Explore, Grow, Heal and Learn at The Embassy of Life Mastery
by Julie Peterson
The nonprofit Embassy of Life Mastery (ELM), in Mt. Pleasant, was created in 2019 to educate the public about self-growth, sustainability, community building and planetary change. It was co-founded by Board President Bessheen Baker, ND, who continues her work on the faculty of the Naturopathic Institute of Therapies and Education, which she founded in 1995, downtown.
“After owning the Naturopathic Institute, there was a desire to expand into a nonprofit that would offer education to anyone, not just those who are interested in going to school for a profession,” says Baker. She and two other co-founders created the concept of a life mastery school where anyone can take individual classes or join programs for more comprehensive study. The location chosen for ELM is a renovated old stone church that was turned into Explore, Grow, Heal and Learn at The Embassy of Life Mastery, a naturopathic community center and library, 20 years ago. Across the road is a sustainable organic ranch where students train in permaculture, herbology, sustainability, wilderness skills, off-grid living and sacred geometry.
“The old church is a very peaceful place out in the country,” notes Baker. “We chose it for its location, simpleness and beauty.” ELM classes are held on weekends in the library of the church. With 13 departments, classes are taught by a consistent group of guest speakers, along with world-respected instructors in artisanship, caregiving, consciousness development, energy mechanics, communicative arts, spiritual agriculture, ego mastery, cosmology, plant wisdom departments and more. Within each department, three introductory classes are offered to explore the ideas, and dozens more delve deeper and add breadth to the topics.
“About half of the students attending are not enrolled in a program; rather, they are there to take individual classes for continuing education credits, personal growth, improved skills or to explore topics of interest,” she explains. For those that choose to enroll in the life mastery program, the first level is all about developing themselves through an individualized experience that includes an accountability team that helps stretch limitations, feel encouraged and supported, and hold a larger perspective of self-image. Baker says that the first level of development is more about what ELM can “undo" for a student, rather than what we can do for you. People carry a number of beliefs about themselves that serve no purpose. The first level is really about lightening the load, letting go of the luggage.”
As a student begins to let go of whatever is holding them back, they begin to work toward their fullest potential and how they can get more out of life. “How do I maintain my temple, how do I get healthy beyond my physical body, how do I get healthy mentally, emotionally, spiritually? One of my teachers told me that if the truth that is your reality isn’t setting you free then it’s time to reassess your truth,” advises Baker, explaining that sometimes we don’t see anything that feels like it is holding us back until we start asking, “Does that make me feel free or does it not?” Ultimately, ELM is designed for those seeking a personalized transformative experience to cultivate physical, mental and spiritual growth that will culminate in self-mastery.
Through the process, students learn to harmonize the knowledge, wisdom and understanding necessary to steward community and planetary healing. “The most important part about the classes and courses at ELM is that if we don’t like the planet the way it is, then we have to change ourselves and our community and that comes from healing ourselves first,” shares Baker.
The Embassy of Life Mastery is located at 5410 S. Vandecar Rd., Mt. Pleasant. For more information, email [email protected] or visit ELMastery.org.
Julie Peterson writes about health and environmental issues. Contact her at
