Modern life takes more out of us than we realise.
Our senses are numbed, our minds cluttered, our
energy depleted. Many of us lack time or space to be
able to stop and take care, never mind take stock of
things around us or plan ahead.
Way of Nature open programmes help you rest, recharge and repurpose. Programmes start from day-long workshops to longer retreats. All our experiences combine unforgettable journeys into Nature with activities rooted in our transformative principles. We usually include a period of time completely alone (AllOne) in the wild. This means anything from an hour to a day to a week entirely alone to connect inner and outer Nature. This forms a powerful experience that has supported and inspired many people across the world. Not least, we make sure to host all our programmes with care, dedication and fun.
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In June 2015 our programmes were named as some of the best breaks to take on your own by The Times! Take a look at some of our 2015 programmes below.
Reconnection and Renewal with John P. Milton
Findhorn Foundation
Scotland, 21st to 26th June
A special coming together of wisdom, experience and place.
Reconnection and Renewal with John P. Milton
Findhorn Ecovillage, Scotland, 21st to 26th June
This is a week-long programme with John P. Milton, founder of Way of Nature and renowned ecologist, activist, author, spiritual teacher and shaman. We are delighted to be hosting the experience at the beautiful Findhorn Foundation and Ecovillage Community on the wild coast of Northern Scotland. It has been a long time since John was at Findhorn, and this is sure to be a special coming together of wisdom, experience and place.
Through the week, John will share the twelve principles of Natural Renewal, supporting relaxation, presence, reconnection and Source Awareness with Nature as teacher and partner. The Programme will consist of energy practices, teachings, reflective dialogue and personal practice through time alone (AllOne) in Nature. Being at Findhorn, we will place special attention on reconnection and replenishment with land.
What to expect
John’s Way of Nature principles are brought together from a number of wisdom and indigenous traditions. These include Buddhism, Tantra, Taoism, Native American wisdom and more, to which he has dedicated over 70 years of study and practice. Practiced with Nature, the principles form a powerful way to connect and align inner and outer Nature. Thousands of people have experienced John’s programmes and many report greatly enhanced ability to handle stress, amplified creativity, and a renewed discovery of the basic joy of life.
This programme include Qi Gong and T’ai Chi energy cultivation practices, all easy to learn and suitable for all ages, designed to deepen experience of energetic connection to all life. John will then combine an introduction of the twelve principles with reflective dialogue and opportunities to practice through time alone (AllOne) with Nature. At Findhorn, we plan some short AllOne sessions, and at least a twenty-four hour, perhaps a forty-eight hour AllOne solo in sacred land.
Who’s it for?
Way of Nature principles and programmes have inspired and supported people from many walks of life. From personal and spiritual transformation to exploring new kinds of change in ecology, sustainability and business organisations, people always come away with a special kind of reflection and energy from this work. At a time when we are seeking new kinds of purpose, connection and meaning in the world, John’s work is becoming more and more important.
Dates
The programme will run from Sunday 21st June, starting at 2pm, and close on Friday 26th in the evening, followed by a celebratory meal. The programme price includes accommodation on the Friday night for Saturday morning departures.
What to bring
A full packing list will be provided with booking documents. All meals will be provided except during AllOne solo sessions, where participants are encouraged to fast. If you feel you would like to eat during these times you will need to bring your own food which can be bought from the local community shop.
Location
The programme will take place at the Findhorn Foundation, on the North Coast of Scotland. Please find directions to Findhorn here: http://www.findhorn.org/visit/getting-here/
John P. Milton’s Background
John P. Milton is an early ecologist, one of the founding fathers of the modern environmental movement. He worked and studied extensively in many of the world’s shamanic and enlightening traditions, beginning with his first Vision Quest at age seven. Since then, starting in the 1950s, John was one of the first to bring a contemporary Vision Quest form into western culture. One of his hopes is that by introducing this profound process to the West, many modern imbalances due to disconnection from Nature can be healed.
John has distilled the common ground found in many Nature-connected cultures; he brings this distillation of deep wisdom and Nature-connected practice into a pathway that is accessible to all. He brought this pathway together by founding an organisation, the Way of Nature, in the 1970s. This initiative provides three main goals: 1) a clear, universal way to access pure Source Awareness, 2) a Way of refining our experiential connections to Nature, and 3) a direct path to allow our true purpose for this lifetime to be realized.
John has published numerous books, articles, DVDs and audio teachings. Some of the most relevant to our Course include: the book, “Sky Above, Earth Below: Spiritual Practice in Nature,” and four DVD’s produced with Sounds True: “T’ai Chi for Liberation,” and the three DVD set “Qi Gong for Long Life.”
Price
We are offering three price tiers and can offer two bursaries for the programme:
£1245 for corporate or large consultancy
£1045 for public and third sector organisations
£795 for individuals
The bursaries will be offered at the price of £450. Please contact us directly with a description of why you would like to attend and how you will benefit from the bursary.
Booking
Booking and registration for this programme is being managed by Findhorn Foundation and Ecovillage. Please click here to visit the Findhorn registration page. For any queries about the process please email us at [email protected].
Into the Mountains: A men’s retreat into the wild
“Every modern man has, lying at the bottom of his psyche,
a large, primitive being covered with hair down to his feet.
Making contact with this Wild Man
is a step we have not yet taken.”
- Robert Bly
Into the Mountains Men’s Retreat
Highlands, Scotland, 9th to 12th June, 2016
A ‘yang’ expedition into the sublime Scottish mountains, looking and working with ideas and questions about being a man in the modern world.
It is time to get in touch with the inner wild thing. No more sitting behind computer screens, scratching back-sides. This is an opportunity to get out in to the wild, swim in lochs, light fires, roar up mountains, look deep into masculinity, and bring back the wisdom of Nature.
In challenging times, we need to ask new questions about masculinity and its balanced role in all of our lives. And it’s not always easy to find space to ask questions about our identity and purpose as men in society. This is a retreat to revisit what it is to be a man in the modern world, let loose, run wild, and laugh loud.
Elements of the retreat will include:
- Hiking ridges, fording rivers and scrambling up mountains
- Overnight solos, ‘AllOne’ in the wild
- Loch swimming
- Fire-circles: A dialogue into our biggest questions
- Ancient Chinese practices to balance energy
- Meditation and mindfulness activities
- Deep precensing and awareness work - both during the day and at night
- Warrior practices including Taoist breath-work
- Exploring your creative edge with the elements
This journey will be physically challenging and push each one of us to our edge. Expect a stunning, strenuous hike including some scrambling, a river ford, and to carry all of the food and shelter you will need for 4 days. We will be wild camping along the way.
Each day will begin with yang-inspired physical practice followed by each individual checking in with feedback invited from the other participants. A safe container will be created to hold our space and invite deep sharing. You will leave feeling connected, invigorated, alive, rooted and present.
An adventure, a laugh and a good sprinkle of soul. Hosted with Adrian Kowal and Andres Roberts.
Directions
Meet at Bridge of Orchy train station, Thursday at 11am. We will return at the same station by 1pm on Sunday.
By Foot: The West Highland Way walk passes right past the Bridge of Orchy train station.
By Train: Take the West Highland Line service to Malaig (3 trains daily, 2 on Sundays) from Glasgow Queen Street. Get off the train at Bridge of Orchy train station.
By Bus: You want the Glasgow – Isle of Skye Citylink service. The bus will drop you off and pick you up right outside the Bridge of Orchy hotel 2 minutes from the train station.
By Car: From Glasgow take the A82 direct Fort William road north past Loch Lomond and Crianlarich and Tyndrum. Look out for the big white Bridge of Orchy building on the A82, 6 miles north of Tyndrum or 12 miles south of the Glencoe ski field if you are travelling south on the A82 from Inverness via Fort William. From Edinburgh take the M9 to Stirling, then the A84 to Crianlarich – then join the A82 north.
Cost
£445 per person
Philosophers’ Camp - exploring today’s issues in the wild
For over 10,000 years humans have instinctively spent time away in the wilderness,
to sit with society’s issues, return to the rhythms of nature,
and harvest wisdom for the better of their community.
Philosophers’ Camps
An expedition towards Citizenship and Participation – 12th to the 14th June
An expedition into Relationships – 25th to 27th September
Philosophers’ Camps are excursions not just into Nature, but into some the most important issues of our times. Each Philosophers’ Camp brings together passionate people, inspiring questions, special Way of Nature ingredients and plenty of space for the wild to weave its magic. At each Camp, over three days, we embark on a journey through a particular topic. This becomes a journey into different ways of knowing; exploring all of the senses; moving from individual to collective inquiry and from inner to outer Nature. All the while we seek new kinds of understanding. All the while we explore what it is to be alive, and how to take different decisions and actions from new depths. Not least, we light fires, relish good food and good company – and always leave room for a laugh.
About Philosophers’ Camps
The original Philosophers’ Camp brought together an esteemed group of people – including philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson – to camp in the wilderness and inquire into life’s big questions. Later, in the 1900s, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and John Burroughs also enjoyed regular camping trips together. At camp, away from the pressures of everyday life, these pioneers were able to explore questions in refreshingly new ways. This is the intention of our Philosophers’ Camps. To open our senses, our minds and our hearts in forming new connections, perspectives and insights around the big issues of our times.
What to Expect
Our second camp of the year is entitled Being in Relationship: Exploring who we are when we are with others.
Way of Nature, in collaboration with Relationship Coach Corinne Blum, invite you to come spend a long weekend in beautiful Somerset to explore who we are in relationship. Many of us may find ourselves caught in the same, unhealthy pattern of relationship; whether we are still looking for a relationship, or are in a partnership already. To be in relationship with others, we must first really look at our relationship to ourselves. Do we believe we are good enough? Are we worthy of love? As Rumi beautifully says: “ Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
On this retreat, with nature as our backdrop, we will explore:
- Our relationship towards our self-worth
- Our barriers, self-beliefs and patterns, that hold us back from experiencing true love and intimacy
- Our inner and outer nature; understanding ourselves as part of the greater whole
- How to remain authentic in relationship
- How to use nature, meditation, movement and time alone to connect with our authentic Self
This retreat will be a mixture of led experiences, meditation, time alone in nature for self-enquiry as well as group discussion. The principles of Way of Nature, using deep relaxation and presence techniques, will be threaded throughout the retreat. We invite you to come take time for yourself, to look into the deeper parts of your being - with the nurture and support of nature - to unveil what being in relationship means to you.
Location
The camps will take place at a beautiful new retreat centre in Somerset (http://42acres.com/place/#accommodation), nestled alongside a seven hundred acre forest. From here we will embark on a programme that weaves through the indoors and outdoors, and the inner and outer worlds. As always with Way of Nature programmes, we will work with core principles of Interconnection, Presencing, Relaxation, Energy, Heart, Clarity and awareness of Source. In this instance, we hold these around the theme – and from here we explore not just what we understand in our rational minds but what we know with our hearts and intuition.
An Invitation
If you are interested in the issues and ideas – and also the way of working we have described – we would love to hear from you. For each camp we are looking forward to bringing together passionate people that can contribute to rich experience and learning together. Not least, we hope the camps are only the beginning of deepening conversations and actions for good.
Price
We are offering a price of individuals and can offer two bursaries for the programme:
£375 for individuals
The bursaries will be offered at the price of £200. Please contact us directly with a description of why you would like to attend and how you will benefit from the bursary.
To book
To book, please email [email protected] for a registration form and payment instructions.
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Beginner’s Nature Quest - Wiltshire
A deeply restful and reflective getaway
for those not wanting to venture too far into the wild.
A light and supportive introduction to solos,
and deeper Way of Nature principles.
Beginner’s Nature Quest
30th July - 2nd August 2015, Wiltshire, UK
This retreat is a fantastic introduction to Way of Nature principles and the magic of going ‘solo’ – safely - in Nature.
Through the retreat we practice relaxation, awareness, energy-cultivation and mindfulness. All the while we use Nature as teacher and guide. At the heart of the experience is a 24 hour solo – time alone without distractions. This is a beautiful process that we prepare with extra care – perfect if this is your first solo.
We base ourselves in a gentle environment providing a unique setting for those looking to enjoy their overnight solo in a safe space. The ancient hawthorn forest we base ourselves in brings an enchanting energy to the experience. The sites we use are chosen in a native forest amongst stunning rolling hills of Wiltshire, complete with a local stone circle.
What to expect
There is no need to worry about putting up tents or seemingly challenging ideas about camping or adventuring. If you’d like us to, we will help with all practical aspects. This frees up space to take care of yourself and to feel completely free and alone with Nature.
Programme
- Arrival on Thursday afternoon to the venue
- Thursday evening fire-side get together
- Friday begins with Way of Nature relaxation and energy activities including methods to refine your senses, gentle energy cultivation techniques (Qi Gong), meditations and relaxation practices.
By the end of Friday you will have a sense of where you want to be for your ‘solo’. We will also run through key outdoors and safety briefings and will support you throughout with these things if necessary.
- Friday at dusk we can enjoy some time exploring the surrounding hills and forests and celebrate the sunset with some outdoor yoga in the middle of a stone circle.
- On Saturday morning we start with relaxation and presencing activities, before the departure for your solo spot.
- We will guide you to your solo spot and help you prepare as much as you need to.
- 24 hours later we come back to get you. There will be a lovely meal waiting for the group.
- Sunday afternoon is about a ‘review’; a special way of sharing stories of adventure and insight.
- We then close the programme late Sunday afternoon to permit time to travel back home.
Who’s it for?
This experience can be provided for all people with a basic level of physical fitness. We also provide all instruction and support required – you won’t need any prior experience of physical activities in the wild. You will need some basic equipment such as a sleeping bag, a list of which is provided on registration. We can also hire out all equipment necessary. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any queries on this at all.
“Spending time alone in nature during the nature quest has made me feel more confident, inspired me in my work, helped me connect better to myself and in my relationships. I returned home feeling reinvigorated, energised, with – what people kept on telling me – very clear eyes. Recommended.”
– karl samuelson – sw london.
What to bring?
We provide a full packing list on registration but expect to bring a small tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and some warm clothes.
Travel
The location is reached easily by rail or road. The nearest station is Tisbury. We offer a pick-up service on Thursday evening from Tisbury rail station, and can drop you back there Sunday late afternoon. If you need further assistance with organising your travel, just contact us.
Price
Cost: £425 per person
Booking
Natural Cycles of Change - Day Retreat
“…The Power of the World always works in circles…. The Sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours….”
- Black Elk
Cycles of Change: Natural and Elemental wisdom
A day retreat near Central London, new dates to be announced soon.
This one day retreat is a journey into the nature of change. Change is a strange thing. Sometimes we desperately want it, sometimes it comes when we really don’t need it. Yet, it is in the nature of all things.
What to expect
An exploration of how we sense and work with change. Here we work with three core Way of Nature principles: Presence, Relaxation and Energy. These are at the heart of developing awareness, staying grounded and developing capacity to sense and adapt to change more skilfully.
From here, we will work with ideas from indigenous medicine wheels and the Taoist elements: Fire, Earth, Stone/Metal, Water and Wood. Always enlightening - and always about working with heart as much as head - these help us explore how any ‘form’ has different forces and forms of energy around it. These contrasting forces exist in us and in everything around us. Understanding these forces can help us to us to shape and cope with change more profoundly.
“All forms are constantly changing. All forms are connected. All forms constantly fall and rise from Source.”
Not least, in this programme we make space for some brief periods of time alone (AllOne) ‘solos’ outdoors. This can be a gift we hardly ever give ourselves - time completely alone to ourselves.
At the end of the experience we will reflect on how to take insights and practices drawn from the day back into everyday life.
Held lightly and playfully, this is an inspiring and heart-warming experience to help many aspects of work and life.
Activities
- An opening into relaxation and presence
- An introduction to Qi Gong practices to support awareness and flow
- Mindfulness practices
- An exploration of the cycles of change through ancient wisdom models
- A mini solo, alone (AllOne) to support reflection
- Space to consider how to thread new forms of balance into life
This workshop is facilitated by Andres Roberts, co-founder of Way of Nature and a guide dedicated to wholeness, balance and reconnection.
Start time – arriving from 10.00 to begin for 10.30am. Finish by 4pm.
Price: £55, £40 early-bird available until 5th April, £30 concessions (transport and lunch excluded, please bring packed lunch).
Venue
This day retreat will start at evolve wellbeing centre, South Kensington. Weather permitting we will use outdoor spaces in Hyde Park through the day.
Address for evolve is 10 Kendrick Mews, London SW7 3HG
Booking
To book, please click Register Now below AND fill out all the details in the registration form. Once complete, please select the correct price from the drop-down menu.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions.
Q: Do I need to prepare anything for the retreat?
A: Nothing but an open mind, and willingness to experience nature in a new perspective.
Q: What equipment do I need?
A: We recommend the list below for each retreat. Of course please do bare in mind the time of year and the location of the retreat. If there is anything special which is not included in the list below, we will let you know.
- Backpack - max 65 litres
- Water containers - minimum 2 litres + 1 litre
- Sleeping Mat/Thermarest
- Tent, bivy bag, or tarpaulin (plastic sheeting to tie to trees or lie on to keep dry)
- Head torch with full batteries
- Basic first aid items (pain killers, plasters, bandages etc.)
- Warm clothing and clothing to change into - two layers of everything
- Waterproof layers (jacket & trousers)
- Extra layers for warmth at night
- Hat for warmth / sun
- Gloves
- Hiking, trekking or sports shoes - and spare shoes in case of rain
- Socks to change
- Swimming costume
- Comfortable clothes for stretching/yoga activities
- Sun cream and shades to protect your eyes
- Mosquito repellant
- Notebook & pen
Q: Do I need to know any bush-craft / survival skills?
A: No - it is not necessary to know how to start a fire with a bit of string and a knife, or make your own survival shelter. On some of our retreats you may be instructed in some basic bush-craft techniques however no previous knowledge or experience is required. Even if you don’t know how to put up your own tent, your friendly guides will be on-hand to help you with that.
Q: Can I bring a phone / camera / journal / book on my solo?
A: We encourage participants to only take a phone with them for emergencies at keep it off for the duration of their alone time. We also recommend to not bring a journal and pen on your solo to enable you to focus on presence and experiencing what is unfolding around you.
If you have any other questions, please send us a note via our connect page.
Unforgettable experiences when we most need them.
Hundreds of people have experienced Way of Nature programmes
all over the world. Take a look at what some of our participants have
to say in the films below.
Way of Nature open programmes help you rest, recharge and repurpose. Programmes start from day-long workshops to longer retreats. All our experiences combine unforgettable journeys into Nature with activities rooted in our transformative principles. We usually include a period of time completely alone (AllOne) in the wild. This means anything from an hour to a day to a week entirely alone to connect inner and outer Nature. This forms a powerful experience that has supported and inspired many people across the world. Not least, we make sure to host all our programmes with care, dedication and fun.
x
In June 2015 our programmes were named as some of the best breaks to take on your own by The Times! Take a look at some of our 2015 programmes below.