Reconnecting to Nature

We practice a guided meditation each morning, this can be a visualisation or enhanced use of our senses, a sound bath or similar. Everyone who comes is encouraged to find a ‘sit’ spot, a place to return to regularly during their stay and just sit in silence. Each visitor is also encouraged to write a daily journal of their experiences and insights which may occur while they are here.

Forest Bathing (Shrinrin-yoku), comes as the bonus of simply staying at Peace Valley as the camp is situated within a remnant forest ecosystem. Every breath we take is a breath of forest air. The local fauna including wallabies and many varieties of birds share the space with us. As the camp living areas are not enclosed the sights, sounds and smells of the forest are an integral part of our lives.

We have a small native tree nursery where we nurture new trees for planting in the area at a later date. Seed is gathered from the local forest at appropriate times of the year. There are some invasive weeds present in the area which we remove as needed e.g. Fireweed, Whiskey grass and Moth Vine.

Once a month we join Killarney Bushcare to tend areas of regenerating native bush in and around the Cambanora Gorge region.

Time is spent caring for the vegetable garden, watering, mulching, sowing, creating compost etc. We also care for a newly planted edible forest garden of Australian natives. Principles of permaculture are learnt by doing, in an experiential way with opportunities to dive deeper into the theory if wished.

There is satellite internet at Peace Valley but no telephone connection.

As a way of resting from information overload and related stress we choose to limit use of the internet. 

There is increasing evidence of health risks caused by use of digital media, from increasing anxiety levels and depression, to loss of communication skills, loss of physical health from inactivity, also the possibility of increasing levels of some cancers.