Living awareness retreat

An antidote to the frantic pace of modern life, this weekend retreat is an invitation to slow down and explore who you are in a supportive group context. It's easy to become so wrapped up in our scripts and busyness that we forget to take time to notice what's happening in the moment. This workshop is about paying attention to our own experience as well as being open to others and sharing our experience of being alive in the moment. It is an opportunity to recognise our interconnectedness and the impact that we have on one another. Coming together with like-minded others – in a culture of kindness, acceptance and curiosity – provides a rich environment for increasing self-awareness and connection, and can be a powerful way to become aware of the possibilities for change and transformation in our everyday lives.

I will be facilitating the retreat with my friend and colleague Julie Webb, who is also a psychotherapist. We have devised a schedule of personal development exercises combined with periods of silent meditation in the spirit of Zen practice. This kind of meditation, sometimes called ‘just sitting', has no goal attached; it is a straightforward, effective way of noticing the myriad thoughts and images that riot through us – and the riot can be really important as it may contain the truth and vitality of who we are if we can become quiet enough to notice it. 

Living awareness offers a unique mix of personal development exercises, silent meditation, and group sharing designed for anyone interested in gaining insight into self and how we relate to others and the world around us. The beautiful natural setting of Fawcett Mill Fields is a luxury that adds to our retreat experience, helping us to be alert to our experiencing, and the nature of our existence.