Spaces of Listening Retreat
About the retreat
This retreat is about listening. It’s about attuning to that larger Beingness that holds our individual lives in its listening presence. It begins in listening to the ‘gap’ before words.
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And so it is about listening to our silence, to the speakingness of the living world, to the messages of our bodies and to what comes through in our intuitive creative expression. Many things are speaking before we get to the words….
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But equally in this retreat, we are listening to the human story, our own and each others.
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The Buddhist scriptures say, “emptiness is form and form is emptiness.” From which we might say “silence speaks and speaking originates in wordlessness.” Without planning, without effort, without having to make a pronouncement or a conclusion, what words want to be spoken through you in this space of listening?
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This retreat invites awareness to illuminate the threads of our human stories and to see what insights are woven in this encounter. In this way, we are all teachers and all students coming to learn from each other within the shared field of awareness.
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We look forward to creating and holding this space and to learning through you and with you.
Form of the retreat
We have endeavoured to keep this retreat deliberately small: between 12 and 15 participants only. We would like to offer three individual listening groups (facilitated by myself, Veronica and our close friend and colleague Lorna Reid) of just 4-5 participants each. This is because we have found that smaller, consistent groups offer the chance to develop more safety and depth.
The capacity to listen arises when we have less internal clutter and tension and so an important part of this retreat is the space to ‘be’: to unspool, to let go and to find internal space.
We ask that only the listening spaces themselves are a commitment of participation, in order that we can maintain their integrity and holding. Around this, we offer spaces of guided meditation, movement, wild swimming, hiking and picnicking and spaces for resting, reflection and creativity. Sometimes listening spaces will be in the morning, sometimes at night, sometimes inside, sometimes outside as we explore different ways in which the space of listening allows for different kinds of seeing.
*As this retreat is intended for deepening exploration rather than for beginners, we are inviting participants with experience of both mindfulness and of taking part in listening spaces.
Accommodation & Cost
Gulabin Lodge is a hostel in Glenshee, about 2 hours drive from Glasgow.
Accommodation is basic but comfortable, with 7 participant rooms. Many of these are set up as dorms for up to 5 people, but we have configured rooms as either triple or twin occupancy to allow a little more personal space. We have also allowed one room for single occupancy for anyone who might prefer to pay a little more for their own personal space.
A large bright room forms the meditation space, looking out onto the hills of Glenshee, and there are two further common rooms with sofas and open fires in which we’ll gather flexibly for listening space groups and as dining spaces. For pictures of Gulabin accommodation see here
https://gulabinoutdoors.co.uk/accommodation/gulabin-lodge/
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The cost of the retreat is on a sliding scale depending on room occupancy.
Triple sharing room (8 spaces available) £500 p.p
Double sharing room £600 (6 spaces available) £600 p.p
Single occupancy room (dbl bed) (1 space available) £750
Food & Transport
Food
Breakfast will be a self-service of cereals, toast and eggs.
Lunch and dinner is catered by Marinna Robertson, who has experience of cooking for retreats and who will offer a ‘round-the world’ menu of vegetarian meals.
Please do let us know if you have other dietary requirements.
Transport
Gulabin lodge is 5-minute drive (and 40 minute walk) from the small village of Glenshee, which is not served by public transport. The easiest way to get here is by car.
For those travelling from further away, you may want to consider car hire, car shares or shared taxi for getting here & back to principal transport services in Perth, Edinburgh or Glasgow.
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For those willing to go the public transport route, the most straightforward route is:
Train from Glasgow Queen Street or Edinburgh Waverley to Perth (c75mins) c£30 followed by a taxi from Perth to Gulabin Lodge (1hr) C£100 or £25p.p for 4
OR
Train from Glasgow Queen Street or Edinburgh Waverley to Pitlochry (c1hr40mins) c£25 followed by a taxi from Pitlochry to Gulabin Lodge (45mins) C£60 or £15p.p for 4
OR
Bus from Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station or Edinburgh Bus Station to Perth Broxden Park & Ride (c.75-90 mins) c. £16 Taxi from Broxden Park & Ride (1hr) c.£100 (c £25p.p for 4)
To Register a place....
Please email
Lyndsay at contact@mybeinghuman.org or via the 'register interest'
button on the course outline page or email Veronica at mindfulnessconnect@gmail.com
stating your preference for a triple, twin or single occupancy room and any dietary preferences.
We will reply with a short registration form and payment details and to confirm your place.
