This event will be run again on 23-25 September 2011.  For further details and to book your place click here

Event Details:

Arrive: Friday 24 June 2011 at 3pm
Ends: Sunday 26 June 2011 at 3pm
Duration: 3 Day (2 Nights) - Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.
Location: Woodland in Denbighshire, North Wales (Exact location will be sent with your booking confirmation)
Accommodation and food: This is a camping based self catering weekend and requires that you bring your own tent (or equivalent), camping equipment, stove and food. A camp fire will be available for cooking. If you intend to use this bring appropriate pots. There is also a basic wooden structure with room for two people to sleep.
(A kit list of items you will need will be sent with your booking confirmation)

Fee: £180 full payment
Early Bird Fee: £120 (if you book and pay before 31st March 2010)
Deposit: The first £60 of any fee paid is considered a non-returnable deposit
Spread the cost by paying in installments. Enquire about the monthly payment plan.

Finders Fee: Receive £20 for every person you recommend who then attends the workshop.
Previous Attendee Rate: If you have attended this workshop before, you may return for a substantially reduced fee.

A previous attendee had this to say about the workshop:
'Nigel's workshop in the wonderful Welsh countryside was a life-changing experience. I discovered the roots of so many of my problems through challenging and enjoyable exercises. Since the workshop I have become more proactive and attained far more success in my every day life, pursuing goals that I would not have attempted. It has revitalised me and repaired a lot of the damage life has caused me over the years with a non-invasive and caring method.' Charlie Allen (July 2010 workshop)

Workshop Details:

This workshop takes place in a beautiful private woodland in North Wales and will consist of a variety of fun, enlightening and sometimes challenging nature-based outdoor activities, sensory and awareness exercises, guided meditation, solo reflection time, and group discussion. These will be used as tools for raising your level of awareness and drawing your attention to your relationship with yourself, others and the natural environment.

The aim for the weekend is to create an enquiring self-reflective atmosphere of relaxed open-minded playful, fun and curiosity.  The perfect environment for easy personal change.

"Many people feel relaxed and good when they are out in nature. But not many of us know that there is also scientific evidence about the healing effects of nature." says Dr. Eeva Karjalainen, of the Finnish Forest Research Institute, Metla

Just some of the benefits previous participants gained by attending this workshop ... Reduced anxiety and stress Increased confidence and self-esteem Lifted mood and reduced depression Gained a new perspective on problems, so that it became easy to find solutions Enhanced motivation Connected to a sense of wonder Built a deeper sense of trust both in themselves and others Dealt with anger Promoted working as a team, building relationship skills Promoted respect for oneself, others and nature Improved communication skills Improved psychological and spiritual health and well-being Learned to be more in the here and now Developed greater responsibility for their own actions Put their life in perspective Developed independence and creativity Improved problem solving and life skills Learned that you can achieve things you never thought possible What benefits could you imagine yourself gaining when you attend this workshop?

What is nature-based personal development?

This is a relatively new field, but one which has many ancient roots, and as such, it draws its ideas from both modern and ancients practices. The nature-based healing practices of many native cultures are now being researched and integrated with modern therapeutic and coaching practices under the umbrella term of 'ecotherapy.' It is a selection of these practices that will be used during this workshop.

Many researchers now believe that conflicts can arise between our modern society's disconnection from the natural world and our in-built need to relate to it, creating a series of internal mental conflicts, which can give rise to emotional, behavioural and addictive problems.

Research has shown that just spending time outdoors in green space can have significant benefits on your mental well-being. This workshop take this idea much further by actively making use of the connection with the natural environment to aid in your self exploration and psychological and spiritual health and well-being.

This workshop is focused primarily on experiential learning. Why? In our western society our thinking style has become unbalanced and biased towards a more cognitive thinking style, but a more somatic intelligence exists within each of us. Anyone who has ever had a creative moment, or 'gut feeling' or just knew something was right because they felt it 'in their heart' will be aware of it. This conflict between cognitive and somatic thinking creates and maintains many of our day to day problematic thinking patterns. During the workshop you will be expanding your awareness and learning to think with both your heart and your head. You will learn through immersing yourself in the nurturing natural environment and activities, as well as by personal reflection and sharing your insights and experiences during the activities. All activities are completely 'by choice' so you will not be made to take part in, do, or talk about anything you don't feel comfortable with.

The whole atmosphere of the weekend should remain relaxed playful and fun with occasional challenges.

The workshop aims to help you to...

challenge your perceived limitations and unhelpful thought patterns, and develop greater awareness of your own strengths, through the use of the natural environment and challenging nature-based activities. develop a deeper understanding of how you relate to others, yourself, and your life by reflecting on any symbolic or metaphorical relationships between the nature based activities and your own life process your new understandings and learnings by sharing thoughts and reflections in a relaxed, safe, constructive, supportive, non-judgemental and respectful environment integrate your new learnings and positive resources so they become available in your everyday life

Think about a personal issue you'd like to work on during the workshop

There is an overall therapeutic intention to the workshop, so I would recommend that before you arrive, you clearly think about a psychological issue you have that you would like to work on over the weekend. This can be something specific in your life at the moment, like stress, or some life-long pattern that just keeps repeating, like anxiety or relationship issues. At the workshop you will hold this issue in mind during many of the activities, to first understand it and then transform it.

This is a general self development workshop and suitable issues can include, but are not limited to:

• anxiety and stress
• feeling burned out
• low confidence and self-esteem
• low mood, mild depression
• minor addictive behaviour
  
• feeling stuck in life and can't see a way forward
• feeling unmotivated
• trust issues
• anger
• relationship problems
• spiritual and emotional health
• needing to put life in perspective
• creative block
• and more...
  

You will not need to reveal or discuss your issue with the group unless you feel comfortable with doing so. 

Space is limited, so reserve your workshop place now. Book online or call 0161 881 4333 to reserve your place.

Spaces are limited to ensure each participant gets personal attention. Book online or call 0161 881 4333 to reserve your place now.

Alternatively call Nigel on 0161 881 4333 to book your place now.

Just some of the games and exercises... Meet a Tree Team Challenge Drum Stalk Fire Stalk Sit-Spot Find a Tree Like Me Trancework Walking Meditation Solo Reflection Time Journalling Bow Drill Fire Making Peripheral Vision/Tunnel Vision Grounding Exercises Fox Walk Herb Meditation Rope Walk Ask a Tree Group Feedback Be a Tree Shamanic Journeying Tracking Intentions Musical Challenge

This workshop integrates various elements of:
Natural-Awareness/Nature-Awareness Games, Ecotherapy, Wilderness Therapy, Bushcraft and Tracking Skills, Shamanism, Self-Relations Psychotherapy, Contemporary Psychotherapy, NLP, CBT, TA, Ericksonian Hypno-Psychotherapy, Counselling Skills and Coaching Skills.

About Nigel Magowan:
Nigel has run his own busy psychotherapy and coaching practice since 2002. He is a professional and experienced Solution-Focused Integrative Psychotherapist, Stress Management Consultant, Life Coach, a Licensed NLP Master Practitioner and an Advanced Hypnotherapist. Nigel is also a fully trained and accredited supervisor and offers supervision to other therapists. He has trained with some of the best trainers, and combines all his skills and experience to produce both highly practical and informative seminars. He has a special interest in helping people with anxiety, depression, stress and confidence related issues.

Nigel holds a recent enhanced CRB certificate.

He is also available for bespoke workshops for your group, organisation or business.

Workshop value for money
To see Nigel privately for one-to-one sessions would normally cost you £70 per hour. This workshop contains over 20 hours of activities. Therefore 20 hours of his time would usually cost you £1400. However by simply attending this weekend workshop you will be receiving over 20 hours worth of his valuable time, knowledge and experience for only £120, a massive saving to you of over £1250.

Restrictions and notices

Background Information:

What is ecotherapy?

Ecotherapy is really an umbrella term for a whole variety of nature-based therapies which utilise an experiential connection with nature as a major part of the therapeutic process.

Ecotherapy is a relatively new field of therapy, but one which has many ancient roots, and as such, it draws its ideas from both modern and ancients practices. Unlike us, our ancestors would have seen little or no separation between themselves and the natural world they lived in. Many native cultures today still live in a harmonious relationship with nature, interacting with nature's rhythms, to sustain and heal, physically, mentally and spiritually. In native cultures, the shaman would in effect be the equivalent of our modern doctor, counsellor and psychotherapist.

The nature-based healing practices of many native cultures are now being heavily researched and integrated with modern therapeutic practices under the umbrella term of 'ecotherapy.' It is a selection of these practices that will be used during my workshops and one-to-one nature based therapy sessions.

Why do we need ecotherapy?

Western society has become more and more industrialised and urbanised. People in industrialised nations now spend more than 90% of their lives indoors. Our time spent outside, surrounded by nature, is estimated at only 1% - 5%. As a modern society we have become increasingly disconnected from the natural world.

For millennia we have existed in a very close relationship with the natural world, and have been intrinsically connected to the rhythms of our natural environment, from our water and food, to the changing of the seasons. Human evolution has been so closely intertwined with our environment, that our need for a relationship with nature must reside in our very genes. Our genetic make-up has barely changed over the last 10000 years: an almost insignificant change of 0.005%. Therefore it would seem that despite our modern society and technological advancements, we are still genetically hard-wired to need to co-exist in close relationship with the natural environment.

As humans we seem to have an innate need to be close to nature and living things. We seem drawn, almost unconsciously, to activities which involve the natural environment.

Research suggests human identity, emotional well-being, and personal fulfilment depend on our relationship with nature. Most people are already aware of the beneficial psychological effects of simply being on a beach, paddling in a stream, or walking in a forest or the mountains. I'm sure it is no accident that we are drawn to areas of natural beauty when taking our holidays. The human need for nature is not just linked to use of its resources but it also has an influence on our emotional state, thought processes and even spiritual well-being.

Many researchers now believe that conflicts can arise between our modern society's disconnection from the natural world and our in-built need to relate to it, creating a series of internal mental conflicts, which can give rise to emotional, behavioural and addictive problems.

Given our seemingly in-built requirement for interaction with the natural world for our physical and mental well-being, it would appear that there is a strong need for us to finds ways of re-integrating nature back into our lives, so that we can redress the balance.

A Solution

Mankind's use of nature to enhance well-being, physically, mentally and spiritually, has been around probably as long as humans have existed. It is only in more recent times, largely due to industrialisation and urbanisation, that man has become more and more disconnected and isolated from the natural world. In our modern society, that in-built need for relationship with nature has become disrupted, leaving us unbalanced and open to a variety of mental and emotional problems.

Research has shown that just spending time outdoors in green space can have significant benefits on your mental well-being. This can be as simple as spending some time gardening, or sitting in your local park, or going for a walk in the countryside. Ecotherapies such as Wilderness Therapy, Pet-Assisted Therapy, Equine-Assisted Therapy, Nature Awareness, Green Therapy, Horticultural Therapy and Walking Therapy, all take this concept much further by actively utilising a connection with nature as part of the therapeutic process to enhance your psychological and spiritual health and well-being.

Credits

All photographs by Rachael Magowan Professional photographer.
Specialist fields: live music, events, landscape, portfolio shots, fine art prints.