Coming Down to Earth and into the Heart
5 day retreat with meditation and mindful movement
14 August 2025 - 19 August 2025
Leader: Ratnadevi and Kristine McKenzie-Janson
Cost Information: £330 single room, £490 for two people sharing a twin, £185 dorm. Full board and lodging costs.
Course fee: £270, payable to Ratnadevi
Course outline
It’s easy to get swept away by the pace of life and end up reacting rather than responding to what’s coming at you. This retreat offers a chance to pause and re-set, to reflect and be profoundly nourished by the natural beauty and welcome of the island.
There is a power in appreciation – it brings into focus what really matters to us: it may be kindness, connection, beauty or an inner spaciousness. Likewise, difficult experiences, as we acknowledge and allow them, can be a way in to discover what we long for. When we discover our heart’s orientation and come to trust it, our inner strength and resilience grow and we go back to ‘normal life’ with a refreshed sense of purpose and agency.
Mindful movement is highly effective in down-regulating our stress levels and settling our nervous system, particularly when done spaciously and with an emphasis on presence and enjoyment in our body as it is. It will help us to feel well-toned and grounded in our sensory experience, less prone to mental proliferation.
We are drawing from several disciplines: Chi-Kung, Yoga, Feldenkrais Method and fascia stretches. It doesn’t require any particular degree of fitness and flexibility, and people with particular health issues should get in touch with Ratnadevi prior to booking.
On the retreat we flow organically between movement and stillness, learning to see, hear, smell and touch the world with fresh appreciation and open-heartedness, doing less and being more. Some of the meditations on this retreat will explore kindness and compassion, developing skills to be more accepting and caring towards ourselves, others and the world. Acknowledging any inner objections or doubts is part of the process, as we encourage all of ourselves onto this organic journey.
Once we have got to know each other a bit, much of the time will be in silence, including mealtimes and overnight. This will give us the opportunity to go deeper, while still feeling in connecting with others. In fact, allowing ourselves to be nourished by a growing sense of being part of something bigger, is a large part of our intention for the retreat. It can be so relaxing to the hard-working parts of us that are so used to striving on our own. There will also be opportunities to share what’s emerging in small groups. Weather permitting some practice will take place outside, in the peaceful and magical setting of the island – maybe doing walking meditation among the horses.
Contact:
info@livingmindfulness.net or
kristine.m.janson@gmail.com
Booking information
It is essential that you book for the retreat via the Living Mindfulness booking page. Once you have received a confirmation email from Ratnadevi, you can book your accommodation on Holy Isle, which is payable on arrival.
To book accommodation, please use the Book Now button in the sidebar
Select 5 nights from Thursday 14 - 19 August (Please note the default booking option is for two guests)