COURSE

The Seven Elemental Paths To Presence

Over 7 transformative days, you'll mindfully re-connect with 7 elemental and natural forces. Parts of nature which are always present, always available, no matter our internal or external weather. And together, through personal reflective stories, and insights from mindfulness and neuroscience, we'll explore the tools, meditation practices and age-old wisdom to make it possible. We'll explore: 1) The Mountains for stability 2) The Rivers to flow in presence 3) The Waves we learn to embrace 4) The Rain we let nourish our roots 5) The Forest we can re-connect with 6) The Winds which teaches us to let go 7) The Sky which unites everyone in presence This course is ideal: - If you need an energetic boost or a shortcut to presence - If you feel stressed, anxious, or alone and need calming, self-compassionate practices to support you. - If you are disconnected, uninspired, or lacking in motivation and want to re-vitalize how you interact with the world around you. It can be found right now. When you walk "The Seven Elemental Paths to Presence"

Connection Relationships Presence Health & Happiness Acceptance Secular Mindfulness Secular Mindfulness Mindfulness Meditation Stress Stress & Anxiety

Meet your Teacher

Derek Hill

United Kingdom

Derek Hill believes in creating opportunities for genuine connection, with ourselves, nature, and each other. Supporting people to look inwardly, with self-compassion - helping them uncover their inner resources for self-support and purposeful direction in life. He is a mindfulness and compassion teacher, speaker, and coach, accredited by the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB). He teaches 4 to 8-week courses, including Jon Kabat-Zinn's gold standard "Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction." He works with individuals, groups, and organizations to inspire greater happiness, health, and human connection in life and work. Derek's course ‘Waves of Wellbeing and Resilience’ was drawn from both his teaching qualifications, as well his own personal life and professional experiences. He has coached and mentored people for 20 years in high-stress corporate environments, as well as purpose-driven ‘technology for good’ organizations like JustGiving and Farewill, where he spent many wonderful years working with not-for-profit organizations. Derek is sincerely committed to helping others realize their potential, creativity, and fundamental connection to self, others, and the universe. Derek moved to London from his hometown in Dublin. His early life in Ireland colored so much of what he has learned throughout life. Having graduated in creative writing, he always found great inspiration in the books of others, whether fictional, philosophical, or those challenging conventions. Throughout his professional career, where he enjoyed the highs and lows of working abroad, growing businesses, and making a purposeful impact, there was always a pull towards the traditions and philosophies, which inspire his work today. A few life-changing events and an ever-growing personal commitment to meditation practice, finally nudged him to retrain as a mindfulness and compassion teacher, picking up a CPCAB-accredited Level 4 qualification, as well as training to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Derek then redesigned his life around a passion and purpose, so he could sustainably support his health and well-being and that of his family. He founded his company Waking Waves to make this possible and is now on his own mindful mission to share the benefits of mindfulness and compassion with others, so they can too!

7 Days

545 students

4.7 stars

16 min / day

Connection

English

Lesson 1

The Mountains: Your Stability And Resilience

On Day 1, we recall the mountains or hills we looked to in our past, a reliable and visual source of stability, resilience, and dependability. Together we'll walk our first elemental path sharing a Mindful Mountain meditation practice, deeply grounding and stabilizing the whole landscape of our body for the journey to come.

Lesson 2

The Rivers: Flowing In Presence

On Day 2, we flow from the mountain to revisit the rivers of youth, with a personal story. And we recognize how they can represent 'our continuous presence' flowing through life. We acknowledge how moving with, instead of resisting the flowing change, helps avoid stress building up. And we'll share a refreshing and replenishing "River Meditation" together.

Lesson 3

The Waves: Embracing Emotional Turbulence

In Day 3, our rivers reach the sea and waves - how they can be symbolic of the turbulent or tranquil feelings, emotions and moods, we experience. We share a simple 'naming and taming' practice and then go deeper with a meditation to "Embrace the Waves" of difficulty we encounter. Sharing words of self-comfort and reassurance to keep us emotionally balanced.

Lesson 4

The Rain: Nourishing Our Roots

On Day 4, the waves recycle to become rain. We discuss how the way we are brought up, where, and 'who' shapes us and impacts our health and wellbeing outcomes. But whether we had nourishing care or not, we can still self-support now. So we'll briefly discuss the powerful "RAIN" practice, made famous by Tara Brach. And then together share a "Refreshing rain meditation". It will help connect with this life force of nature, whilst asking reflective questions and offering self-compassionate gestures too.

Lesson 5

The Forest: Re-connecting As One

On Day 5, the rain feeds the roots of our forest and we reconnect with the communities that surround us. We pose a question to help us clarify that there can be no real 'separation', now or ever between us, others, and nature. And grounding together in meditation, we embody 'our tree' and look around at the many trees that shade and protect us. Re-connecting as one.

Lesson 6

The Wind: Learning To Let Go

On Day 6, the forest we are part of meets the wind of change. We'll explore the sudden, or slowly emerging changes that can unsettle or unsteady us in life. But instead of clinging to the past, or resisting change which generates stress or anxiety, we explore a powerful 3 step process to reframe 'change'. And together, we'll share a "Wind of Change" mindfulness meditation, inviting us to 'let go', of whatever we cling to.

Lesson 7

The Sky: Uniting All In Presence

On Day 7, we recognize that all change happens under one sky. A sky we've shared since the dawn of time, much like we've shared the same neurobiology and humanity. We discuss how our hard-wired nature and conditioning mean, we need to consciously pause to connect with the present moment. So we walk our final path to presence together, with a uniting and connecting "Sky of Awareness" meditation.

Ask your teacher

This course includes 12 community questions and 12 audio replies from Derek Hill. The community classroom and teacher audio replies are only available via the app.

4.7 (32)

Recent Reviews

Jeanne

July 18, 2024

Thank you so much Derek. Your calm soothing voice and presentation of topics helped me to begin my days with peacefulness. I am so grateful to have found you on IT🙏💕

Maya

January 22, 2024

Thank you very much dear Derek for your lovely course. I really enjoyed your personal stories which brought this course to life. Also the natural metaphors appealed to me. It's brought me nice moments of calm and relaxation. 🙏💚

KiRakuni

December 19, 2023

Appreciated the nature metaphors. Needs less introductory talking, and more time for meditation.

Veloshnee

December 11, 2023

One of the most deeply reflective and poetic courses reminding me that we are part of the diverse elements of nature. Thank you 😊

🦋Christine

December 6, 2023

A lovely course, I will definitely be repeating to enjoy again the natural world in my mindfulness journey .

Anne

November 29, 2023

Really enjoyed the course and the meditations I got a lot of journalling prompts comparing nature with mindfulness.

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