Connecting With The Restorative Powers Of Nature

Merlin Hanbury-Tenison served eight years in the British Army, retiring in 2012. He began suffering from PTSD in 2017.

His wife Lizzie worked as a head of brand and marketing for a number of large companies in London. She suffered with burnout in 2015 and post natal anxiety after the birth of their first daughter.

They discovered that getting outside and being in nature was a life-changing part of their journey. Not knowing the questions to ask or people who could help, they just did what felt natural, which was spending as much time outside as they possibly could, walking in a local park or often taking the for hours to get a 24 hour 'hit of green.'

The couple decided to restore Merlin's childhood home of Cabilla in Cornwall and in the process realised that they didn’t just want Cabilla to be a place of ecological balance. They wanted other people to visit and find balance in their minds and bodies too, sharing their guardianship of the once private land with as many others as they could.

So, they applied for planning permission and took out a loan against their home to build a retreat space. This was risky, and many people advised them not to do it, but the couple believed in it so much that they took the largest leap of faith of their lives

Over the last few years, Merlin and Lizzie have been reminded that mental health is a constant journey, one to embrace and lean into with pride and not shame.

They believe that everyone, no matter how together they may seem, can struggle with mental health. It isn’t a weakness, it is a strength to have the self-awareness and compassion for your mind to want to make it as healthy as possible.

The pair are privileged to work with some of the UK’s leading yoga and breathwork practitioners, somatic therapists, sound healers and chefs. They believe they have some of the most talented individuals on the planet to facilitate incredible experiences, and connect everyone with the restorative power of nature.

Cabilla Cornwall’s focus is to bring veterans and other public servants who are suffering from burnout or PTSD into the heart of their temperate rainforest where the real restoration of our connection with the natural world can begin.