Guiding Nature-Based Meditations (with Stephen McCabe) (CPD)

“I want you to imagine that you have been in a lovely deep sleep for hours and that you are just waking up. As you open your eyes you notice the grandest, most beautiful oak tree that you have ever seen, standing against a gorgeous blue sky….”

This three-hour workshop will offer you skills for guiding nature-based visualisation meditations, as well as tips on offering mindful meditations out of doors. Meditation offers us the chance to feel one with nature, whether connecting with nature directly, or through our incredible imaginations.

Building a personal connection to nature is key in ecotherapy; learning how to guide meditations is arguably an essential skill for ecotherapy practitioners.

Mindful nature meditations – or 'grounding' meditations – can be a way of connecting with the miracle of the 'here and now' with nature as our ally. Many people find that meditating outdoors is easier than indoors, and this session will explore this.

Likewise, nature-based visualisations can guide our imaginations into lush forests, beautiful beaches or to memories of nature that have been important in our lives. These meditations plant positive mental seeds that can grow, nurturing our love of Earth and cementing our sense of place in the ecosystem.

This aims to be a beautiful and practical workshop exploring how to:

• start and end a nature meditation gently and with care
• use the right pacing
• use silence as an ally
• help your clients feel in control of their visualisations
• help clients feel connected to the 'here and now' whilst meditating outdoors
• help your clients feel safe and held

We will do several meditations together in the session, ensuring an enjoyable and relaxing workshop experience!

CPD Event: This event counts as Continuing Professional Development for counsellors, therapists and others in helping professions. We are happy to issue CPD certificates once you have attended the workshop. Simply message us through Eventbrite after the workshop/series is over and we will email your certificate.

Although this event is part of the Ten Directions training course for ecotherapy practitioners, anybody can book and take part in this public online event! If you are interested, please do buy a ticket.

Please note that at Tariki Trust, we generally do not record our online events. Unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds to people who do not show up assuming that they will get a recording.

Stephen McCabe is an ecotherapy practitioner, storyteller, tarot reader and practising Zen Buddhist. All of these things influence his work with people and nature. His work includes tutoring for the Ten Directions training programme, facilitating ecotherapy groups in Scotland, and running an online ecotherapy programme based on myth, folklore and tarot. He also runs the Nature Therapy Online podcast. You can find him at www.naturetherapyonline.net