Nature is our biggest teacher here while we propagate Peace and Resiliency for Women.

—

Close-up view of rocks, small plants, and twigs on the ground in a forest with green grass and trees in the background.

Nature

A small green sprout with a smiley face shape on the seed, emerging from dark, textured soil.

Healing

A woman holding a glass jar filled with pink peony flowers and green leaves outdoors. The background features trees and a partly cloudy sky.

Community

Close-up of a small turtle being held in someone's hand, showing its shell and head, with a green background.

Sanctuary

The Wild Peacery

The Wild Peacery is 63 acres of lakes, forests, and meadows in Michigan's Irish Hills—a living laboratory where peace isn't pristine or controlled, but wild, seasonal, and real. This is a space for women ready to restore their whole-person ecology through nature-based wisdom, holistic coaching, and embodied practice. Here, we learn what the land teaches: that healing happens in layers and sustainable growth begins when we create conditions for safety first.

Our Sit Spots: Come Rest a While

A quiet place to pause. Nothing to accomplish. A little room to just be.

 

Our sit spots are invitations to slow down and spend a little time with the land. A sit spot is a place in nature where you settle in, notice what surrounds you, and return your attention to the present.

Listen to the birds. Notice the light moving through the leaves. Feel the air against your skin. You don’t need to meditate or make anything happen. Let your attention settle on whatever draws you, and discover what you notice when you give yourself a little space, with nothing to do and nowhere else you need to be.

Rooted in nature. Informed by research.

Research on forest bathing supports the value of quiet time among the trees. Studies of people sitting and taking in a forest setting have found that just 15 minutes was associated with lower heart rates, less anxiety, and feeling more refreshed compared with an urban setting. Researchers also observed signs of the body easing into a more relaxed state.¹ Broader reviews of forest experiences have found lower average cortisol levels and blood pressure, along with improvements in mood and anxiety.² ³

At The Wild Peacery, the land is an intentional part of the experience. Our sit spots make room for this simple practice: a few quiet moments to notice, breathe, and be.

¹ Ikei, H., Song, C., Kagawa, T., & Miyazaki, Y. (2014). Physiological and psychological effects of viewing forest landscapes in a seated position in one-day forest therapy experimental model. Japanese Journal of Hygiene, 69(2), 104–110. https://doi.org/10.1265/jjh.69.104 jstage.jst.go.jp

² Qiu, Q., Yang, L., He, M., Gao, W., Mar, H., Li, J., & Wang, G. (2023). The effects of forest therapy on the blood pressure and salivary cortisol levels of urban residents: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1), 458. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010458 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

³ Siah, C. J. R., Goh, Y. S., Lee, J., Poon, S. N., Ow Yong, J. Q. Y., & Tam, W. S. W. (2023). The effects of forest bathing on psychological well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 32(4), 1038–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13131 PubMed

Meet Megi

A woman with long dark hair wearing a striped sleeveless button-up shirt and matching striped pants with a brown belt, extending her arms forward with her palms up, smiling softly against a plain background.
A woman with long, wavy hair smiling outdoors on a sunny day, holding two morel mushrooms in her hand with a background of green trees and blue sky.
A woman with long brown hair, wearing a purple sleeveless top and black pants, sitting cross-legged on a wooden floor, holding singing bowls in her hands, surrounded by several other singing bowls on a dark cloth, set against a light-colored wall.

I'm Megi—river conservationist turned science teacher turned holistic health coach and land steward living on these 63 acres in Michigan's Irish Hills. I spent two years living on barges with Living Lands & Waters doing watershed restoration work, then seven years in the classroom teaching high school science and the interconnectedness of living systems. I thought I was teaching biology. I was actually learning about myself.

Eventually, my own ecosystem collapsed—single parenthood, PTSD, a nervous system that didn't feel safe in my own body. I tried all the conventional wellness approaches, but they treated symptoms. I needed deep, ecological restoration. So I combined my science background with somatic practices, nervous system work, and what the land keeps teaching me: that your body is an ecosystem too.

As a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, experienced yoga teacher, and someone who's rebuilt from collapse, I offer trauma-informed support that doesn't force growth or shame you into wellness. Instead, we remove what's invasive, create conditions for safety, and trust your body's natural intelligence. Because the same principles that restore rivers, forests, and damaged land also restore people. Healing isn't linear—it's seasonal, cyclical, and patient. Just like this land.