This is a retreat where we explore how darkness can be a safe space for healing and therapy, a meeting with ourselves within a secure group setting. With the sun barely above the horizon, we will have the opportunity to experience the nourishing and healing qualities of the darkness.

 

Winter is the time of year when our ancestors used the season for reflection and restoration. It is natural for us to slow down and recharge during this time. Just as leaves fall from the trees and decompose into soil that nourishes new leaves in the spring, winter is a time when we can clear out our system, let go of the old, and make space for what we wish to invite in during spring and summer.

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Together with a small group, we will be guided through various exercises where we are invited to sense the darkness, become familiar with it, and allow the encounter with darkness to also become an honest meeting with ourselves. It is a meeting where you are invited to approach any fear, restlessness, or what you wish to leave behind with curiosity. Feelings and thoughts that arise become an invitation to see the wounds that are ready to heal and transform. You will be guided through exercises connected to the sensory system and will receive practices that you can take home and use in everyday life.

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This retreat is for those who enjoy being outdoors and who want to learn how nature can be an arena for health promotion. You will map your ecological self and become aware of your connection to nature. One goal is that you will become more comfortable spending time outdoors during the dark season and experience how darkness is also an important part of nature experiences.

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We begin the days with yoga and meditation before breakfast, followed by lectures on how nature, light, and darkness affect us. We then engage in various exercises, healing, and therapy connected to nature and darkness. We will spend much time outdoors, experiencing the night, nature, darkness, stars, and the northern lights. Together we will “weave darkness and light and find the essence within the shadow.”