Nature Circles

Nature Circles is a result of my desire to offer people a nourishing way to connect with something that is simply not offered by a screen. The ultimate proof of our shared identity is the existence of love. Another word for this is connection. Through connecting with nature and its elements of earth, fire, fresh air and clean water, many of us find it easier to touch into the common ground that we share. Through connecting with people in the presence of the elements, we find a welcome respite from our self perpetuating minds that create our dramas. We discover that nature has the power to heal our inner conflicts and inspire us to learn from each other and open to new ways of being in the world.

Teens retreat (male identifying only)

Tuesday May 28th, 10am – Friday May 31st, 5pm
A 3 night camping retreat incorporating nature based activities and rights of passage

This retreat is for boys (ie. male identifying children) aged 12-16 and their adult male carers (eg. father; uncle). It will incorporate:

Connecting with nature.
Periods of silence and guided contemplation.
Age-appropriate vision quest.
Active outdoor games.
Age-appropriate sweatlodge ceremony.
Contemplating the male archetypes.
Cooking all meals on the fire.
One night sleeping in the forest.
Also including: woodcraft; wild swimming; tai chi; storytelling; talking circles around the fire.
Experienced, dbs checked & first aid trained core facilitators.

Some activities will be for the boys only, some for the adults only and some will be for the whole group.
There will be a communal camping tent, or you may bring your own tent/tents if you prefer.
There will be a maximum total of 16 participants (including the adult carers) so early booking is recommended.

Location: A private moorland farm 2 miles from Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.
Cost: £140 per person (all inclusive). Non-refundable deposit to secure your place: £50 per person.
Booking & enquiries: email: francis@awakenedpresence.org

The teenage years are a vitally important period of development; it’s when we get the opportunity to grow into our unique individuated self and transition into the adult that we want to become. If this journey is dis-honoured by either under active or over-bearing parental or authority figures, the teenager will be denied the essential guidance that they require in order to develop into a healthy adult – and society in turn is denied the ability to develop properly. The fundamental reason why parenting teenagers is so challenging is that we have lost the community frameworks that society needs in order to tend to this process. It’s particularly common with boys that when the teenager’s process of individuation is ignored he’ll push against society in ways that cause danger or harm to themselves and society. Consequently a lot of teenagers are in trouble and most parents don’t know where to turn. Despite it being a time when sexuality emerges, there’s almost no healthy streetwise guidance for assisting boys to understand girls and visa versa. Most are reliant on the internet for this understanding, an internet that offers porn at the touch of a button and seduces our society’s teenagers into shutting down healthy exploration and creativity in exchange for countless hours of lazy avoidance of the bigger questions bubbling somewhere within them. This 4 day retreat will be an opportunity for male identified parents to re-evaluate their role and gain much needed support as guides to this individuation process; and for male identified teenagers to have a unique opportunity to engage in creative and inspiring activities, exploring experientially what it means to be a male teen growing up in our world. As parents and teens we will learn what it means to truly touch the earth, listen to silence, drum from our hearts and honour each other through true listening to what we wish to share. We will learn the art of establishing healthy boundaries around what we believe is of importance in our lives. We will explore what physical, emotional and spiritual options we have in this life, awakening our empowerment to choose the life we want to live rather than simply be carried by what society and the government think is best! We will learn to forage for food, guided by the brilliant Jesper Launder, and will cook our own meals together on a fire. There will be some activities for the boys only, some for the adults only and some where we come together. The adults will honour the journey of the teenagers by holding space for them to embark on a vision quest for the night, guided by facilitator Alan Creedon, then returning to camp for a morning sweatlodge on the final day. All activities will be age appropriate and facilitated by experienced, with a core team of Francis Eliot, Piers Cross and Alan Creedon. The retreat will be held in honour of all teenagers, in a world that has largely forgotten how to truly listen to society’s deeper needs.

OUR MAIN GUIDE WILL BE PIERS CROSS:
– Piers is a qualified coach and workshop leader who runs retreats and does 1-1 coaching specifically with men. He has been involved in this line of work for the past 13 years. He has volunteered as a Scout leader and Duke of Edinburgh assessor/ coordinator for the past 10 years working mainly with teenagers.
– He is currently finishing a year long training as a Forest School leader, and has experience and training in bushcraft, nature awareness and survival skills.
– His website for more information is http://piers-cross.com/

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