re:nature
Making sense, naturally.
The previous uma institut is now newly called re:nature institut!
We are delighted with you about the renewal.
Building on 25 years as the „uma institut“ and the development of the re:nature approach, we are increasingly bringing our work into the public sphere as the „re:nature institut“ from now on, with a grand vision. With
The re:nature vision
Realigning people and organisations with nature
The rewildering of landscapes is slowly beginning to gain ground. But if we are honest, it cannot stop there.
re:nature stands for the realignment of people with nature. Because we have never been anything other than nature.
This is precisely the radical nature of our approach. It calls into question a view of the world and humanity that places people above nature and attempts to dominate it. If something is really to change in a way that is beneficial to life, we must rediscover our original understanding of what it means to be human.
1 - Indigenous European roots
The uniqueness of our approach lies in reconnecting to our indigenous European roots, world views and wisdom and exploring them in a way that is critical of traditions of power and domination. They tell of a different, familial understanding of being human - as part of a living network of natural relationships.
2 - The re:nature compass
As a cyclical model of nature, we have developed the re:nature compass as a European wheel of life. It is the central map for reconnecting people and organisations to the cyclical and natural principles of life.
3 - What we do
We support people, teams, leaders and organisations in their development and transformation towards more regenerative and respectful ways of being. Our services include training, nature rituals such as vision quests, and work with organisations, networks and associations.
4 - 25 years of experience
Our work is based on 25 years of practical experience with people and organisations - out in the wind and weather, together with squirrels and oak trees. The foundation of our work is our own research and development work, which we have described in our books.
Take the leap!
Indigenous cultures Indigenous cultures – including our own ancestors in Europe – have lived, and continue to live, in a spirit of kinship with all beings and their landscapes.
In contrast, the development stately cultures In contrast, cultures of domination evolved in hierarchical and exploitative ways. The resulting alienation from nature – and from a meaningful, cyclical understanding of the natural order – continues to shape many forms of human activity to this day.
New forms of organisation are increasingly oriented towards agility, circular structures, and equality. Yet the perspective often remains limited to the human – nature is still seen as something external to be protected, rather than as an integral part of the system.
re:nature invites you to take the next step.
We work where people shape life together: in organisations, companies, associations, networks and communities. Together, we explore a co-creative relationship between people and nature – and between organisations and the living landscapes they are part of.
The Natural Order of the re:nature compass provides the framework: a cyclical culture of wholeness in which meaning emerges through care for living reality – here and now. here and now.
Our offers
re:nature for organisations
We partner with organisations that seek to explore new ways of regenerative, life-serving business. Together with re:nature, we design nature-aligned organisational cultures and align the purpose of companies with life. We support transformation and vision processes, and work across leadership, values, and natural organisational structures.
re:nature vision quest and nature rituals
We are bringing rituals back into the social sphere.
The connection to natural cycles and landscapes is particularly healing and encouraging in times of climate change, species extinction and uncertainty. Our Vision quest follows the re:nature idea: as an initiation ritual for growing up in a changing world.
Training programmes: re:nature facilitation & ritual design
We offer two training programmes – grounded in 15 years of experience supporting facilitators and change practitioners:
re:nature-Facilitation: Guiding groups, teams, and organisations through nature-connected processes of transformation.
re:nature Ritual Design: Facilitation of rituals and initiationsthat connect people, communities and organisations.
These trainings are for people who want to contribute - pioneers, bridge-builders or facilitators of change – to the broader societal transformation of realigning people and organisations with nature.
Here is the new Training brochure with all dates and content 2027-28 for download.
Management re:nature institute
Ursula & David Seghezzi
founded the institute as uma institut in Switzerland in 2003 and have been running it since 2013 with their own seminar house in Northern Germany. Since 2026, it has borne the name of the approach and is called re:nature institut. Ursula and David are the driving forces through their research and publications, as seminar leaders, organisational developers, ritual leaders and trainers. re:nature - Vision.
Our offers
re:nature training programmes
re:nature organisations
re:nature Nature Rituals
Books published by uma verlag
re:nature online academy
Team retreats at the uma institute
re:nature vision search
Training re:nature - Coaching
Latest news
NEW PUBLICATION "IN THE LAND OF THE SOUL"
The fairy tale book has been completely revised and expanded and is now available!
The 19 Grimm fairy tales retold in the first part have been slightly revised in the new version. Fear-free fairy tales to read aloud - for adults and children.
In the new, 50-page second part, Ursula Seghezzi uncovers the hidden symbolism. Fairy tales preserve the memory of a natural, matriarchal and communal world. In times of upheaval, this European cultural memory, which has been brought to the fore, provides rootedness, orientation and hope.
NEW SEMINAR
Re-animating our European indigenous roots
A trauma-sensitive journey through our European cultural history
The re:nature approach of Ursula & David Seghezzi assumes that we can creatively shape a future that serves life, if we to root ourselves in our own indigeneity here in Europe. Simply because we live here in Europe (regardless of where we originally came from, these roots are also important).
In this seminar, we will undertake a journey through history. We will „play our way“ through our European cultural history, prepared and sustained by natural cycles, rituals, and stories. This will be a tough nut to crack, but in the end, we will feel that all layers of our history live within us. Then we will be fully alive, together. Living natives of Europe, indeed.
OUR NEXT ONLINE INFORMATION EVENING
Tuesday, 1 September 2026, at 19:30
At our information evenings, we'll introduce ourselves, the institute, and our working method, and tell you about our new training programmes, which re:nature - Vision quest and our other offers. We'll be happy to answer all your questions.
A Zoom link will be sent directly upon registration.
The European wheel of life according to Seghezzi
The re:nature compass
The re:nature - Compass is the core element of our re:nature - approach. We have formulated the nature-cycle orientation model on the basis of more than 25 years of research into European myths and customs that is critical of domination.
This spiritual map provides orientation in space (cardinal points) and time (cyclical sequence of all life processes, e.g. in the seasons of the year/day/moon).
In the basic model of the re:nature - Compasses various aspects can be illuminated. This is what the respective Wheels of life that we have been working with in our practice for many years, depending on context and needWheel of the seasons, wheel of transformation, wheel of unfolding, wheel of life phases, wheel of balance, wheel of people and wheel of the earth.
Find out more about our re:nature approach and the re:nature compass.
References
Clients and projects for whom we have worked in recent years with team and organisational development, leadership development, facilitation, training, workshops, rituals and lectures.
- Adelphi - Consultancy agency
- Academy for Adult Education Bern
- Professional association of life and social counsellors in Vorarlberg
- Bildungshaus Eckstein Nuremberg
- Coverdale - Consultancy agency
- IDOS (German Institute of Development and Sustainability)
- ENAP - School of Public Administration Brasil
- Specialist conference „Into the Wild“
- Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
- Healing city of Hamburg
- Kulturwerkstatt Wil
- Mae Terra Seminar House
- Pioneers of Change
- Socius - Organisational consulting Berlin
- Suberurban - Communications agency
- Transa Backpacking AG
- WWF
- Centre for Salutogenesis
be allowed to be sensual
Our publications
Since 2024, we have been distributing our books through our own publishing house. Following our former institute name, it is called "uma verlag".
We are happy if the books are ordered directly here via our website - this way we can refinance the production costs (Attention: Delivery to Switzerland is too expensive. Please order to Switzerland via your local bookshop). In addition to the books, new ones are always being created Songs in rituals that are freely accessible on our website.
The magic of nature mysticism
The fundamental work on a political and life-affirming nature mysticism that is rooted in the connection to nature and the more-than-human world.
WaldZeit - Vision Quest
A book about the historical roots and the modern form of this ancient nature ritual, and about its political and culture-changing dimension in the present day.
Compass of life
The book about the compass of life, the European wheel of life formulated by Ursula Seghezzi on the basis of research into myths and fairy tales.
In the land of the soul
19 Grimm's fairy tales told in a new and fearless way, based on extensive research into fairy tales that is critical of domination and the author's own experience of rituals.
German 
English