Past Events

Your gut microbiome is so crucial to your overall health that it is now considered as another organ inside your body. The number of good gut bacteria in your microbiome can assist with digestion, immune function, protection against certain diseases, brain function and even your mood.

During this two hour fermentation masterclass with Ross Austen, you’ll learn all about your gut, why fermented foods are so important and how to make kombucha with a step-by-step process. Our welcome drink will, of course, be one of Ross’ delicious kombuchas and you’ll leave with your very own kombucha making set-up. A gift that will keep on giving!

Ross is founder of Hanora Health  – a local company making small-batch kombucha, water kefir and raw chocolate. After a long career in sports science and elite performance, he became an expert in gut health and sports nutrition, and a champion of whole food diets. This led to Ross setting up Hanora Health in 2018 and he hasn’t looked back since.

Come and enjoy an evening with the extraordinary ancient healing power of gongs. This is a unique opportunity to experience how vibrational energy from the sound of the gongs can help you to relax into a meditative state and access a deeper state of consciousness. During this special Wisdom Space session, we will also discover how this powerful and profound healing practice is explained by quantum physics.

Our sound alchemist for the evening is Sara Hemming from Crystal Clear Perspective.  Alongside her prowess on the gongs, Sara brings over twenty years of experience as an occupational therapist. She is also qualified as a Full Spectrum healer using crystals, and is a Shamanic and Sound Healing Practionner.

“Vibrate the cosmos and the cosmos shall clear the path”
Yogi Bhaja

Yoga is so much more than just postures and breathing. It is an ancient wisdom tradition which nurtures us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually so that we can connect more deeply with ourselves and what it means to be human. The practice of yoga can teach us so much and awaken our deepest parts. Our bodies are always communicating – if only we are present enough to listen to the wisdom they share.

Where you’ve practiced yoga for years or are a complete novice, this evening will open you up to the full transformational potential of yoga. It is facilitated by Yoga Ben (aka Ben Parks). Ben is well-known for his friendly and accessible classes, workshops and retreats which blend traditional yoga practices with modern techniques. He also runs teacher training and embodies yoga as a philosophy and as a lifestyle.

Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life. B.K.S. Iyengar

Please note: there is no need to bring a yoga mat as we will be sitting and standing for this event but will be offering breathing and gentle movement as part of the experience.

Self-awareness and emotional regulation are essential life skills. They help us to mindfully respond rather than subconsciously react and are key for our mental health and wellbeing as well as our ability to form strong relationships.

During this two hour workshop we will explore how the human givens approach, led by Bindi Gauntlett and Alec Stansfield, can support us to live emotionally healthy and fulfilling lives. We will also have the chance to use the Anxiety Freedom Cards which Bindi and Alec developed. This a powerful tool which helps us to recognise our psychological needs and how we can access our innate inner resources to develop greater wellbeing. Participants will take home a small pack of these invaluable cards to use straight away and this is included in the suggested donation price for the event.

Husband and wife team Bindi and Alec have over 40 years experience of using the Human Givens approach to help people, families, and organisations address and reduce stress, anxiety and depression. They have so many insights, stories and tips to share that we guarantee you’ll be captivated for the entire evening and will leave feeling more empowered to support yourself and others.

We all want a home that reflects who we are and that helps us to feel calm, safe and in control. However, many of us live in houses which are the total opposite. Caught in the clutches of consumerism, we accumulate ‘stuff’ that we don’t need and hold onto things which represent old identities that no longer have a bearing on our life. It seems so simple but, when we take control of our environment, we take control of our life.

Come and be inspired by TEDxFrome speaker Tanya Slater, a mum of two who transformed her life and her mental health by mastering the art of decluttering. Tanya, known as ‘the girl who simplified’, runs The Home Clearing Club and coaches people on how to declutter. She’ll be sharing her wisdom on the simple and practical steps which will help you to transform your life from the inside to the outside.

“…when we really delve into the reasons for why we can’t let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future.” Marie Kondo

As we start the new year, many of us will set new goals and make resolutions to live a more fulfilled life. Yet, our negative unconscious thought processes can hold us back, leaving us feeling that something isn’t right or understanding we need to make changes but not knowing how. Transformational life coach Amanda Beswick will show us how we can take control of our lives and start intentionally bringing more meaning and purpose into our lives rather than reacting to things we don’t want or can’t change. 

Amanda has dedicated her life to studying the principles of transformation and manifestation, including 10 years studying wisdom traditions at a modern-day Mystery School, followed by many years studying Shamanic practices and running her own Homeopathic and energetic healing practice. Prepare to start your new year with powerful insights – this event could change your life.

Simon Mills is a world-renowned authority on herbalism and a pioneer in promoting the healing power of herbs. During this two-hour event, Simon will open us up to the incredible power of plants and show us how herbs and spices can help to keep ourselves and our families well, as well as ground our health in a more meaningful relationship with nature. Bring your notebooks as this session will be packed full of great insights and take-home recipes!

Simon has been a herbal practionner for over 40 year and is an acclaimed international speaker and author.  He is also Herbal Strategist at Pukka Herbs, Self-Care Lead at the College of Medicine, Chief Herbal Officer at herbalreality.com and, with co-author Kerry Bone, set up the Mills and Bone Academy as a leading training resource for herbal practitioners.

Note: this is our Dec event moved forward to Nov to make space for festive celebrations. 

As we get older, the likelihood of needing extra care for activities of day-to-day living increases. Many of us will play a caring role for our parents, partners, and even friends and family. However, we often don’t prepare for caring early enough (both for ourselves and others) and this risks us facing into caring during a crisis when emotions are running high.

Drawing upon her many years of experience as an end-of-life planner, funeral director, and end-of-life doula, Jane will guide us through practical steps we can take now. This includes reflecting on limiting beliefs and assumptions we have around ageing and end-of-life, how to have difficult conversations, and how to create an end-of-life care plan.

Whether you want to plan for your own future or to support others in the best way you can, this event will leave you feeling empowered.

What does it feel like when someone talks at you, tries to fix you, talks over you, or starts to lecture you? How does it feel when someone interrupts you and starts to tell you about their experience instead? How does it feel when someone pauses and gives you their full and present attention, free of judgement or advice? 

One of the great gifts we can give each other is to listen, but few of us know how to do this. This practical good listening skills session is a golden opportunity to learn simple, yet deeply effective skills that can transform relationships with your partner, children,  friends, and work colleagues. You will learn how to listen to yourself, recognise when you have stopped listening to someone else because of your own internal agenda, and how to create a safe, open, and receptive space for honest conversations to take place.

The session is led by Sue Brayne who has trained numerous people, including therapists and counsellors, in good listening skills, and Tessa Stacey, a group therapist with specialised training in Non-Violent Communication

Join us for this special event which will be held in the tranquil surrounds of the Ton Boon temple in Bradford on Avon. Through guided meditations (suitable for all levels), calming Qigong, gentle mindful movement and compassionate conversation, Chris will lead us through an exploration of Buddhist philosophy and teachings on wisdom. This includes how wisdom helps us to perceive the true nature of reality,  ways in which we can cultivate greater wisdom and the importance of meditative practice.

Chris is a dharma teacher, yoga and meditation instructor, and conscious dance facilitator. He is part of a collective of dharma teachers, facilitators and volunteers at the not-for-profit Ton Boon Buddhist Community Group which works alongside Ton Boon Dharma to offer meditation activities, yin and restorative yoga workshops and meditation retreats.

Buying food responsibly is such a minefield. We’re bombarded with messages about what is healthy, sustainable, and ethical. Often it’s hard to know the truth behind the marketing and how  to choose between buying local vs. organic vs. in sustainable packaging when many products don’t tick all of these boxes. And, when faced with higher prices, it’s hard to know if we’re paying for the ethical branding or whether we’re actually paying the true cost of creating a nutritious food item that reduces its impact on the planet.

Fortunately for Bradford on Avon, we have our very own resident expert, Christine Giles, who runs the brilliant Christine’s Sustainable Supermarket in the centre of town. For the past 14 years, she has dedicated herself to buying and selling a huge range of sustainable groceries and provisions and was recently voted the second most ethical supermarket in the UK by Ethical Consumer Magazine. So, bring your questions and concerns about anything to do with how you feed yourself and your families more ethically and sustainably. This promises to be a lively and eye-opening session that may change your life!

Monthly Conscious Conversations have launched in Bradford on Avon, working in unity with The Wisdom Space. 

No one has the answers to the challenges we face and it can be daunting to face them alone. Conscious Conversations give us an opportunity to come together in a supportive environment to make sense of what is happening in our lives and to decide how we wish to make the most of the time that is given to us. Different themes and ideas will be explored each month as they arise and everyone will have the chance to share, listen, and reflect. Please note that Conscious Conversations offer a safe, caring space to connect deeply with each other but are not self-help groups, nor do they offer therapeutic or medical advice.

Conscious Conversations are facilitated by Sue Brayne and Sue Judge. Find out more about them on our Wisdom Space Elders page.

The famous healer and philosopher Philo of Alexandria stated: “All healing of the being is done through the breath“.  Although we breathe every moment of our lives, many of us do not pay attention to the wisdom it brings. Conscious breathing opens a path to healing and resilience because it helps us to become aware of the tensions, blockages and resistances in our bodies and to calm our nervous system.

In this experiential session, David Florence will explore the benefits of conscious breathing and guide you through different techniques. David discovered the healing power of breath after he literally took a bang to the head in 2017 and has chronicled his journey on the very popular YouTube channel ‘Evolution of Dave‘.  He is now a SOMA breath instructor, clinical hypnotherapist, FlowCode coach and NLP practionner.

Join us for this for this special Wisdom Space Death Café with Sue Brayne and Elodie Fuentes. Death Cafes were set up by Jon Underwood in 2011 to provide a safe, confidential setting for people to come together to talk about death and dying and what really matters over a piece of cake and cup of tea. We’re holding it in a wine bar and offering a complimentary glass of wine (or soft drink) and chocolate instead of a cup of tea and cake. Death Cafes are not therapy sessions or grief and bereavement groups. Rather, they provide a space to share and discuss issues related to mortality, death and dying and end of life.