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Buds, Blossoms, Fruits

Editorial

Dear friend,



I hope that Spring is flourishing where you are, as it is here in the Welsh Borders. It's a busy, fruitful time for me: both with events, podcasts, etc., for the new Natural Happiness book, and in my other main project, Seeding our Future, see more below. Let's share Nature's exuberance, and tend our roots and fruits!



With blessings,

Alan

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Feature blog: Composting for growth - Seed 3

Alan writes: In organic cultivation for gardens, farms and human nature, it's vital to have energy for growth which is clean and natural, which won't deplete or pollute the system as artificial stimulants do. This blog, excerpted from Chapter 3 of Natural Happiness, shows you how.

     Imagine that you can tap into a major new source of energy and insight, that’s already within you: it’s free, abundant, and just needs a bit of effort to process it. What’s more, you’ll be creating benefits out of problems that drain energy and pollute your inner ecosystem. This is what composting offers you. Read more

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Ways to explore Natural Happiness

The enthusiastic endorsements and reviews for the new book confirm how useful and timely this approach is amid the rising turbulence we all face. So here are ways to access it:

Buy the book: A bargain at £10.99! Available from local bookstores, via bookshop.org, or other online channels.

- Natural happiness Advocates: Alan has trained a small team of Advocates who can provide workshops for groups of all kinds, or coaching for individuals. For more details, including how to contact one for a free exploratory chat, click here

- Events and Podcasts: Over the next few months, there are in-person groups in London and Hay-on-Wye, and a free online group with Network of Wellbeing. And you can access some great podcasts online whenever you want. See more here

-Website: There are more resources, videos and blogs than ever before, including a Guide to the Seven Seeds in a series of tailored blogs, see here. The website is www.naturalhappiness.net.

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New shoots at Seeding our Future

Alan writes: Seeding our Future is a non-profit project which I started in 2017: its aim is to help communities and individuals to grow their resilience and adaptation capacity to face into climate change and related disruption. Here are some highlights of current work.

- Future Risks Review 2030: A valuable overview of specific forecasts and resources to respond, for eight major issues the UK faces. Download here.

- Growing through Climate Change: Practical guidance for growers and farmers, including home growers, on adaptive cultivation methods and crops to sustain outputs despite climate change. Now available in two versions: for Wales and South West England.

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- Project CLAAR: We are working with a range of others, aiming to raise funds for a major project to support and catalyse more Community-led Adaptation and Resilience. See more here.

Events & Podcasts

Secrets of Natural Happiness: Mind Body Spirit Festival, London

May 26, 2024 - 10.30-11.30am

Deepen your roots and blossom through the storms of midlife and beyond: cultivate your human nature with the skills that organic gardeners use. Book here.

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Happiness in Gardening: Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye

May 31, 2024 - 4.00pm

Growing plants, whether inside or outside, can foster feelings of happiness and bring people together. Community gardener and designer Tayshan Hayden-Smith and writer Alan Heeks discuss the importance of greenery of all kinds. Book here

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The Roots of Wellbeing online event

June 4, 2024 - 7.30-9.00pm | Hosted by Network of Wellbeing

This is an opportunity to learn about the self-help approach developed by Alan Heeks and set out in his new book, Natural Happiness: use organic gardening skills to cultivate yourself. Alan will introduce the concept and offer a guided visualisation exercise. For more info, click here.

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RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

July 3, 2024, 12.00-12.30pm and 4.00-5.00pm

Alan Heeks will discuss the approach set out in his new book, Natural Happiness: Use Organic Gardening Skills to Cultivate Yourself, which aims to help people nourish human nature and wellbeing through parallels with organic gardening. Book here.

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‘Deepening Your Roots’ Walk, Talgarth, Brecon

September 8, 2024 - 10.00am-2.30pm

Guided Walk around Talgarth, Brecon with special guest author Alan Heeks who will show how to deepen our connections with Nature, so we can strengthen our roots and grow our wellbeing. Book here

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Podcasts

There are now five podcasts about Natural Happiness which you can tune into, with interviewers in the UK, US, and Belgium. For more info and links, see the website.

Green Prescribing and Natural Happiness

Growing wellbeing from the roots



I see green prescribing as one of the more hopeful innovations by the NHS in recent years. This blog explains briefly what it is, and shows how my Natural Happiness methods can contribute to it.

     NHS England’s website has a whole section about green social prescribing, see here. It includes details of their pilot projects and the positive results, plus a link to the Green Prescribing Toolkit, and a lot of other useful links. Read more

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Bonus blog: Rishi's Natural Happiness Manifesto

Prompted by months of low ratings, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a radical change of routes with a new manifesto based on the organic growth principles of Alan Heeks’ new book, Natural Happiness.

     Posing with his lectern beside a tree in St James’ Park, Sunak explained, “I have realised that the British people are tired of shallow-rooted plans, and want true sustainability in these stormy times. The Seven Seeds of Natural Happiness is just the tonic our nation needs, when research shows us up as the most miserable people in Europe.” Read more

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