Nature’s Way
When life feels uncertain, have you ever asked, ‘What would nature do?’
When you feel stuck, anxious, unwell or in the midst of a life transition, the instinct is often to push harder, fix the problem, or think your way out of it.
But nature does not rush…
Nature responds.
Nature adapts.
Nature rests.
Nature regenerates.
What if, instead of forcing a solution, you could learn to respond to your life the way living systems do with ease and grace?
Learning from Living Systems
The natural world is constantly adapting to change, healing, recalibrating and finding balance. Within forests, soil, rivers and ecosystems are principles that support resilience, recovery and renewal.
When we slow down enough to observe and experience these principles directly, we begin to shift our perspective. We begin to think differently.
We begin to think like a tree.
This programme was inspired in part by the story of Sarah Spencer, who, while living with chronic illness and facing significant life limitations, applied the principles she had taught in her nature-based professional practice – working with living systems thinking, permaculture and biomimicry – to her own personal healing journey. By aligning with nature’s patterns rather than fighting against her circumstances, she found a new way forward & regained her health and hope, and we want to take you on a similar journey.
About the Programme
This 6-week small-group programme gently guides you through 12 nature-informed principles designed to help you feel more resourced, supported and connected, both to the living world and to yourself.
You will join a small group of up to 10 adults and spend 3 hours each week at our nature sanctuary just outside Chippenham. Through guided experiential activities, reflective discussion and time in the landscape, you will explore how natural systems respond to stress, change and uncertainty, and how these same principles can be applied to your own life.
This programme is offered for free to people who are:
- Living with chronic illness
- Experiencing anxiety, low mood or emotional overwhelm
- Navigating a life transition
- Feeling stuck, disconnected or unsure of your direction
By the end of the six weeks, you will have:
- A deeper understanding of resilience through the lens of living systems
- Practical tools to support emotional regulation and grounded decision-making
- Space to re-examine limiting beliefs and patterns
- A renewed sense of connection to yourself, to others and to nature
- A clearer, more sustainable path forward
Rather than pushing through, you will learn how to root, adapt and grow.
Meet the Programme Facilitators
Milly Carmichael
Milly is a trained facilitator and perpetual student of permaculture. She has trained in solution-focused practice and compassionate communication and seeks to deepen and extend her skills, practice and offerings in both.
She has a background in nursing with most of her clinical work focused on sexual health, substance use and associated mental health and wellbeing. Most recently she has worked in Public Health, gaining a Masters degree in that area, and focusing on the prevention and alleviation of household food insecurity. She has also studied horticulture and gardens at home and at her local community garden. She draws on the myriad ways that soil, growing, weather and land management offer us analogy, metaphor and direct comparison to inform our personal and organisational growth and development.
She seeks to contribute to a broader understanding and practice of systems thinking, nature connection, power-sharing, collaboration, cooperation, resilience and sustainability across any and all of our systems and industries. She is involved with a number of community benefiting projects as either a volunteer, director or trustee.
Richard Tyler
Richard brings guidance and insight from his own lived experience with blood cancer. You will often find him walking in nature with his clients, musing on his bench, writing poetry and books about his experiences and offering a different perspective through his psychologically informed lens.
After a decade playing lead roles in West End theatre productions such as The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, and singing in concert halls across the globe, Richard brings a creative and artful approach to life. He founded BTFI Ltd in 2004 where, coupled with his professional training in Barrett Values CTT, Systemic Constellation Coaching and ongoing studies in Cognitive Hypnotherapy, ACT and Psychosynthesis, he worked with global brands to help them deepen their leadership and cultural experience.
His work now as a Soul Therapist is grounded in the belief that deep healing happens when we are in relationship; with ourselves, with others and with the more than human world around us. Richard’s practice is grounded in the rhythms of the Earth, drawing on the restorative power of nature to help people reconnect to their inner wisdom, navigate transitions and tend to the soul wounds that conventional therapy often overlooks.
Kelly Tyler
Kelly is trained as a Nature Well Practitioner and Herbal Medicine woman. She also holds space as a psychologist and facilitator, and created the Exploring Anxiety In Nature programme with the Psychosynthesis Trust. Her passion is to help people to connect with themselves through nature and animals especially working on her smallholding with her own alpacas, as a Camelid Assisted Therapist.
Programme Details & Location
The programme takes place every Tuesday for 6 weeks from 13:00 – 16:00 from 14th April – 19th May.
The sessions take place on a smallholding outside in nature at The Willow Tree Foundation SN14 7NZ.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- How many people will attend the programme?
We believe that a maximum of 10 adults creates an intimate space that enables everyone to share and ask questions.
- Is the programme free?
Yes we fundraise throughout the year to fund it, and we welcome donations via our GoFundMe Page Here: https://gofund.me/f71e99a5
- What are the location details and facilities?
The Willow Tree Foundation (Lower Leaze, Nettleton SN14 7NZ) is accessible by car and parking is available on site. The site has portable toilets and the land is flat and accessible. Camping chairs will be available & a marquee is available during bad weather.
- Are refreshments provided?
Yes we provide a range of teas, coffee and snacks. We also advise that you bring a water bottle with you.
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Walking with Grief
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Reconnect to Restore
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Nature's Way
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