Cotswold Natural Mindfulness & Forest Bathing

The Hero’s Journey

“Sometimes the river flows but nothing breathes.
A train arrives but never leaves.”

These are the opening lines of the May 1995 hit ‘Search for the Hero Inside Yourself’ by M People.

The chorus is a little more familiar to most:

“You’ve go to search for the hero inside yourself,
Search for the secrets you hide.
Search for the hero inside yourself
Until you find the key to your life.”

Heather Small the voice of M People has recently joined a group of 7 travellers for the BBC series Pilgrimage – The Road to Santiago to walk the 800km Camino de Santiago ancient pilgrim route that stretches across the beautiful natural landscape of France and Spain, leading to the tomb of St. James (Santiago in Spanish). This 9th century pilgrimage became very popular throughout the 10th, 11th and 12th century, but then slowly declined in popularity. By the 20th century, almost no one was walking it. Then in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s the route became of interest to a few travellers who began to write and map the routes again. Now in the 21st century, the idea of a long spiritual pilgrimage in nature has once more become popular.

Is it a calling to a world that appears to have disconnected from a spiritual path to reconnect with something we have lost?

Maybe it is an instinctive antidote for a generation who have become addicted to, and obsessed with, the Manufactured Mindlessness of our modern world.

Perhaps it’s another call to humanity to ‘search for the hero inside ourselves’ to awaken and create a more healthy, balanced, caring and consciously aware, way of living.

Two years after M People’s song reached number 9 in the UK charts, I answered ‘the call’ and set out on my own pilgrimage to search for something inside myself.

Looking back I now recognise it was the start of what Joseph Campbell the American Mythologist refers to as ‘The Heroes Journey’.

It’s been 20 years since I felt that call to journey in search of my own personal awakening and the path has been long and challenging. Along the way I experienced tragic loss, faced my inner demons and discovered the love and support of others. I reconnected to the sanctuary provided by nature and found my true nature.

In 2014 I discovered how to reconnect my true nature with the universal life force that exists in nature and tap into higher consciousness.

I called this connection Natural Mindfulness 🌿

If you feel the call to journey and search for the hero in you too, get in touch, or join me on a Natural Mindfulness Discovery Walk soon.

If you LIVE in or near The Cotswolds, LOVE Nature, ENJOY walking with like-minded people and are CURIOUS to find out more about #NaturalMindfulness – join us on our next walk.

For details click here

ian sig

Ian Banyard - Author & Guide

Ian Banyard – Author & Guide

Ian Banyard is a Nature Connection Guide and author of Natural Mindfulness – your personal guide to the healing power of nature connection. He is passionate about exploring nature and empowering people. Ian combines a wealth of knowledge and experience from his personal and corporate life with intuitive and instinctive insights from his own inner journey, to guide others.

ad4Ian lives in Gloucestershire, UK where he guides Natural Mindfulness Walks and provides coaching, courses, gatherings and retreats, for others who want to deepen their connection with nature and their true nature.

To attend a Natural Mindfulness Walk or event, visit Natural Mindfulness Walks


Want to experience Natural Mindfulness for yourself?

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Natural Mindfulness – your personal guide to the healing power of nature connection, is AVAILABLE NOW.

 

Natural Mindfulness Book

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