Facilitators
Crew for 2025
A unique 5-day retreat with exceptional facilitators using traditional knowledge, wisdom,ceremony & ritual to enable deep connection for participants,and an invitation to take this wisdom back to your community and continue the work.
An Elder-level understanding of the essential role of Nature, community, people and meaning in the ecology of person and planet. Includes “A Storytelling Pilgrimage to Dinas Emrys, the tower or legend, through Mythic Snowdonia’, and the only opportunity to commune with the secret Sacred Druidic Site of Merlin’s Pool. A rare opportunity to visit one of the most sacred and ‘thin’ places. This will be the only occasion this group of wisdom keepers will be teaching together this year.
Eric Maddern
‘The Wild Man of Cae Mabon’ is a mythic storyteller, singer and Honorary Bard of OBOD.
After travelling the world, Eric returned to Britain looking for a spirituality that connected landscape, ancestors, story and soul, the ‘songlines’. Eric has guided the creation of Cae Mabon since its founding some 36 years ago, an eco-retreat centre once described as a ‘Welsh Shangri-La’ . Here he has become steeped in the myths of the mountains and some of the oldest stories of Britain. Eric weaves together tales from this mythically potent landscape, he tells of the Math-Mabon-Merlin songline which culminates in the Fort of Fiery Higher Powers. He invokes dragons and Druids. He brings alive ancient deities through stunning masks. And he channels Merlin’s prophecy about the return of the ‘healing maiden’. Cae Mabon is intimate with the primal elements of forest, river, wind, earth and fire, a meeting ground for diverse influences and traditions. We aim to value the best of the past, to celebrate the fullness of life now and to help create positive, sustainable, convivial and organic futures
"A Storytelling Pilgrimage to Dinas Emrys through Mythic Snowdonia. Journey along the Math-Mabon-Merlin Songline to the Fort of Fiery Higher Powers."
Emily Malik
Biologist, nature guide and eco-health practitioner, Emily uses cross-sectoral approaches to rekindle our self-knowing as part of the living world.
A lifelong creature of the wild, Emily Malik is a naturalist and guide to ecological self. Awareness of somatic holding and body intelligence inform her day-to-day practice with adult groups in woodlands and other living landscapes. An experienced facilitator of Joanna Macy’s Work That Reconnects and founding Director of EcoWild, she has worked strategically with regional partnerships across the Southwest uk, connecting widely for a bigger systemic vision of ourselves as nature. She has trained in and taught Eco-psychology and nature-based practice, facilitated at Buddhafield and Green Earth Awakening, and is part of the West of England Nature Partnership (WENP) Nature and Health Strategy Group. After a Biology degree she spent years working and living in remote parts of Africa. Since establishing EcoWild in 2013 she has drawn together nature-based practice with health, Community Engagement and Spiritual Ecology. Meditation and Mindfulness are core practices; she also loves to sing in harmony or improvisation with others, to dance, create, ride horses, dive and swim in the ocean. Her Irish ancestors likely were carrying these gifts for her over millennia.
“In the clarity of a still and open mind, truth will be reflected”
Pioneer and visionary in the field of integrated healthcare within the NHS at the pioneering Marylebone Health Centre and private practice in Harley Street. Founding faculty of the University of Westminster’s School of Integrated Health / School of Life Sciences where he became Professor of Integrated Healthcare and Clinical Director. He was Chair of the British Holistic Medical Association and is editor of the BHMA Journal.
Co-author/editor of six books about complementary therapies and have led on a series of research projects. He is founder of the Westminster Centre for Resilience, Westminster University and research
Professor David Peters
“Empathic doctors are safer,more effective and happier in their work, yet empathy fades as stress levels rise and this fuels the journey into ‘burnout’.”
Druid, artist, musician and storyteller, immersed and versed in the ancient lore and wisdom traditions of the Isles of Britain. He lives in a luxurious hedge with a wayward family surrounded by beehives and organic farmland in the Vale of the White Horse. There he teaches and researches old ways and new. Hosting community ceremony, working with bees and apitherapy, fostering peace and seeking an ever renewed sense of purpose and service.
As a druid priest Chris has worked as a celebrant, teacher & guide. With different hats on he is a professional storyteller, musician & ceremonial piper. Steeped in British & European folklore his life and work ranges from arts and craft, ancient technologies & eco-building to apitherapy, educational projects, ceremony & pilgrimage. A prolific beekeeper, he is often seen extolling the virtues of bee products, mead and the traditional honey drinks of this honeyed isle.
Chris Park
“Nature is the best healer”
Stefan Chmelik
Visionary integrated healthcare physician, co-founder of New Medicine Group Harley Street, now dedicated to global mental health impact through sound technology company Sensate.
Stefan is descended from the people of the North, with bones of the rocks of the northern ranges, blood of saline seas and flesh made from winter roots and yearling stew. He is very proud to have an unusually high percentage of Neandrathral bloodline!
He has been meditating for more than five decades and has more than thirty years of using sound healing with patients and clients. He is a Master Herbalist. He was called three times to the Shamanic path through near death, heeding the call on the third occasion; Shamanic Druidry is now the path he walks.
“Sound is the pulse of the universe.”
Nature Awaken has been honoured to host many thought-leaders in our previous retreats:
Heidi Rose
Founding Director of Circlewise, psycho spiritual counsellor, eco therapist, rites of passage guide.
Philip Carr-Gomm
Psychologist and former head of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, a leading light in nature connection.
Dr Rosalind Watts
Clinical psychologist, former Clinical Lead for Imperial College London’s psilocybin trial, Founder of the ACER online peer support community with a magical way with trees.
Lawrence Joye
Facilitator, developmental coach, and retreat host with a passion for supporting personal and communal transformation. Worked with YES&, Mankind Project, The Work That Reconnects and the Menspedition men's work community.
JJ Middleway
Druid, Bard and Elder who brings great gifts to all he encounters.
Hazel Osbourne
Wild therapist, Ceremonialist and Transpersonal Psychotherapeutic Counsellor within NHS Wales and in private practice.
Nature Awakening 2025 will be an Elder-level understanding of the essential role of Nature, community, people and meaning in the ecology of the planet.