One of the 'upsides' of living in the wilds is that we can really catch the weather. Unseasonal snow fall might have caught us on the hop a bit but it has done two good things. It has forced the hurly burly of busy modern life and our crowded Isle beyond our horizon. All of… Continue reading Snowed in with time to reconnect
'Splitting logs is the part of the job Arne enjoys most. "It’s a therapeutic. And it’s not a very complex job. Routine really, but not boring. So many things happen in our everyday lives bother us and cloud our day. Often, if I’ve been to a meeting and gotten worked up about something or other,… Continue reading Chop Therapy: The Art of Being Present in Full Flow.
The Early Modern period (roughly 15th to 18th C) saw a significant growth in the idea of solitude in nature and an interest in the State of Nature. For pioneering Natural Philosophers such as Francis Bacon the revolutionary idea that observation of nature itself, rather than reliance on ancient authorities provided the best foundation for… Continue reading A very short, late history of nature, seclusion and the sufficiency of Self
It is quite clear that solitude can be interpreted in several different ways. Being alone is description of being separated from other things: 'being on your own'. In itself it has no negative or positive attributes. It is usually a temporary state. Being lonely is an expression of the emotional pain of being alone. This… Continue reading Solace in solitude
Our Forest Bathing exercises are drawn from a huge variety of sources: from the cutting edge current right back into the dawn of our ancestry. It is all but impossible to gift anyone but a slight taste of the possible uses and benefits of the practice. However, all sessions - no matter now advanced or… Continue reading What we do on our introductory walks
We have just discovered a very old clip of Mr dBL and one of our bambinos taking a forest walk early in the morning, making a fire by rubbing sticks together (!), brewing a quick wayfarer's tea, safely putting the fire out and leaving no trace. A great example of mindful flow through lighting and… Continue reading Five minute fires and mindfulness
We are delighted to offer a certified course training those who wish to become Forest Bathing Leaders. The course will run this autumn (September/October/November) and will be fully certificated. The course will run over three weekend blocks (from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon) with independent study and practice between sessions. There will be an evaluation… Continue reading Certified Forest Bathing Leader Course
Bewilderment: the quality or state of being lost, perplexed, or confused. To be truly in the wilds. A place where there is no map. A place to get lost and become bewildered. Woods Shock is a more contemporary term for being-wilded. In the woods, in the back-country, in the forests where nobody often goes is… Continue reading Bewildered, being lost and the art of finding oneself.
We have many favourite trees, not only are they varied and beautiful but each has its own unique qualities, wonderful uses and amazing stories. There is one we have fallen in love with. It is the Douglas Fir. We wanted to share why we love Douglas. Because the next time you go for a walk… Continue reading Love letter to Douglas (Fir)
2pm - 3.30pm (£10 per person) - includes tea ceremony Forest Bathing isn’t new or as wacky as it sounds but is a blend of ancient wisdom, modern medicine and research to create a proven route to wellbeing. Forest Bathing or 'Shinrin-yoku' was a term that was coined about 30 years ago in Japan. What… Continue reading Haldon Forest Bathing 1st December 2017
