quite right in your life) may help. Finding a place that is safe and sacred, welcoming whatever your beliefs are, wherever you are on your journey, can be a challenge. My goal is to provide a sacred space, to be a catalyst for you to connect to your internal and external sources of spiritual support, guidance, and healing. To find out if this work is a good fit for you: