Full and Half Day Retreats

Saturday mornings will include guided yoga and meditation, with shorter periods of silence. Short presentations and practical guidance, exchanges, and group discussion in smaller groups with focused questions.

Working skilfully with thoughts

When we think of mindfulness we might think, that mindfulness means stopping our thinking. And it is true, there are times when we wish we could stop some of our particular fantasies, habitual stories, and busy-bee behaviours, as we notice how they negatively connect to our levels of stress.

When we start to notice through increased use of mindfulness that some of our thoughts impact negatively on our well-being then we have become aware of the power of our thoughts to affect all areas of our life (body, emotions, behaviour, relations, time, efficiency, enjoyment finances, goals, and values).

So, what can we do about this? How can we harvest the power of our thoughts for our well-being without getting lost in these unbearable thoughts, feelings, and sensations that can trigger stress?

In mindfulness, we help to develop alternative and more efficient ways of being and relating to our thoughts, that pop into our minds. We won’t stop thinking, because thinking is a wonderful act of creativity but we will develop choices about what kind of attention we give to them and how to act upon them or not.

– Rediscovering the joy of connecting with others and self, through meditation and movement –

Led by Helen Stephenson this retreat offers the opportunity to come together to share a variety of mindful meditation practices, including breathing techniques, mindful movement, and yoga deep relaxation. Helen looks forward to warmly welcoming you to a very special full day of practices that strengthen our connection to ourselves and to each other. Coming together and creating a mindful community can bring joy and creates a breathing space allowing us to re-engage with our daily lives more skillfully.