About the episode

There's a quality of presence that children have naturally and most adults have almost entirely forgotten.
Not mindfulness as a practice. Something older and simpler than that. The capacity to be fully, unself-consciously somewhere. To notice without trying. To exist without performing.
In this episode of the Alder Path Podcast, I trace a personal journey — from formal mindfulness training and group teaching, through the evolution toward one to one bespoke practice, and finally toward something that feels truer still. Awareness not as something you do, but as something you return to. A way of being that nature, more than any technique, has helped me recover.
Inspired by Jean-Pierre Weill and his beautiful book The Well of Being, this episode explores:

• The journey from formal sitting practice to integrated everyday awareness

• Why group mindfulness teaching evolved into something more personal and bespoke
• How nature trains awareness in ways that formal practice sometimes doesn't reach
• The image of the adult on the platform — waiting for a life that is already happening
• The lion who looks in the mirror and sees a cat — and what that says about how we misread our own depth
• The story of a child that painted on a blank wall in the house and learnt that expression can have consequences.
• What it means to return to the well of being that was always there
  About The Well of Being
  The Well of Being is a quietly extraordinary book by Jean-Pierre Weill — gentle, philosophical, and deeply human. It explores the nature of consciousness, presence and what it means to live from a place of genuine inner depth rather than surface activity.
  If this episode resonates, I'd encourage you to find a copy. A picture book for adults, a link to the author and his work is below 🌿
  
  

About Roger Hunt & Alder Path Coaching

I'm Roger Hunt — gardener, nature-based life coach, and host of the Alder Path Podcast. I tend gardens and I tend people — helping those in midlife find their way back to a simpler, more grounded life.
I qualified as a coach in 2018 and hold a Level 5 Diploma in Performance Coaching and NLP. I work with people from midlife and onwards, navigating significant life transitions — those who arrive feeling confused and overwhelmed, and leave feeling clear and calm. My coaching is walk and talk, nature-based, and unhurried.
Get in Touch
If anything in this episode resonated and you'd like to explore coaching — or simply have a quiet conversation about where you are — I'd love to hear from you.
🌿 Website: www.alderpathcoaching.co.uk
📧 Email: hello@alderpathcoaching.co.uk
Disclaimer
The reflections shared in this podcast are my own personal thoughts and experiences. They are intended for general information and reflection only, and are not a substitute for professional mental health support, therapy, or counselling.
I am a qualified coach — holding a Level 5 Diploma in Performance Coaching and NLP and trained as a mindfulness teacher — but I am not a counsellor, psychotherapist, or mental health professional. If you are experiencing significant emotional distress or mental health difficulties, please seek support from a qualified professional or contact your GP.
Nothing shared in this podcast should be taken as personal coaching advice. If you'd like to explore working together, please get in touch directly.
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Walk slowly. Pay attention. An