Claim Your Wildness

Dr Les Higgins

and let nature nurture your health and well-being


Claim Your Wildness is essential reading for everyone interested in the contribution nature can make to their physical, mental and social well-being. It will be especially welcomed by parents, teachers and others concerned about children’s declining exposure to the natural world. The book has great relevance also for people who are intuitively aware that nature is good for them but have yet to discover the extent of that “goodness” and how to tap into it.  

Written by Dr Les Higgins, a health educator and researcher with extensive experience in bushwalking and other outdoor activities, the book blends science, personal observation and experience to explain
•    why we need to have regular contact with nature,
•    what nature can contribute to our health, well-being and quality of life, and
•    how everyone can enjoy the gifts that nature offers.
The book leaves the reader in no doubt that “few elixirs have the power and punch to heal, restore, and rejuvenate the way that nature can”.

Higgins shows how our need of nature arises from the instinctive attraction we all feel towards animals, plants and the natural world generally. This attraction exists because we are still creatures of the wild as far as our brains are concerned. But only the beginnings of the attraction are built into our brains. For the attraction to become a rich and beneficial relationship, we need to nurture it by having regular contact with nature. Seeking and benefiting from such contact is what it means to claim your wildness. 

The benefits of connecting with nature are as bountiful as they are beneficial. Higgins’ account of these benefits is comprehensive and his packaging of them as a set of “gifts” highlights their free availability and value. His seven gifts are: aesthetic pleasure (the beauty buzz), relaxation, restoration, tranquillity, connections (with self, other and the cosmos), wellness and an authentic childhood. Higgins unwraps these gifts for us in a way that is both interesting and inspirational. Most importantly, he successfully conveys that in claiming the gifts, we stand to be healthier, happier and nicer to know.
 
The book’s positive and affirming tone comes through very strongly in its examination of practical issues. Higgins demonstrates that everyone, regardless of their age or circumstances of life, can find ways of connecting with nature. Guidelines and suggestions for connecting with nature appear throughout the book but most are found in the final chapter which is devoted entirely to the practical business of claiming your wildness both as individuals and as families.  

Dr Higgins will be using his Facebook page, https:/www.facebook.com/DrLesHiggins, to keep Claim Your Wildness up-to-date and to provide a forum for conversations and the sharing of ideas about connecting with nature.

Amazon review  5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely interesting and well researched!
I have always been 'drawn' to nature... This book has helped me to understand why.
The book explores our connection with nature. The relationship is complex, but the message is clear. Being in nature is a natural and necessary part of life. And it has amazing physical and psychological health benefits.
It is a nice, easy read & I would strongly recommend the book to all nature.

'Claim Your Wildness' develops a very persuasive argument and the authors has done an excellent job of gathering the relevant research into a ‘story’ that is enjoyable to read and that speaks to all levels of readers. Woven into a the manuscript is a number of issues of general concern in contemporary society – child behaviour, time-stress, environmental concerns, dealing with psychological stress and anxiety, enriching our personal lives, and so on. Therefore, as well as being a book that will appeal to people who currently have an active relationship with the outdoors – eg. bushwalkers, campers – it also taps into several other areas of the market – ie. the parenting, ‘green’, spirituality and self-help shelves in the bookshop – in a constructive way.
 - Lynk Manuscripts.

Readers' Favorite - December 2014 - FOUR STARS
Claim your Wildness And Let Nature Nurture Your Health and Well-being by Dr. Les Higgins is an uplifting and informative guide that speaks about our connection with Nature. Nature is an integral part of our lives and it is important to be interested in Nature and be stimulated by it. The book is written for the general reader and encourages them to claim their wildness, cherish it and look after it in the best possible way so that they benefit from it. Though people are flocking more to cities, they still maintain links with Nature through activities and pastimes. The disposition to reach out to Nature is called 'biophilia' and the book covers this topic extensively.

I found the topic educational and there is an aesthetic quality in the topic that is alluring to readers. The book celebrates the beauty of Nature and all aspects related to Nature and its integral part in our daily lives. Claiming one's wildness and using Nature to enhance one's health and well being makes this book a motivational read. The author encourages readers to nurture their biophilia and get access to spiritual and emotional gifts like pleasure, relaxation, tranquility, oneness with the Universe and self awareness. The book changes the perspective of readers on how they look at Nature and its tranquility, and it is biophilia's most appealing gift. The blending of the human mind, fascination and Nature has been presented very well, and the important role of Nature in aestheticism is highlighted throughout the book.

About the Author

Dr Les Higgins is widely experienced in many areas of education having been a teacher, teacher educator and university lecturer. He also has an extensive research background in health promotion. Les’ expertise in the connection between nature and well-being is built on a blending of his teaching and academic background with a lifelong involvement in outdoor activities. .

The message I want to share is about the importance of nature for health, well-being and quality of life. It is a “how to” as well as a “what and why” message. It is also an affirming and encouraging message because it can be taken on board by people regardless of their background, gender, age and state of health. The message is especially relevant for parents and grandparents at a time when our children are increasingly at risk of “nature-deprivation”.