The Wellness of Being® Programme
In-Person-in-Nature Competencies in SE Wales
Sustainability begins with your Self
You cannot drive outer systemic change if you are running on empty.
Planetary resources are finite—and so is your personal time and life energy. The Wellness of Being® (WoB) is a personal competency programme specifically for changemakers, activists, and environmental advocates. It shifts your perspective from treating wellness as a reactive medical fix to building proactive, practical inner resilience.
Developed through empirical action research by Steven England, this programme blends pedagogical approaches, evidence-based mindfulness, and biophilic design. You will step away from merely learning about nature, and discover how to operate, live, and sustain your impact as nature.
Integrated with the AoS Sensemaking Suite
This programme does not sit in isolation; it seamlessly complements the broader AoS Sensemaking ecosystem.
While The Wellness of Being® builds your essential inner capacity and personal resilience, it functions alongside our analytical systems. If you want to go deeper and explore how to actively capture, map, and measure these systemic shifts, this immersive experience provides the practical grounding required to transition from personal awareness to structured impact tracking.
Your Annual Journey: 6 Seasonal Competencies
This immersive journey maps your personal development directly onto the natural cycle of the seasons. You will complete six seasonal Competencies including two solstice meditations at the award-winning Wye Valley Sculpture Garden:
- Spring Competency – Biophilic Emergence: Cultivating the seeds of fresh mental focus.
- Summer Solstice – Midyear Reflection: Deepening your internal clarity and presence.
- Summer Competency – Sustained Growth: Practical rigour for ongoing personal capacity.
- Autumn Competency – Harvesting Practice: Auditing and retaining your energy. (Fully Booked)
- Winter Solstice – Biophilic Circularity: Finding deep rest and psychological space.
- Winter Competency – Biophilic Restoration: Renewing your foundational purpose.
Master the 6 Techniques
Protect your personal boundaries and prevent burnout by grounding six core mindfulness techniques across the seasonal cycle:
- Permissioning – Giving you Self Agency.
- Concentration – Coming into focus.
- Returning – Coming back to focus.
- Patience – Take your Time.
- Enjoying – En-act Joy within the living web.
- Letting Go – Become open to your Potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I miss a seasonal date?
If you cannot make a session, don’t worry. We cycle through the seasons every year. You can roll your missed session over to the corresponding season in the next annual cohort loop.
If you cannot make a session, don’t worry. We cycle through the seasons every year. You can roll your missed session over to the corresponding season in the next annual cohort loop.
Is this a mental health or medical therapy course?
No. The content is strictly for educational purposes in sustainability capacity-building. It is designed to develop practical leadership competencies and is not a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
No. The content is strictly for educational purposes in sustainability capacity-building. It is designed to develop practical leadership competencies and is not a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
Do I need prior mindfulness experience to join?
Not at all. The programme uses an empirical action research framework that welcomes all experience levels. The core techniques are taught from the ground up through experiential, nature-based practices.
Not at all. The programme uses an empirical action research framework that welcomes all experience levels. The core techniques are taught from the ground up through experiential, nature-based practices.
What facilities are available on-site?
The Wye Valley Sculpture Garden is an outdoor venue equipped with on-site toilet facilities. We recommend dressing in comfortable, layered outdoor clothing suitable for the changing British weather.
The Wye Valley Sculpture Garden is an outdoor venue equipped with on-site toilet facilities. We recommend dressing in comfortable, layered outdoor clothing suitable for the changing British weather.
Mobile Logistics & Transit
- Venue: Wye Valley Sculpture Garden, SE Wales (Sustainable Venue Award Winner).
- Rail: Direct travel to Chepstow train station.
- Bus: Take the 69 bus line and ask for the Tintern Old Station request stop.
- Parking: Free on-site parking and accessible toilets available. Shared transport is highly encouraged.