The Mindful-Nature Camino
5th-13th May 2022
A 9-day in-person walking retreat to help you develop mindful awareness, connectedness to nature, and a more balanced way of living
Join us for a powerful process of insight, interconnection and integration as we walk the Camino Português, combining practices and principles of mindfulness while exploring ways to connect with plants through contemplative time spent in nature.
The programme is a unique collaboration between mindfulness and nature practices. It's primarily a personal journey of exploration that will guide you into a closer relationship with yourself, your immediate community and the environment. When these three spheres are in harmony, we find ourselves in a place where the journey becomes a personal pilgrimage and a way of finding our true nature
Sign up
"Absolutely loved the interaction and relevance of it all, so very appropriate for this particular journey of walking the Camino and my understanding of both walking and mindfulness practices have grown so much" - Carine
A walking journey combining mindfulness and herbal connection
MINDFULNESS - means maintaining a moment by moment awareness of our thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. It has a variety of research-backed benefits including a reduction in stress, improvement in life satisfaction, emotional regulation, and a greater focus and attention in day-to-day activities.
HERBAL CONNECTION - Plants can have physical. mental and emotional therapeutic effects. When we take time to be with a plant mindfully, an additional form of the journey takes place, an expansion of our consciousness. When we bring our awareness to our actual process be it tasting the herb or being with the growing plant, something happens between you and the plant.
Here's what's inside the programme:
Sensing nature and awakening the senses
By working with all our senses, we will learn how to identify and connect to many of the plants on the route and gain an understanding of the therapeutics of the wild herbs and plants we will walk amongst.
We will also look at:
- Mind wandering and mindfulness
- Automatic pilot and attention
- Awakening the senses, exteroceptive sensations
- Mindfulness Practice - mindful herbal tea tasting from nature
- Open sensory awareness and fascination in nature,
- Nature-based Practice – sensory nature meditations
Nature Connectedness – Grounding and Breathing
Walking allows us to shift from merely observing to actively engaging with nature, finding our sacred place in nature and deepening our connection with the earth and our inner environment in a very tangible way.
We will also look at:
- Perceptions, beliefs and assumptions
- From doing to being, what plants are calling you
- Awareness of the breath as an anchor
- Mindfulness Practices – earthing meditations
- Finding your sit spot
- Nature-based Practices – Breathing with trees and plants
Connecting to Nature’s Rhythm – Flow and Movement
Walking the Camino, reacquaints us with a slower rhythm of living and an appreciation of simplicity and awe. We become part of nature's community, following in the footsteps of pilgrims, whilst sauntering at nature's pace.
We will also look at:
- The mind in motion – identifying herbs
- Mindfulness Practice – three step breathing
- Mindful movement – the body and breath in harmony when walking
- Movement in nature, resting in the flow
- Moon cycles and Ally plants
- Practices – stretch and breath, Qi-Gong
Challenging Connections – Recognising Mind Storms
While walking has key benefits for overall well-being, long-distance walking also brings challenges and fatigue. By mindfully working with our challenges as they arise on the walk, we have tools to alleviate the suffering.
We will also look at:
- Turning towards the difficulty - assessing the storm
- Mind storms in times of stress
- Mindfulness practice - RAIN
- The paradox of medicinal herbs
- Allowing rainbows and mountains to help
- Nature-based Practice – reconnecting with familiar plants
Connecting to the Space – Allowing and Letting Be
Often we don't have space, solitude, or silence in our life to allow for peace to flourish. Walking this journey gives opportunities to experience this deep listening through silent walking, plant meditations, and quiet spaces.
We will also look at:
- Allowing and creating a space - letting be
- The principle of emptiness
- Mindfulness Practice – sitting in the space
- From self to oneness - insight, and awe
- Plant drawing with Gestalt methodology
- Nature-based practice - Still water meditation
Connection and Disconnection – Passing Thoughts
Nature is the greatest teacher on change, imperfection, and impermanence. By changing the relationship to our thoughts as we walk new paths daily we can respond with gratitude to the beauty of change.
We will also look at:
- Thoughts and mind traps, letting go of the conceptual
- The sky of awareness
- Mindfulness Practice – Sitting meditation, with sounds and thoughts
- The nature of impermanence, imperfection and incompletion
- Making nature offerings and reciprocity
- Nature-based Practice – cloud watching
Nourishing and Flourishing – Compassionate Action
Nature has been shown to nourish our spirit, improve energy and vitality and increase happiness. By walking through the forests on this walk mindfully, we also facilitate a deeper relationship with the trees and earth.
we will also look at:
- Nourishing and taking care of yourself
- Walking through the forest, befriending your sit tree
- Mindfulness Practice – Loving-kindness meditation
- The healing medicine of trees
- Forest bathing and forest therapy
- Nature-based Practice – Tree meditation
Connecting to your true nature – Following the heart path
This journey explores the connection through the lenses of mindfulness and nature wisdom however it is also a personal pilgrimage that develops our ecological self, our true nature, and profound gratitude for the earth.
At the end of the journey, we will also look at:
- Your personal Unalome – the path to enlightenment
- Environmental Gratitude
- Pro-environmental behavior and climate action
- Mindfulness practice - What is your true nature?
- Knowing your plant allies
- Planting your garden – reflections and dandelion seeds
- Cross-fertilization – where to now?
Connections and choices - Journeying With Others or an individual retreat
This is a journey with many choices and ways of connecting and although there are designated routes and destinations, you decide on pace, distance, accommodation, food, baggage, and purpose.
There have been many pilgrims who have travelled this route and all have felt the life-changing effect of walking this path and ultimately their own path.
Whether you connect to others, nature, or yourself, we would love to walk this path with you.
"To journey without being changed is to be a nomad. To change without journeying is to be a chameleon. To journey and be transformed by the journey, is to be a pilgrim." Mark Nepo
This journey includes
The route
A 100km walk, starting from Porto, Portugal, and integrating the Coastal and Central Routes, ending in Spain at Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. The journey will be at your own pace with key meeting points along the way.
Hazel Farrer
Hazel is a therapist, Corporate trainer, mindfulness teacher and life coach and is the owner of Mindful-nature connection. She has international experience in facilitating training and retreats for corporates, schools and community groups and runs personal development workshops, on-line training and retreat experiences on mindfulness and nature connection
Daisy Mae
Daisy is a medical herbalist and founder of Ceratonia: Herbal gardens for healing and education in the Algarve. Daisy has over 18 years international experience and a lifetime passion for plants. She holds workshops, walks, retreats and private consultations.
It's time to learn deep listening
The 9-day walk will cover key mindfulness principles and theory. The essential practices will be explored in a practical way including breath work and mindful exercises whilst walking consciously. Herbal connection practices will promote a heightened awareness of the senses, powerful insights, and a deeper connection to plants.
"I knew it would be a healing journey from what I had read and seen of others' experiences...I achieved way beyond what I thought I knew about the Camino, I pushed my physical limits way past my expectations, mentally I was strong. The unexpected was around every corner and in every moment"
– Diana
What are the main gifts this course will bring you?
Personal Health, Wellbeing and WholenessĀ
A Deeper, More Mindful Connection with Nature
A Sense of Belonging and Connection within a Like-Minded Community
Tools for a New Way of Naturally Connected Living in Harmony with the Environment
We are looking forward to meeting you on the journey.
With nature's blessings,
Hazel
** Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions about this or any of my courses.
Contact me here
