“When you walk the woods, do so at their pace. Not yours.” – Br Richard
Staff Well-Being Sessions
Mindfulness Outdoors Experiences
Welcome
I am really looking forward to spending this time together on our Mindfulness Outdoors Experiences! For more than a decade I have enjoyed taking mindfulness outdoors as a powerful means of spending time in nature and reconnecting with ourselves, the world around us and remembering what really matters.
As a certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide, I will be inviting you to partake in a specific sequence of guided mindfulness practises that are designed to increase our awareness and connection with each other and the natural world of which we are a part. There will be times of quiet and times of shared mindful listening and sharing. Each session includes
- orienting to the story of the physical environment
- moving gently to warm up the body
- breathing and grounding activities
- mindful walking
- nature-based meditations
- share circles with tea and stories of our experiences being in nature
Winter Wonder Walk
Place:
Anne Valley Nature & Wildlife Walk, Ballyphilip, Co. Waterford
Date:
Wednesday 20 November 2024
Time:
Morning Group 10am – 12pm
Afternoon Group 1.30 – 3.30pm
Arriving & Preparing
Meeting Point -NB
We will begin our walk at the Anne Valley Nature Walk main entrance – just before the village of Dunhill. There is parking and a toilet at this entrance. We will walk – or rather saunter – towards Dunhill Castle.
To keep within out times I suggest a carpool – that some people leave their car at the Dunhill Castle Car Park with others bringing them to the main entrance car park to start our walk. Then when we finish the walk those who have parked in the castle car park can bring back those who are parked at the main entrance car park. It’s just a 4-5 min driving time but will save a longer walk and get you to lunch or home without rushing our walk.
We suggest you aim to arrive for 9.50 am and give yourself some time to settle in.
We will give each other a few minutes or so to arrive and settle into our place for the morning.
What to bring
Alongside our open minds, warm hearts and spirits of adventure, as we adventure into connection with the aliveness of our more-than-human world of nature, please bring any personal items you need to be comfortable and safe.
We walk at a slowed down pace and stop from time to time so most important, with our changeable weather patterns, please bring what you need to stay warm and dry, for as long as possible. Please be sure to bring wet weather (jacket, trousers, footwear, hat etc.) and layer up.
If you are unsure, I have created a suggested list of items to bring with you for this session. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
As we will be walking outdoors for 1.5-2 hours, walking 1.5-2km at a slow pace and pausing from time to time, so it is important that we dress appropriately in clothing that protects us and that helps us to stay as warm as possible:
- Dressing with layers (remember it is easier to cool down than to warm up)
- Warm rainproof jacket
- Hat, Gloves & Scarf
- Long-trousers/ Waterproof
- Sturdy shoes/boots that are waterproof and can support you on uneven ground
- Something to sit on ( a sit mat/seat pad for sitting on wet/damp ground)
You might also choose to bring along any personal items that you need for the duration of our time together, in a waterproof daypack. For example:
- Personal medicines
- Snacks
- Water
- Extra layer / socks
- Hand sanitiser / Sun Protection
- Tissues
- Notebook & pen for reflective journaling
A note on Devices
If you can at all, we recommend that you allow yourself this time to be device-free. I will have a phone for GPS and emergency calls. In the forest, coverage is often variable so nature is mirroring this invitation too!! You will be invited to switch off or put your phone on silent at the start of the walk. There may be a particular reason for needing access to your phone to be comfortable and that is ok too. If you need to take a call or check a message, we ask that you do this discreetly as phone-checking is contagious!
It may also be tempting to use our phones for taking photographs. Again, the advice is to let go of this habit too as it can disconnect us from our present moment experience. Instead trust that you will be taking photos in your heart, mind and body. We may agree to take a photograph to mark the event when we have completed our session.
There may be other items not listed here that you think are important to bring, please feel free to do so and to ask me any questions if you are not sure.
Please click the button below and complete the registration form in advance so that I have the required safety information for our time together.
Registration & Waiver Form Completion
What Clients Have to Say
Nature Knows
We have entered into the darkest days of the year. The season of letting go and resting, So that the seeds within may be nourished in the dark soil, to emerge in the spring. With nature as our mirror, what invitations can we see? Let this time be a pause in the midst of our full lives to ground in our roots, come home to being and honour the whole of the present moment. Mindful being in nature, we attune to the rhythm of nature and invite ease, connection and reflection.
“even in early winter, there is joy to be had in the company of trees”