These are typically 3-5 days long but can be adjusted and tailored to each group’ preferences.
We can offer them for complete beginners, those who are new to spiritual discipline, where there will be more emphasis on teaching and learning.
We also offer retreats to those who are experienced and want to deepen their practice.
The wilderness has always been a place where people meet with God. It’s a place where externals are stripped away and we come face-to-face with our own nature, and stand naked before Spirit.
In the Christian tradition we have Moses’ experience at the Burning Bush, Elijah being fed by ravens, David as a shepherd boy writing the psalms on the hills, and Jesus being tempted before beginning his ministry and then frequently retreating to the wild to meet with God during his ministry. Then of course there are the Desert Fathers and Mothers, who spent their lives in the wilderness seeking God.
Celtic monks, inspired by the Desert Fathers, spoke of the two books of God’s revelation to humankind – the book of scripture, and the book of nature. Many of them had significant encounters with God in the wild.
Many native peoples of the world had traditions of retreating to the wilderness in order to hear from Spirit and find their life’s purpose – for example the native american vision quest, and the native australian’s walkabout.
In the East we have examples of daoist monks would live very austere lives high up in the hills dedicating themselves to meditation; the writers of the Upanishads who spent their lives in the forest seeking spiritual reality; and many other examples.
The wilderness is a place to be in, it’s also a place to journey in. The spirit of Pilgrimage through natural places is another theme we notice through human history.
Some common themes of wilderness encounters are:
Impulsion to go into the unknown
Harshness and austerity
Patience
Silence
Facing fear
The absence of God
Having more questions than answers
Needing to be stripped back to the essentials of life
Purgation
Solitude
Humility in the face of majesty
Self
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God Nature
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Community
Each day of our retreat is structured around several spiritual practices. These create the framework and self discipline which will enable you to open up and be more receptive to what God may be saying to you at this time.
A spiritual discipline cannot force the holy Spirit to move, but what it does do is allow you to be more open, to put aside the concerns of your daily life, and be attentive to the more subtle movements of spirit.
Spiritual practices are not always easy. Just as you can’t run a marathon without putting in months of physical training, so it takes effort and resolve to train our undisciplined minds, thoughts and emotions to be under our control. So by practicing certain disciplines throughout the week you should find yourself becoming more focused and aware of the reasons why you are here – which are to be present to the Divine and to the leading of the Spirit.
We grow up in a world of noise, and the practice of Silence is often scary and difficult for us. As soon as we switch off from our technology and retreat from external stimulation, we find that our minds are far from silent! Indeed the inner noise can be deafening.
During the retreat we will use practices which are designed to bring these rampant thoughts into their correct place so that we can notice the stillness of God’s presence all around.
We use training techniques such as Centering Prayer and Christian Meditation (WCCM). We can also simply use our breath as a focus. These are all variations on a very simple theme – the idea is that every time your thoughts distract you and lead you away from your intention, the sacred word or the holy breath brings you back to the present moment, and your awareness of God’s presence which is already with you.
Drawn from the discipline of Forest Therapy, these are practices to help you to connect with the world of nature using your five senses. As embodied spiritual beings, the physical aspect of our humanity is an essential part of what makes us human, it’s not something to be transcended. By engaging with bodywork and nature awareness, we will find a greater sense of connectedness with the world around us and deeper acceptance of who we are.
Awareness practices also help us to develop interior spaciousness, a key quality for putting our lives into true perspective and relationship to the vast universe all around us.
The third aspect of our retreat is that of our community – our fellow retreatants and guides.
We share times of guided reading, liturgy and worship together. The aim of this is to collectively focus our attention on the Holy Spirit who is already present amongst us.
We also have times of group feedback and sharing. There is no compulsion here though – it is just as valid to share one’s silence as to share one’s words.
The afternoon walks are also times where you may find yourself informally chatting with others along the trail about what you are experiencing.
The practices we use throughout the week are designed to help your balanced spiritual growth:
1. – The forms of silent prayer that we use are designed to bring you focus and concentration.
2. – The awareness and nature connection practices are designed to help you to let go, to relax, to connect with the wide openness of the universe around you.
3. – The journey and pilgrimmage aspect help to connect with the beauty all around you as well as connect with life being a journey rather than a destination.
It is this balance of contraction and expansion which will promote your inner growth, help you to know yourself better, and open you up to connection with God.
Community sharing times help you to join with the others who are on the retreat with you and process what you are going through in a caring environment.
During the week there is also the opportunity for 1:1 discussion and spiritual direction with the retreat guides.
Our retreats are run in the mountain, desert or forest environment. For 2023, this will be in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, and in the mountains of Southern Spain.
These wilderness retreats are pilgrimmages – we will stay in several different places during the week. This gives us the opportunity to journey together (on foot, carrying our gear), and brings us into the spirit of Pilgrimmage in a holistic way.
Accommodation is in local villages, simple but comfortable. It includes local food every evening, breakfast and a picnic lunch. There are comfortable sofas or beds to sleep on each night, and places for a hot shower or bucket wash.
Because of the nature of pilgrimage in the wilderness, the accommodation is not of the level of other wellness holidays, but it is not “roughing it either”. We try to strike the balance between comfort and simplicity, and we rely on the hospitality of our local collaborators to make our stay in the wilderness pleasant.
~ Breakfast ~
Shared prayer / liturgy
30 mins silent meditation
2h silent reflective walking
20 mins Nature Connection
~ Lunch ~
2h relaxed wilderness journey (not silent)
Afternoon tea & Group feedback
30mins evening silent meditation / reflection
Dinner
Social relaxation time or further solo silent reflection