RESIDENTS in West Cheshire are able to take part in a free eight-week Mindfulness in Nature course from this September.

As part of The Mersey Forest’s Natural Health Service, using the natural environment to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities, two eight-week courses will start on Monday 19th September at Helsby Community Centre.

The courses will be run by Bob Wheat, a qualified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, with one session running from 11am to 1pm and the other from 1.30pm to 3.30pm during the eight weeks.

Mindfulness in Nature is all about giving your body and brain the opportunity to rest and relax, taking in all the wonderful surroundings of the natural environment. Each session will involve using breathing and listening exercises, plus gentle Tai Chi movement to encourage feeling both present and calm. The sessions are open to all adults, including complete beginners.

Bob Wheat, Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, said: "Practicing mindfulness can have really positive effects for mental health which is so closely linked to our physical health, leading to other positive change in the way we see ourselves and our lives.

"People from all walks of life attend our courses for a variety of reasons. Being out in nature can really help people to feel more relaxed and less anxious and the course can help participants to be more mindful in their everyday life."

One testimonial from a participant of the Mindfulness in Nature Course from January 2022, said: "What an amazing course ran by Bob. He is so easy to understand and relate to. The course was full of information that can be used beyond the course, and I am truly looking forward to practising what I have learned. I especially loved practising breathing meditation, the stories, and the Tai chi.

"I would fully recommend this course to anyone who, like me, was feeling anxious, stressed, and not sleeping well. I'm now feeling much more relaxed and taking in more of nature’s beauties when I'm out walking, and noticing much more of the world, rather than having a blinkered view walking along the pavement. I’m now sleeping much better and I’m feeling much more positive about things in general."

To find out more about the Mindfulness in Nature sessions in Helsby contact: Bob Wheat on: 07507 013283 or email: bobwheat7@gmail.com.