The role of nature in growth & change

During times of change, leaders need to be present and connected in order to curate a smooth adaptation. Equally important is finding ways to enable employees to tune in to themselves and find healthy expression for their epxerience of the change process. Although there are countless approaches to developing leadership awareness, an underlying constant in change theories is the need to connect with oneself. One thing I have found for years, that I am developing into my work, is the value of nature in helping to develop self-connection and self/other-awareness.

Along with reflexive practices and family, nature is one of the best teachers. She keeps us asking questions, and helps us remain learners. In light of the ever increasing rate of change, Eric Hoffer observed, "In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." It is crucial to continue to learn and grow in order to successfully adapt to change.

We are often so disconnected from our natural world, and reconnecting in a deep way is one of the best ways to find self-connections, and thus for coping with change. "Given that the human soul is the very core of our human nature, we might note that, when we are guided by soul, we are guided by nature. Both soul and greater nature do guide us in our individual development, whether or not we ask for this guidance." Bill Plotkin

My invitation is to offer the chance for you and your team to experience nature in a unique way - through foraging, forest bathing, and gourmet wild gastronomy. The following is a brief description of a recent program I ran collaboratively with AnggaKara:

"We welcome you to experience a unique combination of coaching, forest bathing and wild gastronomy, to offer a different staff development experience - never before (to our knowledge) have these ingredients been brought together to create a luxury and heartfelt development portal guided by the best teacher of them all - Nature.

This experience aims to be both a pampering treat, and truly memorable and transformative experience. Bringing together a collective wealth of experience in coaching, gastronomy, organisation development, facilitation and nature knowledge, AnggaKara and Melvin aim to tailor and craft a bespoke experience to help bring your team to a new level of connection and inspiration."

Imagine a space in an ancient woodland where you can safely put the worries and busyness of life, experiencing awe & wonder by practicing slowing down, savouring the moment as it arises and falls. Imagine then being taken on a journey to learn nature's abundance and wisdom through foraging, and then experience foraged ingredients transformed into a 7 course fine dining feast in the forest.

What would you walk away from this experience?

• Deeper connection with yourself, others and nature.

• Processes to help you tune in with yourself and the natural world.

• New appreciation for the abundance you walk past daily, and the serenity of the natural world.

• Memorable shared experience of wild gastronomy

• Tools to bring into your everyday life."

If you would like to explore the creation of a bespoke program for your organisation, please feel free to get in touch via messaging.

I offer this closing thought by Rudolf Steiner, a sometimes misunderstood philosopher who gave the world a great deal of practicable and pertinent wisdom. Here he is bringing attention to the way in which absorption into nature can develop our thinking:

“We nurture and sharpen the thinking especially by the development of characteristics which seem to have nothing whatever to do with thinking, with concepts. The best method of developing good thinking is by complete absorption and insight, not so much through logical exercises but by observing one thing and another, using for this purpose processes in nature, in order to penetrate into hidden mysteries. Through absorption in problems of nature and of humanity, through the endeavour to understand complex personalities, through the intensifying of attentiveness, we grow wise. Absorption means striving to unravel something by thinking, by conceiving. In this connection, we shall be able to see that such mental absorption has a wonderfully good effect in later life.”

Originally published on linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/role-nature-growth-change-melvin-jarman-a998e/?trackingId=MIT97RnihYHjuEJcNgdIWQ%3D%3D