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Mindful-In-Nature: Introduction half-day taster course

Summary

Half-day

Any

Overview

Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, Mindful-In-Nature is a Sharpham programme specifically designed to support mental health recovery, resilience and well-being for people aged 18+ living locally, by offering a unique combination of mindfulness and nature connection.

It will give you an introduction to the Mindful-In-Nature approach and the chance to spend some time outdoors in a beautiful setting.

The half-day is a taster for the Mindful-In-Nature 8-week course.

The taster runs from 12.30am - 3.30pm and will take place in our woodland in the grounds of Sharpham House. The woodland site offers an outdoor kitchen, toilets and a covered fire shelter for wet and cold weather conditions.

A limited free transport service running from Torbay to Totnes and Sharpham will be provided (details will be sent to you once you have booked).

This course is for you if you identify with all of the below:

Have lived personal experience of mental health difficulties or challenges such as depression or anxiety
Are aged 18 or above
Living locally (South Devon)
Would like a safe and gentle introduction to mindfulness and nature connection practices and to find out more about the 8-week course
Would like to spend some time outdoors in a beautiful location, surrounded by nature in a supportive setting
Are curious to learn how the practice of mindfulness and nature connection can support your overall sense of well-being

What you will learn:

A chance to find out more about the Mindful-In-Nature 8-week course and whether this course is suitable for you
A safe and accessible introduction to the Mindful-In-Nature appropach. Activities will include an introduction to meditation, some simple mindfulness and nature connection practices such as awakening our senses in the outdoors and working with nature as a mirror to our thoughts and feelings
An introduction to skills to help you be steadier with whatever is happening, without resisting it or judging it as good or bad

Your physical and mental health:

The Mindful-In-Nature courses are not intended as an alternative to clinical treatment and we offer our courses as an aid to recovery, wellbeing and helping to prevent relapse. We recommend that participants are in a relatively stable period of mental well-being in order to get the most out of the course. The course might not be suitable for you if you are currently experiencing a major depression or other diagnosed psychiatric illness such as psychosis or current self-harming.

Parts of the woodland where activities take place are on uneven ground and the day will include some walking in and around the site. Please contact us if you have physical health or mobility difficulties to make sure we can best accommodate your needs.

To apply for the course, please use the booking link at the bottom of the page when applications are open. This will take you to a confidential form where we will ask you some questions about your physical and mental health. You will then receive a call from our Project Co-ordinator to discuss your application to ensure we can best accommodate your needs. Your booking is not confirmed until you have spoken with our Project Co-ordinator.

Schedule

The next course will be delivered from 12.30pm - 3:30pm on 15th Sept 2023

Please see the Sharpham Trust calendar for dates.

Reviews

I’ve had a complete fundamental change in my being and how I interact with the world

Anon

Mindful-in-Nature has definitely been one of the most meaningful, inspiring, life-changing experiences for me.

Anon

I came here feeling quite wary, but from the beginning you made it feel so safe. I was able to open up to myself and others for the first time

Anon

See all Reviews

Venue

Events at Woodland Campsite

This event will be based at the Woodland Campsite which has it's own car park signposted as you drive onto the estate.

Get Directions View Venue

By Car

From the A38/Devon Expressway take the Totnes/Buckfastleigh exit. On arriving in Totnes, at the first traffic lights, turn right onto the A381 towards Kingsbridge. Half a mile outside Totnes turn left to Ashprington (about two miles).

On reaching Ashprington village turn left up the hill and onto the Sharpham Estate. Follow the road through the pillars and shortly you’ll see a wooden sign on your right, pointing to the Woodland Campsite parking.

By Train

Frequent direct trains run from London, Birmingham, and the North. The journey time by train is less than three hours from London Paddington via GWR (www.GWR.com) and under four hours from London Waterloo. Find train times and buy tickets from www.thetrainline.com

Trains to Totnes are on the Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance lines. Totnes railway station is a 5-10 minute walk from the town.

By Taxi

Click here to see how to book a single or shared taxi to The Sharpham Estate.

On foot or cycle from Totnes

From Totnes railway station, walking takes 45-60 minutes and cycling takes about 25 minutes.

Out of Station Drive, turn left at the main road, crossing over at the pedestrian lights. At Morrisons petrol station take the road straight on-ish into town (you'll soon walk past Morrisons supermarket on left). Keep going straight on over the mini-roundabout. At the Doctors' Surgery the road swings right. You go straight on, passing the Doctors' Surgery to your right.

When the road bears left around the back of the Steam Packet Inn on your left, you turn right (signposted National Cycle Network 28), up the hill for 30 metres to a sign for footpath/cycle route to Ashprington. Follow this, taking the right hand route at the first fork, continue up a long hill, and through woodland.

Go through a gate at the top, then continue downhill along this path. You will reach another gate with the Sharpham compass logo on its post, and go through that gate. Continue on about 200 metres through a third gate and soon after you’ll pass a striking bench on your left commissioned by the Sharpham Trust as a wonderful sit-spot facing down the River Dart Valley towards Sharpham House. Follow the path down and through a fourth gate. Continue down and round and you’ll go through another gate.

Straight after that gate, you’ll reach a split in the path with a sign pointing toward Ashprington.

Choose the left fork to take a more level route to Sharpham House. When you get to the final gate, you'll need to climb up the winding hill until you see signs for the Woodland Retreat parking and luggage drop-off.

If you took the right fork at the Ashprington sign, you'll climb (sometimes steeply), eventually reaching the pillars at the entrance to Sharpham Estate. Go left through these and the Woodland Retreat parking and luggage drop-off is the next right.

Costs

Thanks to generous support from the National Lottery Community Fund we are able to offer this half-day taster course for free.

Available dates

Sorry, there are no available dates for this retreat.

At the heart of the Sharpham Trust ethos is our desire to build a more mindful, compassionate and environmentally sustainable world.

We connect people with nature and foster mindfulness and well-being through our programme of retreats, mindfulness courses, outdoor learning and the arts.

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Charity number: 285767 | Company number: 01659601

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