A woman with long brown hair, wearing a green hat, denim shirt, and a brown vest, is smiling and touching her throat with one hand while sitting outdoors

Hi, I’m dr. Naomi watkins

Providing you with Grounded Tools for navigating Radical Change

I guide leaders and seekers through periods of profound upheaval to intentionally root, rebuild, and rewrite their stories. My mission is to ensure that transition does not lead to burnout, but instead transforms into the most grounded and effective era of your life.

The Sequoia Circle is built on one core truth: Change is not a crisis but life's only constant. Since upheaval is inevitable, our work focuses on the internal architecture required to meet every shift with resilience. Through our central program, The Rerooted Way, I teach you to access ancient wisdom and develop embodied practices rooted in the natural world.

Tall redwood trees in a dense forest with green foliage and a clear blue sky.

The Source of Wisdom: The Ocean, The Sequoia, and The Circle

Years after leaving my tenure-track academic position and organized religion, and following a sexual assault, I finally confessed to my therapist: I was utterly exhausted. The pain of my trauma was too much to carry alone, but I couldn't bear to hold it any longer.

She asked: "What can you do with this pain right now?"

I closed my eyes, and the answer arrived as a vision. I let the ocean hold me and scream all that pain into its dark, deep abyss, visualizing the earth absorbing every bit of it. A wave then carried me to a giant sequoia—a scar on its trunk, an opening. Enveloped by that great tree, I felt safe and warm. As the water nourished its roots, I merged with its trunk, becoming part of its enduring strength.

I then saw myself standing tall in a large circle of sequoias. Our branches swayed, nodding in recognition of our similar journeys. We stood in counsel, in solidarity. Collectively strong.

My healing has not involved any one thing or followed a linear path. Community supports me. Therapy delivers me. Myth and story reveal possibilities. And nature holds and guides me. She reminds me that this beautiful natural world—a world that has endured abuse and violence—has shown me how to let old things die, to rebuild, to regrow, and to thrive with magnificent splendor.

A group of people sitting in a circle on the forest ground during the daytime, with trees and a hillside in the background.

The Methodology: Blending Structure & Embodiment

Too often, we try to hustle our way through change. We frantically attempt to rebuild our lives using the same rigid tools that led to the collapse in the first place. My guidance offers a different path by blending rigorous academic structure with ancient, embodied wisdom.

As a PhD in Education and a former organizational leader, I know how to translate complex emotional work into clear, actionable cycles of change. I teach you to use the wisdom of your breath, your body, and the natural world as your most impactful teachers. We use archetype and myth to give voice to your inner transformation. My commitment to this work is rooted in my history of building communities of courage, helping others make significant leaps in their professional and personal lives.

A woman standing upright on a hillside with sparse bushes, looking into the distance, in a black-and-white photograph.

These principles define the culture and commitment of the The Sequoia Circle:

  • Radical Authenticity: We commit to dropping the masks of perfection. We seek honesty over comfort, believing your messy, true self is your most valuable tool.

  • Grounded Presence: This is the practice of anchoring your attention in your body and breath, which is the core source of your resilience against chaos.

  • The Power of the Collective: We believe in shared authority. The wisdom in this work is shared, ensuring you never feel isolated or reliant on a single source of truth in your change.

  • Ethical Container: We approach all work from a trauma-informed perspective. This is not a replacement for medical care or clinical therapy. We encourage all members to maintain professional therapeutic support as needed.

Core Values

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Logistics and PlaCE

The Structure of Our Work

The Rerooted Way framework is applied through two distinct containers of work. For those seeking the power of the collective, The Rerooted Journey provides a 4-week seasonal group experience to build your internal architecture alongside a supportive community. For leaders navigating high-stakes transitions and systemic pressure, The Rerooted Leader offers customized 1:1 strategy and somatic support.

Beyond these core programs, we also gather for in-person workshops and local events. These offerings are designed to deepen your somatic experience and ground the work in the physical reality of place.

Honoring Place

My own deep rooting is in Salt Lake City, Utah, on the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Shoshone, Goshute, and Ute Tribes. This connection to the land and its history informs the wisdom I bring to my practice and every teaching I share. We recognize that the ground we stand on is part of the story we are rewriting. We honor the indigenous stewards who have long understood the resilience of this ecosystem.

the invitation

One lone sequoia is a wonder. But a circle of sequoias? That’s a miracle worth investing in. I invite you to stand and grow with me and others in The Sequoia Circle, spreading our branches and wisdom into the possibilities of the future.

Credentials and Qualifications

Logo for The Forest Therapy School with the words 'Certified Guide' on a green background.
Open book titled "Champions of Change" showing illustrated women, with one woman featured in a portrait on the right page. The woman in the portrait is identified as Fanny Brooks.