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September 12, 2020 @ 9:30 am - September 13, 2020 @ 4:30 pm
£10 – £150
Give yourself a whole weekend of mindfulness in the woods accompanied by a range of bushcraft activities aimed at focusing the mind and increasing awareness & appreciation of the natural world. Throughout the weekend you will be guided experienced tutors. Join us around the campfire amoungst the beautiful woods and parkland of the National Trust’s Chirk Castle estate in North East Wales for a relaxing weekend of learning in nature. Over the weekend you will experience a range of mindfulness techniques and practical bushcraft skills which you can then take forward yourself.
Whether you work in the outdoors already or spend your leisure time enjoying nature, this weekend has a lot of offer you. This course is a great opportunity for those working in outdoor pursuits including Outdoor Activity Leaders and Forest School Leaders to expand their skill set. It would also be perfect for anyone who simply has a keen interest in engaging with nature on a deeper level to then take these techniques into enhancing their own love of the outdoors.
- Discover the seven principles of Mindfulness
- Make greenwood crafts: spatula carving
- Awaken your ‘animal senses’
- Use traditional tools; knife, axe and froe
- Breathing space meditations
- Craft your woodland getaway; shelter building skills
- Identify native tree species
- Forage for wild food & wildflower identification
- Body scan meditations
- Unlock natural navigation techniques
- Practise fox walking; moving mindfully outdoors
- Learn mindful fire-lighting techniques
- Make herbal teas from wild plants
Each day will begin and end with a whole group mindfulness exercise before before getting stuck into our range of activities. Refreshments will be available through the day at our basecamp. Camping is also available on site.
“A massive thank you for an awesome weekend. Had it been billed as a pure ‘mindfulness’ weekend I probably would never have signed up but I’m so glad I did. I got so much out of both sides of the weekend. It’s obvious that you love what you do and care about the content of your courses and that’s very evident in the delivery. You provided such a lovely atmosphere to learn and take in the information and skills on offer. I’ll definitely be back again.” Matthew Lewis – course participant
Your Tutor: James & Lea Kendall
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in environmental education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers his students toward fostering a deeper connection with nature through understanding the landscape around us; “Bushcraft skills are an effective way to do this as we learn how to make use of natural materials and live lightly with the land, whilst also connecting with our own ancient past by seeing the land through the eyes of our ancestors.”
Lea is a qualified Counsellor and Mindfulness in a Woodland Setting practitioner. She is a firm believer in the power of nature to be therapeutic for everyone. Lea is an active forager, passionate about how we can use common plants for both food and medicine. She enjoys making her own tinctures and medicinal remedies for treating common ailments.
Skills you will learn
Over the course of the programme you will learn a range of skills, including…
Pitch Your Tent
The National Trust have kindly offered exclusive camping for course participants over the weekend (Fri and Sat nights only). You’ll pitch your tent in the shadow of the castle. With access to proper toilets and drinking water there’s no need to rough it. If you would like to pitch a tent in the camping field at Chirk Castle the Trust are asking for a £10 donation per tent. This donation will go directly toward their conservation work and upkeep of the Chirk Castle estate and grounds. If you have any questions about camping, just ask.
Book now
This course costs £150 per person and is open to adult learners aged 16 years and over. You can read our Event Terms & Conditions here.
