The ‘Wildman Programme’ is led by a nature guide and a health professional (e.g., a physiotherapist, a nurse, or a psychologist) who are experienced in rehabilitation of the included diagnosis and further educated in the nature-based rehabilitation methods. Based on past experiences in the ‘Wildman Programme’, the drop-out rate is expected to be approximately 15% due to the participants’ return to work, hospitalisation, or because the intervention does not suit them.
The intervention has a duration of 12 weeks with one weekly three-hour meeting [24 (link)]. In addition, the participants are given homework such as breathing exercises and meditation techniques for around 15 min a day, and they should give themselves breaks during the week by spending time in a self-selected supportive environment in nature in their home area. There are 10–18 participating men in each group of the ‘Wildman Programme’.
The intervention has a permanent chronological structure, which is the same every time the intervention groups meet, but the intervention elements are adjusted accordingly to seasons and weather conditions.
The ‘Wildman Programme’ is described as a ‘Nature–Body–Mind–Community’ (NBMC) approach focusing on nature experiences, body awareness training, attention training, and supporting community spirit explored in the group at base camp and in five other nature environments with different nature qualities.
The NBMC approach has been developed in a pilot project during the period 2014–2018 [64 ,65 (link)]. The ‘Wildman Programme’ consists of the following main elements: (1) Nature environments and nature experiences, (2) Body awareness, (3) Mind relaxation and meditation, and (4) Fire talks, storytelling, and community spirit. In nature, the participants in the ‘Wildman Programme’ will experience bonfires, storytelling, meditation, breathing exercises, and sensory perceptions to reconnect with nature. They listen to the birds, the wind, and the sounds of the creek, and they feel the soil and the leaves and bark on the trees. They lay on their back on the ground, looking up in the treetops, seeing the shades and colours of light and the motion made by the wind; they lie totally quiet and just are in soft fascination [16 (link),32 ,70 ,71 ].
The intervention has a duration of 12 weeks with one weekly three-hour meeting [24 (link)]. In addition, the participants are given homework such as breathing exercises and meditation techniques for around 15 min a day, and they should give themselves breaks during the week by spending time in a self-selected supportive environment in nature in their home area. There are 10–18 participating men in each group of the ‘Wildman Programme’.
The intervention has a permanent chronological structure, which is the same every time the intervention groups meet, but the intervention elements are adjusted accordingly to seasons and weather conditions.
The ‘Wildman Programme’ is described as a ‘Nature–Body–Mind–Community’ (NBMC) approach focusing on nature experiences, body awareness training, attention training, and supporting community spirit explored in the group at base camp and in five other nature environments with different nature qualities.
The NBMC approach has been developed in a pilot project during the period 2014–2018 [64 ,65 (link)]. The ‘Wildman Programme’ consists of the following main elements: (1) Nature environments and nature experiences, (2) Body awareness, (3) Mind relaxation and meditation, and (4) Fire talks, storytelling, and community spirit. In nature, the participants in the ‘Wildman Programme’ will experience bonfires, storytelling, meditation, breathing exercises, and sensory perceptions to reconnect with nature. They listen to the birds, the wind, and the sounds of the creek, and they feel the soil and the leaves and bark on the trees. They lay on their back on the ground, looking up in the treetops, seeing the shades and colours of light and the motion made by the wind; they lie totally quiet and just are in soft fascination [16 (link),32 ,70 ,71 ].
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