Ingrid Cryns
Ingrid is deeply committed to sharing her knowledge of Earth Wisdom Living to empower others to learn how to live in a healthier balance within themselves as well as with the Earth.
Founding Director of soma earth , Ingrid Cryns, BES, B Arch, OAA, CBT, created soma earth to focus on sustainability and natural building, connecting the health of the body and environment to architecture in our everyday lives. Ingrid has over 20 years of experience as a Project Architect, with a unique specialty in healthy, sustainable natural building systems including building with straw bale. She has been the Vice Chair of the Ontario Natural Building Coalition (2009 – 2014) and is a Director at Large of the Green Connections Network in York Region. Ingrid has been a guest critic and lecturer for Sheridan College in Interior Design program, Ontario College of Art & Design Environmental Design program & the Fleming College of Sustainable Building & Construction program. She has also taught various Natural Building courses on her property as well as within a few Permaculture course programs.
Ingrid is is passionate about guiding people to re-discover their own intimate and sacred connections with Nature. She is a certified Basic Canoe Instructor, a canoe tripping guide and has certification in First Aid Wilderness skills. She also leads shamanic visioning groups.
With a strong background in Buddhist teachings, Ingrid is a practicing body/mind meditator. For several years, she studied with the Shambhala Meditation Centre of Toronto of which Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche founded. The well-known monk, Pema Chodron is also connected with this lineage and her work has been a foundational influence in how Ingrid lives. Ingrid has also studied and practiced the path of Big Mind consciousness work and the teachings of Denis Genpo Roshi for several years as well.
An experienced Body Psychotherapist (since 2000), certified as a Bioenergetic Analyst, Ingrid also works part-time with individuals or couples who feel stuck, lost or hopeless. Ingrid has strong analytical abilities along with empathic and intuitive gifts. She also works with Jungian, Relational, Self-Psychology and Eastern Energy Psychology methods in her work, guiding others to heal the separation between their body, mind, soul & earth through life-changing personal therapy, seminars, workshops & retreats. More about her healing therapy work can be found at Building Soul.com.
An accomplished artist, sculptor and avid photographer, over 90% of all the photographs and drawings on the Building Soul & soma earth websites are her original work. Ingrid is also a talented piano player, flutist and drummer.
Ingrid currently lives in the country in a small hamlet called Udora, north east of Toronto, and is on a continuous growing path of how to homestead self-sufficiently. Surrounded by loving trees, meadows and rivers, Ingrid has built her own hybrid light stray/clay and straw bale studio, a cold cellar, a chicken coop (with chickens) and a large organic garden.