Our evolving nature-mindfulness pedagogy

For example, we discovered there are many teachers involved at Sharpham.  The most obvious being our diverse and dedicated retreat leaders and facilitators who form the beating heart of our community of practice. 

These are largely local, who know and love the place.  As such, Sharpham continues to embrace plurality, open-ness and diversity, not ascribing to a guru nor single visionary leader. 

There are other important teachers too.  Many speak of the importance of the land and nature as teacher.  Thus, the investments we make towards rewilding our land and sustainability of place are vital aspects of our pedagogy.  They create beautiful spaces and encounters with nature that still our chattering minds and heighten our senses, appreciation and respect. And then there is the third teacher that is often mentioned. 

Engaging with the everyday forming of communities through relationships of care, practical helping and the simple rituals of ‘everyday ordinariness’.

And of course, none of this is new…2,500 years ago the buddha discovered that the root of all suffering arises from the misperception that we are separate, isolated individuals when we are actually deeply entangled with others and nature. This perception of separation not only leads to deep feelings of loneliness but fuels habitual patterns of aversion and wanting that prevent us from being in the present moment and resting in the heart of compassion. In some ways the state of the planet and the world we find ourselves in is the fruition of our chronic patterns of disconnection, wanting and aversion.

From this perspective, the path towards happiness and wellbeing starts with paying attention to what is happening in our own world on a moment-to-moment basis and to realise that the world we experience is actually created in every moment.  We can then become conscious participants in this creation. Happiness and wellbeing cannot be found separate from this process.  

Dr. Julie Richardson is vice chair of the Sharpham Trust.  She has recently completed her doctoral thesis that explores how wellbeing economies are formed through our practices in everyday life, inspired by the Gross National Happiness experiment in Bhutan and internationally.