Howdy
I’m Alaric Hutchinson — a writer, peace teacher, and professional noticer of the strange ways human beings make life harder than it already is.
For more than fifteen years, I’ve worked at the intersection of contemplative practice, psychology, coaching, ministry, social work, and community life, helping people become more aware of the patterns shaping how they think, react, relate, and move through the world.
That ongoing inquiry became Living Peace and, eventually, Alaric’s Abbey: a place where the work could move off the page and into everyday life.
My Story
I came to this work through a very personal search for peace. Eastern philosophy and contemplative practice gave me an early way of understanding suffering that felt less about fixing myself and more about learning how to relate differently to my own mind, emotions, and experience.
That search eventually became my vocation. In my early twenties, I was ordained as an interfaith minister and spent eight years leading Earth Spirit Center for Healing. Over time, the work kept evolving as I learned from psychology, social work, coaching, community life, and simply being alongside people in the middle of change, grief, conflict, and uncertainty.
What emerged from all of that was Living Peace — a practical framework for understanding the patterns that keep us stuck in suffering and learning how to meet life with greater awareness, responsibility, and freedom.
Alaric’s Abbey became the place where that work could take on a life beyond the page — somewhere to gather, practice, reflect, and keep learning what peace looks like in real life.
Credentials
Books & Publications
-
Author of Living Peace — 2014, 2018, 2026
-
Author of Heart of Humanity — 2024
Formal Education
-
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), University of Massachusetts Global, 2026
-
AOS in Mind-Body Transformational Psychology, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, 2010
Spiritual & Organizational Leadership
-
Founder, Alaric’s Abbey, 2026–present
-
Founder & Minister, Church of Dunisha, 2018–present
-
Founder & Interfaith Pastor, Earth Spirit Center for Healing, 2010–2018
-
Founder & President, Earth Spirit Church, 2011–2013
Civic & Community Leadership
-
Former President, Bayfield Chamber of Commerce, 2022–2024
-
Former Board Member, Bayfield Chamber of Commerce, 2019–2022
Social Work & Youth Support Experience
-
Radical Possibilities Youth Mentor / BSW Intern, La Plata Youth Services — 400 hours, 2025–2026
-
Peer Support Educator, Fort Lewis College, 2022–2023
-
Life Coach / Youth Support Contractor, La Plata County Department of Human Services — 2019–2022
Spiritual Formation & Training
-
Ministerial Ordination, Universal Brotherhood Movement, 2010
-
Spiritual Studies Ministerial Program, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts — 300 hours, 2010
-
Transformational Reiki Certification, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts — 100 hours, 2010
-
Life Coaching Certification, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts — 100 hours, 2009
Movement & Community-Building
-
Line Dance Instructor, Wild Horse Saloon, 2024–present
-
Founder & Choreographer, Bayfield Morning Stars Dance Team, 2019–2021
-
Dance Troupe Member, Phoenix Heatwave, 2014–2016