Do you long to deepen your connections with the Earth? To the people in your life and to yourself?
To help create a culture based on healthy, healing principles that appreciate and regenerate life?
To enable children and adults to discover the gifts of nature?
To weave strong communities in your daily life and work?
In order to create truly life-sustaining cultures and spaces we, as humans, need to be aware of the ever present natural connections that exist around us.
Over several decades the Nature Awareness movement has worked in many countries to help people find this awareness again. And to help children grow up holding that awareness close, in harmony and understanding of the world around them. Through rediscovering these connections, a model for connecting people to nature evolved.
The ‘8 Shields’ model, shared with you through this course, teaches us how to connect people with people, people with nature and people with themselves. It is a model for rebuilding nature loving communities, re-awakening nature loving cultures. It is inspired by indigenous cultures and wisdom and embodies lessons from the wild. Observing and applying existing patterns in nature, such as the times of day, the seasons, the growth patterns of trees, the human stages in life and growth.
By stepping into this model of what culture does, we get a deep sense of how we can live regeneratively on the Earth.
On 17, 18 and 19 September, Peter, Bram, Georgina and the rest of the team will share the deep wisdom of the 8 Shields and invite you to dive into Nature Awareness.
Who will be facilitating this course?
A heartfelt facilitator and culture designer, Peter has been involved with 8 Shields programs and events since 2011. He’s on the team setting up the UK 8 Shields ‘Nature Culture Network’ and runs 8 Shields introductory weekends and events around the UK and Europe. He has been on the staff for the 8 Shields Institute’s ‘Regenerating Nature Connected Communities’ online course, and since 2017 he has been one of the lead organizers for the UK Art of Mentoring camps.
Peter has also been teaching and facilitating Permaculture courses since 2007, specializing in ‘People Permaculture’ (social and personal regenerative design). He co-creates immersive and empowering learning experiences that connect people more deeply to nature, themselves and their community.
For more information visit his website livingincircles.com
Bram van Overbeeke is a Permaculture designer and cultural creative. He has been involved in environmental activism and Permaculture for over ten years and is a life-long student of his biggest teacher, nature. Having gained his experience in the field, he now puts his actions into words and aims to teach what he has learned. In the past years he has become involved in the Nature Awareness movement and has studied Eco-psychology, working to translate his experience into a compassionate, culture building story for the future. Most recently he has been training to become a Grief Facilitator, to further people’s ability to find peace with the hardest moments in life.
“Having moved to Greece three years ago, and having become a father since has imprinted on me the great need for more deeply connected cultures, communities and common vision for humanity. A new story where the healing of the land coincides with the healing of the people.” For more information visit his website: futurecare.design
Georgina Spyres is a passionate environmental educator who mentors people to connect with wildlife and understand the science of nature. She is a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Committee on Education and Communication and works tirelessly to activate for the protection of nature.
Melissa Burch lives on the miracle island of Tinos practicing permaculture and biodynamics with her Greek husband. She is a Hermetic magician, Hellenic astrologer, homeopath, award winning memoir writer, filmmaker, mom, and former war journalist for BBC and CBS (embedded with the Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet occupation for two years). Melissa has extensive experience in Buddhism, the Gurdjieff work, shamanism, and lived in Auroville, India where she studied Sri Aurobindo and the Mother’s teachings.
Michaela Chatzimanoli is a Clinical Psychologist and a certified Trauma Therapist, specifically working with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and CRM (Comprehensive Resource Model). She has been practicing therapy in private since 2010 and am trained in and practice Eco-psychology. The study of how the human psyche, nature and society are one and the same. It is a fascinating field, as tending our wild nature within has the ability to heal the relationship between psyche and the rest of nature.
Further information:
Arrival will be Friday the 17th between 18:00 and 19:00. The event starts at 19:15 in the afternoon and will finish at 16:00 on Sunday the 19th, with an invitation to stay longer, celebrate and socialize for those that are able.
We invite you to camp between the olive trees, or you can drive back and forth. There is a lovely and private outdoor shower and compost toilet.
Location: Marathonas, Attica.
Language: English
Breakfast, lunch and dinner, coffee and tea will be provided. Everything will be vegan with vegetarian options made from local, seasonal and mostly organic products.
Covid-19: This workshop will take place mainly outdoors while maintaining safe distances and hygiene protocols. Wherever necessary masks will apply so please bring a couple for each day. Our safety from Covid is a priority and thus we would like to request that you perform a self-test before leaving on Friday. It seems that the Delta variant is even infecting people that have been vaccinated.
For us to give this transformative course and share wholesome food we ask you to consider a price between 120 and 170 Euro. If this price is an obstacle to you attending this course, please contact us and we will figure something out ^_^
The minimum amount of people for this course to take place is 10 registered participants, one week before the course.
Come and join us in exploring how the 8 Shields can inspire and transform your work and your engagement with the world!