“Our work is to support, engage, and unify in altruistic relationship, social-environmental activism, and stewardship to restore our communities and the earth.”
Founding Pastor/Spiritual Director, Ordained Minister
The Sanctuary, founded in January 2012, originated with Sunday meditation services, consciousness study groups, the Pay-It-Forward program (free and by donation, holistic health and healing sessions), ceremonies, and a community healing outreach at the Saturday Farmer’s market. The work expanded to immersion retreats and research related to the relationship between spirituality, the Earth/Nature, and humanity. In 2013, Dr. Miller developed a sustainable life design model to help restore the balance of the internal (mind-body/soul) and external (loved ones/family, work, local/global community, and nature/earth) environment.
By November of 2017, the model was implemented as a leadership certificate program with online instruction and an one-week immersion retreat (field study) each semester. The curriculum combines contemplative studies, ancestral-indigenous wisdoms, spirituality, aesthetics, art and design, and cultural arts with altruistic social-environmental activism, ecopreneurship, and stewardship. The coursework also includes regenerative homesteading lifestyle and organic, sustainable/waste free micro-farming. The leadership program has a capstone project of creating a community initiative or designing a social-economic structure for an regenerative, intentional community. This holistic approach contributes to improving the health and wellbeing of local and global communities as well as social, cultural, and economic development.
In June 2021, we became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and public charity 170(b)(1)(A)(vi). The Nature Studies Conservatory (NSC), Interfaith Healing Center and Educational Institute, continues to advance an outreach directive in diligently working toward community and environmental sustainability. Oppression, suppression and subjugation of the human experience impacts health, immunity, purpose-creativity, and ability to manifest prosperity. Having humble beginnings in 2012 with our Pay-It-Forward Program; today, we have expanded to a Healing Center for increased accessibility to quality, culturally relevant holistic health therapy sessions, groups, classes and courses.
Our work includes helping Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) heal from systemic oppression/racism, daily life stressors, emotional wounding, and transgenerational-personal trauma; manage chronic health conditions; and optimize health, wellbeing, and immunity – to improve overall quality of life. We also facilitate community groups to address factors that contribute to oppressive beliefs and behaviors including unresolved emotional wounding and trauma. Through our endeavors, we aspire to unify humanity in activism and stewardship of one another and the Earth.
