BEING NATURE: BODY, AWARENESS, ECOLOGY
“Body is our first environment… It is the medium through which we know the earth.” Andrea Olsen
event Profile
Date
2 sept 2026
price
£90 / £105 / £120*
Location
DARTmoor
event type
training
suitability
adults
Overview
Often, when we talk about ‘nature connection’ or Deep Ecology, we miss out the human species. And yet here we are, in an animal body, born of evolution just like the oak, the lizard or the chimpanzee. For generations we have distanced ourselves from our own ‘deep ecology’. Today there are exciting new developments – in fields as diverse as dance, science, health, leadership and contemporary ritual – that can help us ‘re-member’ our selves. Waking up our embodied awareness also gives us and our participants access to deeper connection, somatic intelligence, health and creativity. Toning these muscles of sensate awareness takes practice and is different for each individual, so this introductory workshop offers simple tools, exercises and inquiry questions to tailor to your own work setting.
We will explore questions such as:
How can we know ourselves as nature?
How can we access the insight, wisdom and creativity available through the body?
How do we relate and engage with the world differently when we are ‘embodied’?
How is it different to play at being an animal to knowing oneself as animal?
What ideas influence our relationships with ourselves and other species?
We will learn:
Simple theory about perception and somatic awareness
Insights from indigenous wisdom traditions, science and body-psychotherapy
Practices to awaken perception in gentle and playful ways
Practices of embodied nature connection
How to access creativity through somatic exploration
How to approach these themes safely and inclusively
This is a great opportunity to get serious about the importance of play, rest, rolling around and hugging trees!
* rates for individuals / voluntary-charitable organisations / businesses
What's Included
- instruction & facilitated activities
- Group, pair & individual work
- Theory & discussion
- Refreshments, teas & coffees
Essential Information
COURSE TUTOR: TONI SPENCER
Toni brings 25 years of creative responses to the socio-ecological crises of our times. She invites a homecoming to land, presence & imagination as foundations for inner and outer collective change. She has worked in academic, activist, creative and organisational settings as well as a practice of supporting practitioners in the field as a mentor.
Questions around decoloniality, re-wilding, embodiment and radical kindness are often on her mind and heart. She is the founding director of [the pause…] In Practice, a loving provocation to intervene in cultures of harm and to open to other possibilities.
Other work spans curriculum design and facilitation (with Schumacher College, Goldsmiths – Eco Design, Wildwise, Ulex: ‘Radical Ecological Pedagogies’ and others); participatory engagement and performance with Encounters Arts; hosting retreats, teaching wild food and different forms of activism.
For more see https://www.tonispencer.co.uk/home
9.30am to 4.30pm
You will need to:
- bring a packed lunch & water bottle
- bring a notebook & pen
- be dressed for all weathers as the event takes place both outdoors and undercover (with shelter)
This event is likely to take place at Lower Meadow, our beautiful riverside meadow venue in the Dart Valley near Newbridge on Dartmoor. The site is wild and rustic with only basic infrastructure i.e. shelter, kitchen & toilet facilities. However there are public toilets over the bridge in the main Newbridge public car park.
The approximate location is indicated in the map below however detailed joining instructions will be issued after booking.
There are no refunds or credits under any circumstances for client cancellations within 28 days of any course. With >28 days notice we may refund your fees less our standard £75 non-refundable reservation deposit.
You may request our full terms & conditions for details.
For instant online booking click here.
Alternatively if you have any queries please complete a booking form here.