You can expect to invest a good deal of time watching yourself and your relationship to the earth and the rest of humanity, without undue dependence on “therapists” or "experts." You will be expected to live self-reliantly, to pitch your own tent, to cook your own food, to experience a multitude of emotions and feelings as personal borders are risked. Understandings will be shared in meetings and councils where the right questions are often more significant than answers. The best training is existential (lightning) and experiential (thunder). Hearing the method is one thing. Living the method is another. Both exist simultaneously here.

A letter of intent for enrollment has always been required. It is necessary for students to know why they are participating, thus maximizing learning potential.

There is an element of perceived risk in every course. Time alone in a natural place (solitude) and fasting (emptiness) and exposure to the elements (vulnerability), and self-reliance (self-trust), are the earmarks of Lost Borders. Certain old ways of learning, such as story telling, councils of “elders,” mirroring, four seasons teachings, and ways of empowerment, are also typical. The work of the teachers and guides involves the safe holding of an ancient container, a means of keeping the bridge steady as it were, as each student crosses a border unique to his/her own needs. The container is the course itself. Beyond the bridge lies the open road.