Resilience Skills – Seeding Our Future

Book blog: The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller

Subtitle: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief You may have noticed, as I have, a growing number of grief tending workshops, grief rituals and similar events in recent years. What’s your reaction to them? I admit that mine has been a mix of mild interest and some resistance. Francis Weller is one … Read more

Climate alarm? Learning to live with it

The recent IPCC report on the climate crisis has left me alarmed and unsettled, maybe you too. I’m writing this blog for myself as much as anyone, as part of my long-running search for ways to live with this. There are plenty of good processes out there, and many of us have been using them … Read more

Book blog: Deep Adaptation – Navigating the Realities of Climate Chaos by Jem Bendell and Rupert Read

I regard Deep Adaptation as one of the most important approaches to the climate crisis, and this new book will give you a thorough grounding in what DA is, and isn’t, and in the various ways it might evolve over the next few years. It’s not easy to define what Deep Adaptation is: I wouldn’t … Read more

The 9 Dimensions of Super-Resilience: the key to enjoying your 2020’s

Would you agree that for most people, life and work have become a lot more demanding and uncertain in recent years? And is that trend likely to grow in future? If so, what’s the positive response to the challenge? This is what I’m calling super-resilience. Currently, I see many individuals, communities and work teams struggling … Read more

Don’t let lockdown grind you away! Staying cheerful in covid year two

Despite my resilience skills, I’ve had to keep digging deep to sustain my mood, especially in these recent winter months. Whilst there’s hope for easing restrictions soon, lockdown has a cumulative grinding effect. So here are my tips for the next few months. Mindful exercise: enjoy your outdoor time to the max, with all five … Read more

Covid vaccinations: a touching flavour of Dunkirk spirit – Plus tips to avoid side effects

Covid vaccinations: a touching flavour of Dunkirk spirit Plus tips to avoid side effects Having my first covid vaccination was a moving experience, which I hadn’t expected. I’m so proud of the NHS for organising on this scale and speed, and touched by all the volunteers who made it possible. As I cycled to our … Read more

Your Resilience Toolkit

What is resilience, and why does it matter? Resilience is the ability to stay calm in high levels of change and challenge, to bounce back when something difficult happens, to face up to a problem and find a good solution. It’s a set of skills to help you maintain your wellbeing and happiness even when … Read more

The Diamond Process: drawing on both sides of the brain

As we try to handle ever more complexity and uncertainty in our lives, co-creative skills are essential. Co-creativity is about both-and, combining action and reflection, balancing your needs and aims with the realities of the situation and other people in it. One way of developing co-creativity is through the left and right sides of the … Read more

Adapting to climate change and covid – reflections on a retreat

From 6-8 November we held a virtual retreat to focus on different spiritual approaches to climatechange, Covid and other challenges we all are facing. It was a fascinating and welcome opportunityto get people together and explore ideas and feelings. As I think about this retreat I remember that in times of crisis for thousands of … Read more

The Seven Seeds of Natural Happiness

How can you stay happy when there’s too much change and uncertainty? Are there ways to bounce back and thrive if life is getting you down? Natural Happiness uses skills from gardening and organic farming to help you cultivate your own wellbeing. The Seven Seeds approach grows from Alan Heeks’ experience of creating gardens, a … Read more

Nature Immersion for Climate Distress

A workshop for therapists and counsellors Tues May 17 – Wed May 18: Hazel Hill Wood, near Salisbury We can see that the climate crisis is worsening, and we need new ways to respond to rising climate distress. This experiential workshop is designed for therapists, counsellors and other professionals, offering you a chance to explore and learn how Nature immersion can be part of your approach, both with individuals and groups, drawing on many years of this work by the facilitators and at this unique venue. We will shape the content to the interests of participants, and provide space for everyone to share their experience on this topic. The approaches we aim to explore include: How Nature immersion can enable specific climate response processes, such as The Work that Reconnects (deep ecology) and Deep Adaptation.Methods of Nature immersion, including forest bathing, micro-quests, tree connection, symbol walks, reality shifts (campfires, night walks, etc), Alan Heeks’ ecosystem model for human resilience, and rewilding.Ways to tailor nature immersion to a range of clients, including one-to-one therapy, young people, high-stress professionals such as doctors, and special needs groups.How to use Nature immersion in the urban outdoors, online, and for indoor groups. Facilitators Alan Heeks: has used nature contact in facilitating groups and individual coaching for 25 years. He set up the retreat centre at Hazel Hill, and has pioneered many groups and processes here, often using his Natural Happiness model of ecosystems as a guide to human resilience. He co-developed the Nature Resilience Immersion groups for doctors. See more at www.naturalhappiness.net and www.seedingourfuture.org.uk. Deeply involved in climate responses, member of CPA. Jane Sanders: has worked as a mindfulness-based psychotherapist for over 30 years. She first came across eco-psychology and deep ecology in the 1980s reading John Seed and Joanna Macy and then training as a ‘Work that Reconnects’ facilitator. Over the last 10 years, she joined the teaching staff at Sweetrack Counselling training – helping develop one of the first curriculums integrating ecopsychology into trainee counsellors’ development. She currently offers Rewilding Therapy CPD trainings and has an outdoor psychotherapy and supervision practice at Hallr Wood in Somerset. She is a CPA member. Marcos Frangos: Marcos works as a counsellor, constellations coach and group facilitator, with wide experience in nature immersions including many groups at Hazel Hill. He was General Manager of Hazel Hill Trust 2015-2019, and has worked with Alan and Jane on Nature Resilience Immersions and other events. See www.wellspringchange.com. Hazel Hill Wood: Hazel Hill is a magical 70-acre conservation woodland and retreat centre, 7 miles from Salisbury, which has evolved since 1993 as a place for catalytic connections between people of many kinds and the natural world. It has a wide range of woodland habitats, open spaces, a pond, and a campfire amid beech trees in the heart of the wood. It has simple, yet beautifully crafted off-grid wooden buildings with lovely indoor and outdoor group spaces, basic accommodation in bedrooms and sleeping lofts (or camping), good hot showers and compost loos. Please note there are deer ticks at the wood which can carry Lyme disease: we will brief you on precautions in the joining instructions. See more about the wood at www.hazelhill.org.uk. Timings: From 11.30am on Tuesday May 17 to 3.30pm on Wednesday May 18. Cost: £260, including single room accommodation, food and facilitation. Bookings and enquiries: Please contact Alan Heeks via alanheeks@gmail.com or 07976 602787. Group size limited to 14 participants.
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Bridport Climate Forums

Bridport Climate Forums Consultation sessions with community organisations and networks In person: November 23, 5.30-7.00pmOnline: November 24, 7.00-8.30pm These consultation meetings are being hosted by two local environmental organisations with support and input from Bridport Town Council. The aim is to bring together local organisations and networks of all kinds to explore together how we can enable our local community to respond to the growing climate emergency, including both emissions and waste reduction, and emergency resilience. This message from our Mayor, Ian Bark, explains why we are asking you to join us. Bridport is a very special place with a strong sense of community that has seen us through the pandemic with a mix of public service and volunteers. Bridport has many active voluntary groups, a mark of the resilience of our town and the ability to organise to help others. Now we have another emergency that we need to prepare for. Climate change will affect our food supplies, health, public services and our whole livelihood, but there are plenty of practical steps we can all take to reduce its impact. We should be able to use our resilience to reduce the risk of climate change, and to be ready for the effects as they come. I therefore support this plan to convene two Forums for community groups and voluntary organisations of all kinds in Bridport to discuss what we can do with our combined forces. Along with most other local authorities, Bridport Town Council has declared a Climate Emergency, in May 2019. Recent weather events and reports show that the climate crisis is accelerating: the purpose of these Forum meetings is to seek your advice and active help in widening local residents’ involvement in climate responses: both reducing waste and emissions, and in improving our preparedness for emergency events such as floods or power cuts. Widespread citizen engagement will be required to achieve the transformations demanded by the climate emergency and in these Forums we want to consult you on ways that your organisation could help with this, and what steps you would like the Town Council and the community as a whole to take. Ian Bark,Mayor Please use the following Eventbrite links to book your place on one of these events, which are free of charge: In person on: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/193717182307Online on: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/194398590417 For more information on the kind of practical responses we hope to explore, follow this link.
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Bridport Climate Café: Thursdays November 18, December 9, 2-4pm at Soulshine Café, South Street

A climate café is an informal, supportive space where you can talk about your feelings on climate change. The group will be supported by trained volunteer facilitators: it’s a confidential space for respectful listening, whatever your views. All are welcome, including young adults from 16 up. It’s not a therapy group, and it’s not a place for discussing or planning action, important as that is. Free of charge, no need to book. Please arrive promptly, get yourself a hot drink, maybe some cake, and join us. No regular commitment needed, leave any time you want! For more about climate cafés, see this blog. For any queries, contact Alan Heeks, 07976 602787.
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Soul Resilience Circle – monthly online group – October 20 and November 17

On October 20 and November 17, 7.30-9pm UK time, you can join an online group to seek and share soul resilience insights. We will explore different ideas of what soul is, and ways to contact it, to find soul guidance about staying positive and finding our life purpose in these troubled times. Our aim is to create an ongoing group for people who are already interested in exploring soul perspectives and want to deepen with a small group. If the two pilot sessions are well received, we will continue with a monthly online group. Led by Alan Heeks and Nayyer Hussain, who have been soul friends for over 20 years, and have guided a range of groups. Free of charge. Limited to 12 participants. To book a place or get more info, contact Alan. You can also read more about Soul Resilience on my website: soulresilience.net.
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Soul Resilience Retreat: How your core self can help you grow through storms – Feb 25-27, 2022

At Hazel Hill Wood near SalisburyWith Alan Heeks and Jane Sanders As life gets more turbulent, we need to go higher and dig deeper to find a quantum step up in our resilience. This retreat is a chance to explore how the deep wisdom of your soul can help you to stay centred and positive, and clarify your purpose: why your soul has chosen to be here in a time of huge change. The intention for this retreat is to create a safe space for shared exploration, with guided processes, sharing time, and solo space to reflect, rest, and draw insights from Nature. The ingredients will include: Finding your own sense of your soul, and creating a dialogue.Ways to deepen soul connection, including calling on a guide, Nature immersion, sacred chants, soul groups and anima mundi (Gaia).Helping soul and body to cohabit, and create shared resilience.Why am I here? Find your soul’s view on how to live with and grow through climate crisis.Nourishing the soul, individually and collectively, as a key to everyday resilience. Alan Heeks has been exploring resilience, climate responses, and the soul’s journey for many years. He is a widely experienced group and retreat leader. See www.naturalhappiness.net. Jane Sanders has over 25 years’ experience in working with a mindfulness-based approach to wellbeing with groups and individuals, and draws on ecospirituality, deep ecology and Nature immersion. Hazel Hill: is a magical 70-acre conservation woodland and retreat centre, 7 miles from Salisbury. It has simple, yet beautifully crafted off-grid wooden buildings with lovely indoor and outdoor group spaces, heated bedrooms and sleeping lofts (or camping), good hot showers and compost loos. See more about the wood at www.hazelhill.org.uk. Practicalities: Start time: 4pm on Friday February 25, finishing after lunch at 2pm on Sunday February 27.Price: To be confirmed.Booking: If you would like to reserve a provisional place, please contact Alan on data@workingvision.com or 07976 602787.
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Grow your own Happiness

In these stormy times, we need new skills to stay happy. A cultivated ecosystem, like a garden, is a role model for human nature: this workshop shows how gardening methods can help you grow your own happiness and deepen the roots of your resilience.
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COP 26; A Professional’s view
By Raja Jarrah Raja Jarrah has attended several previous COP meetings as a professional participant, working with CARE International for several years. He is now based in Bridport, and part of the Seeding our Future team. COP26 was not a resounding success in advancing the global effort to deal with climate change. For some observers, their expectations of COP26 were not very high, and so the end result was perhaps not as great a disappointment as it was for many others. There were no real binding commitments made, no money put on on the table, and very little guarantee of action to follow on from the agreed words. Big gaps still remain between what needs to be done and what governments are committing to do. Astonishingly there was hardly any discussion about food and agriculture at COP, even though sustainable food systems had been discussed at a different UN summit earlier in the year. Nevertheless there are some new markers in the Glasgow pact that might allow progress in future, albeit with glaring loopholes that must be confronted. For example, action on “fossil fuels” is mentioned in a climate agreement for the first time; yet, phrased as phasing out “inefficient” subsidies, with no action until next year, it is tantamount to justifying business as usual for the time being. And though somewhat firmer action was agreed on coal, that too carries no urgency. Also there now seems to be consensus that the magic number is 1.5oC, not the 2oC that has dogged us since Paris. (Of course, opinions still vary about what to do about that number, how fast to avoid it, or if it’s OK to overshoot it by a bit or a lot, or not). On issues where agreement couldn’t be reached, there was at least agreement on the need to talk some more. This includes firmer targets for cutting emissions, more funding for adaptation, and establishing a fund that recognises the loss and damage that climate change has already unleashed on much of the developing world. But as experience shows, declarations and voluntary agreements do not routinely turn into actual action. Many observers of COP see the limited progress as confirming how essential action is by communities and local individuals, both to reduce emissions and adapt to worsening climate events, but also to keep pressure on national governments. Probably the most encouraging thing about COP26 was the extent that organisations of concerned citizens, many ably led by youth, women, and indigenous people, continually sought to exert pressure on the delegates during the negotiations, perhaps more so than at any previous COP. The challenge now is how to keep up that pressure so that the words of the politicians can turn into real action, prior to another COP next year.
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