Blake Hestir

About

Blake lives in Fort Worth, Texas, the unceded sacred lands of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes along the Trinity River. He enjoys friendship, clean water and fresh air, land meandering, playing guitar, dancing, and warm summer nights. He serves as President and Co-founder of the Mind Body Ecology Institute and Professor of Philosophy and Associate Director of CALM Studies at Texas Christian University. He is also a member of the Flourishing Academic Network and an advisor for The Dallas Movement Collective. He is interested in the relationship between self, ecological interdependence, and our intrinsic capacity for resilience. His work brings together perspectives from philosophy, contemplative science, Buddhism, Indigenous knowledge, and ecological thought to help people understand our “relationality” with our shared natural world and live as wise and responsible stewards of nature. Through research, teaching, and guiding eco experiential programs and retreats, he explores how we can collectively support well-being, strengthen communities, and foster personal and planetary flourishing.

My Credentials/Expertise

PhD, MA, Philosophy, Florida State University Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Certification, Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults Certified Healing with Nature Trauma Care Facilitator Certified Work that Reconnects facilitator Twice participated (2021, 2023) in Inner/Outer Nature Ecodharma training and meditation retreat led by Johann Robbins, David Loy, Rochelle Calvert, Lin Wang Gordon, and Cornelia Santschi at the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center Dual certified RYT-200 yoga instructor

Featured HWN Practices, Specific Interests, and Communities Served

Blake has over 25 years as a philosopher professor, 10 years as an eco mindfulness guide, and a lifetime of appreciation for the natural world. Blake sees reconnecting with self and the land as a way of coming home to ourselves. In his work with the Mind Body Ecology Institute, he reflects on the root ‘eco’ in ‘ecology’, which comes from the ancient Greek word ‘oikos’, meaning house or home. In this sense, healing can be understood as a return home: coming home to ourselves and the natural world, of which we are one small – albeit impactful – dimension. His approach is gentle, trauma-informed, and rooted in eco-mindfulness, somatic awareness, and deep respect for each person’s own pace and lived experience. He values conversation about life, our mindsets, and our values, and he supports people in finding a life path that feels grounded and meaningful. His work includes teaching skills such as grounding, resourcing, and nervous system regulation, while also fostering insight, care, and a renewed sense of belonging — all important foundations for resilience and flourishing. This approach also makes space for the more difficult emotions we carry, including grief, fear, anger, despair, guilt, and shame. Rather than seeing these emotions as problems to be removed, Blake understands them as profound parts of the human experience that can be acknowledged, supported, and transformed. He sees healing as something that happens not only within us, but also in relationship with community and with the living world – a large part of his own meditation practice. He welcomes individuals 25+ and groups seeking support, restoration, and connection. This may include people navigating stress, burnout, grief, trauma, transition, or ecological overwhelm, as well as those who long for a deeper sense of presence, meaning, belonging, and whole-person connection with nature.