Deepening the Senses – Crossing the Threshold – Weekend Retreat – January 2017 – Ard Nahoo – Sligo.
Art by Lucy Campbell
You are invited to join me for the popular ‘Deepening the Senses’ Retreat in the beautiful mythical landscape of Sligo, on the wild Atlantic way, to wonder at the beauty of Ben Bulben, an inspiration to Yeats and ancient myth and legends through the centuries.
During our ‘Deepening the Senses – ‘Crossing the Threshold’ Residential Retreat we will deep dive, exploring the world of the senses – connecting to the archetypal energy of the feminine – awakening a more grounded authentic connectedness to ourselves and bringing conscious awareness in our bodies to our presence in the world. Through an embodied psychotherapy approach, we will draw on the realm of myth and archetypes to deepen into the senses, exploring our connection to the wisdom of the ancient dreaming landscape that surrounds us, attuning all the while to our own inner journeying, appreciating our subtle bodies the richness of the present moment in our lives.
When we listen to myths, if we let ourselves step into their world of poetry and imagination, we step out of the rational concrete patriarchal world of our time and into the symbolic life. In this way we become receptive to our inner environment, the energies of life, and the creative energy of the feminine that is calling us.
We will engage in a dialogue with body and psyche listening to the images that arise from the body, from the unconscious, from our dreaming lives. We will connect to the ‘wise woman’ archetype, bringing alive the rich authentic relationship with her in the inner world whilst staying awake to the outer rich mythical landscape that will support us.
This work is based on psychotherapeutic theory and neuroscientific research, that looks at how we can open up new neural pathways in the brain where trauma from the past has restricted us. This work is developed to allow a letting go of those old patterns and complexes in an embodied way and open up new pathways to creativity and wholeness for ourselves.
During the retreat, we will spend time indoors and outdoors exploring that sensory-embodied connection to the landscape.
We will also be utilizing the medium of poetry and images, gentle mindful movements, art and clay work, meditation, and dream imaging, exploring the language of our dreams and their symbols in our psyches to assist us. The two days will provide a nurturing space with time to let go of everyday commitments and attune to ourselves.
There will be free time to walk, relax, rest, and enjoy the surrounding countryside. You will enjoy good nourishing food, an open-air hot tub, and on our last evening a candle-lit walk under the stars, and after our féasta (n.celtic feast) we will gather at the hearth and the log fire, for the ancient tradition of our ancestors – sharing songs and poetry, music, story-telling, and conversations.
We aim to create a warm atmosphere where we will awaken the senses, deepen our understanding of ourselves and explore the sensual and awaken feminine energy in our everyday lives.
Prior experience in bodywork and personal therapy work, whilst desirable, is not essential.
16 Participants
“To find her it is necessary for women to return to their instinctive lives, their deepest knowing. So let us push on now, and remember ourselves back to the wild soul. Let us sing her flesh back onto our bones. Shed any false coats we have been given. Don the true coat of powerful instinct and knowing. Infiltrate the psychic lands that once belonged to us. Unfurl the bandages, ready the medicine. Let us return.”