About Andy Portman
I bring over 40 years experience as group facilitator and healer. 

1982-1985 - training
 in the early 1980’s I trained in rebirthing (Conscious Breathwork) with psychotherapist Judith Collignon and Rebirthing founder Leonard Orr. I then trained in relationship counselling with the LRT (Loving Relationships Training) and have been working with individual and couples sessions and group workshops ever since.
In addition I trained as a Shiatsu practitioner at the Kushi institute. 

Through this whole period I have integrated a Taoist approach to understanding the nature of what it is to be human with in-depth personal healing and growth work.
The way I work is to help people access their own inner intelligence on all levels and let the natural growing and awakening process unfold from within.
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This work naturally emerges from many decades of personal healing and growing through breathwork and meditation as well as being witness to many people transforming their lives by discovering how to live fully as themselves through breathwork, deep trauma healing, meditation, in-depth process and reflection.
The practitioner trainings started as breathwork trainings co-led with my late wife Ella Portman in the late 1980s and increasingly incorporated the in-depth relationship and sexuality work, the Taoist meditations and practices.
The 2022-2023 training was my eighteenth long term course.
Starting in 1998 we developed the five acre site here at Avalon Permaculture Gardens as a personal growth and retreat centre deeply rooted in nature, where I hold a range of courses and individual sessions that give support for making real and healthy changes in life, relationships and in the world. APG provides a haven away from the busyness of modern life – a place to reconnect with nature and with yourself in a simple and direct way.
It is now a feast of naturally growing orchards, gardens, meadows and trees - a rich, natural biodiversity.
Here, in a small community, we live and grow in harmony with nature. We produce our own energy from sun and wind. We live simply, close to the earth in our self built natural eco dwellings - with a low carbon footprint.
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Several years ago, together with some neighbours, we embarked upon a re-wilding project "Wild Lea" - 7.5 acres of adjacent land which is on its way back to nature.
As well as serving nature in its own right it will become an educational and healing resource.
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