Out of silence arises strength and wisdom...
Self-Compassion in Nature Retreat
for Professionals
Mindfulness Silent Retreat (5 days)
“as we quiet our mind, we can hear” Rumi
We pause, to take care of ourselves, to replenish, so we can better take care of others.
You are invited to join us for five exquisite days to come home to yourself with kindness. We will gather at a beautiful place in the spectacular Gondwana Rainforest in Springbrook National Park on the Gold Coast. There you can enjoy privacy, peace solitude to de-stress, to meditate, to engage in forest bathing and to reconnect with yourself.
This is a wonderful opportunity to unwind, away from the demands of work and family life to re-charge. This will be a time to care for yourself, to refresh your practices in mindfulness and self-compassion, to cultivate your inner resources. You can pause, to better relate to yourself in your own mind and in this way improve your relationships with others. Again and again, you can attend to yourself like you would attend to a dear friend, giving yourself what you need to thrive, to flourish, so in return, you can better support others. Your well-being and positive engagement will benefit everyone.
Self-Compassion, mindfulness and forest bathing greatly increase our ability to deal with difficulties with balance, to protect us from burnout and caregiver fatigue.
Give yourself the gift of silence!
Revitalise in nature!
Connect with your inner joy and sense of purpose!
Why a silent self-compassion retreat in nature?
Maintaining silence in a retreat frees you from the distraction of engaging with others so that you can begin to meet yourself anew, with a kind awareness. You can let go of doing and striving, to allow yourself simply to be. In addition, when we are silent, in nature, engaging in forest bathing, our senses are more open, we are more present, we feel more alive, we open to something that is greater than us, greater than our difficulties, pain and drama. Nature gives us a sense of space, allowing us to be in touch with our spirituality, connecting with a compassionate inner knowing, that is uplifting and empowering.
Who it is for?
This retreat targets professionals and caregivers, such as psychologists, social workers, counsellors, occupational therapists, teachers, nurses, medical practitioners, coaches, yoga teachers and anyone else who is in a helping role. It is an opportunity to stop, to re-charge, to fill our cup so we can give back.
This retreat is also for anyone who is interested in teaching Mindful Self-Compassion, and other mindfulness-based programs (MBP) such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. The five-day retreat meets the requirement to have attended a five-day, silent, teacher-led retreat to become a Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher.
What to expect?
The retreat aims to deepen our capacity to respond to the difficult moments in our lives with kindness, care, courage, and wisdom. The content of the retreat will consist of topics, guided meditations, walking meditation, self-reflective exercises in self-compassion, compassion and mindfulness to promote wellbeing and resilience.
We wish to take full advantage of the picturesque surroundings by providing ample opportunities to go on mindful walks for contemplative reflections where you can immerse yourself in nature. You will be introduced to different aspects of forest bathing.
We aim to provide a peaceful and relaxing retreat for a small number of participants (15). You will be staying in a room of your own with a single bed using shared bathroom facilities with three others. Delicious healthy vegetarian meals will be served with vegan/gluten-free/dairy-free options.
The use of mobile phones and other Internet-connected devices will be strongly discouraged.
Retreat schedule
On the first afternoon, there will be an orientation session to meet and greet. For the next five days, we will ask you to mostly maintain a friendly silence. On the 5th day, there will be opportunities to talk, to reflect and farewell everyone. Each day we will present topics, exercises and guided meditations in the mornings and afternoons. We will alternate between sitting, lying down, and movement/walking meditation practices. The aim will be to deepen your personal practices in mindfulness, loving-kindness, compassion, self-compassion, joy, gratitude, and equanimity.
Short individual interviews with Marianna or Marie can be scheduled throughout the retreat for clarification or support. During the retreat, at any time, if issues arise, you will be able to communicate with the manager.
Retreat Training objectives
After participating in this retreat, you will be more able to:
- Understand and practice forest bathing
- Practice mindfulness and self-compassion in daily life
- Extend feelings of goodwill, kindness and warmth towards self and others
- Motivate yourself and others with encouragement rather than harsh self-criticism
- Handle difficult emotions with greater balance
- Manage stress, anxiety, anger, guilt and shame with greater ease
- Meet difficult relationships with compassion
- Manage burnout, caregiver fatigue and vicarious trauma
- Become more aware and able to attend skilfully to your needs and the needs of others
- Promote positive emotions in yourself and others
- Teach self-compassion practices to patients, clients, students, and children
Accommodation and Transport
The Retreat is located in peaceful surroundings, with panoramic views of tropical rainforest, mountains and waterfalls.
It is located 50 minutes from the Gold Coast airport and 30 minutes inland from Mudgeeraba. It is accessible by private car or taxi (13CABS around $130.00 each way). We are also providing shared transport for around $50.00(see below).
Each participant will have a room of their own but will share a bathroom with three others. Delicious healthy vegetarian meals will be served with vegan/gluten-free/dairy-free options. The participants will be asked to take turns in kitchen duties.
Shared Transport
A Maxi Taxi (10 seats) has been booked to take participants from Coolangatta Airport to the Retreat Centre in Springbrook for the cost of around $50.00. The Maxi Taxi will pick up at the Coolangatta Airport on the 30 November at 1:30 pm to be at the Retreat Centre around 2:00 pm. On Monday 5 December a Maxi Taxi will pick up at the Retreat at 2:30 pm to take whoever wants to return to Coolangatta Airport for also $50.00.
Continued Professional Development (CPD)
A Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certificate providing the number of hours attended will be given to everyone to provide evidence of professional development training (i.e. psychologists, social workers, counsellors, teachers, medical practitioners, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, yoga teachers etc.). The 5-day retreat will provide 30 CPD hours.
Prerequisites
The pre-requisites are that you have already been introduced to mindfulness, self-compassion and meditation and that you have a regular practice. The expectation is that you have an understanding of Mindful Self-Compassion (Kristin Neff and Chris Germer) and/or Compassion-Focused Therapy (Paul Gilbert). Prior to the retreat, you will be required to complete a Registration Form and sign a Release of Liability.
Only fully vaccinated participants will be allowed.
Suggested prior reading (optional)
Experiencing Compassion-Focused Therapy from the inside out by R. Kolts, T. Bell, J. Bennett-Levy, & C. Irons, 2018
Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff & Christopher Germer, 2018
Fierce Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff, 2021
Living with an open heart by Russell Kolts & Thubten Chodron, 2012
Neuro Dharma by Rick Hanson, 2020
The Compassionate Mind by Paul Gilbert, 2013
Cancellation Policy
The cancellation policy is as follows:
- If the retreat is cancelled because of a Covid-19 lockdown, you will be fully refunded.
- If you make the payment and cancel 28 days before the start of the retreat you will be fully refunded minus the booking fee of $50.00.
- If you cancel 14-28 days prior to the retreat you will be refunded 50% of your payment.
- If you want to cancel less than 14 days before the retreat, you will be given a 25% refund of your payment.
- Sorry, there will be no refund 7 days prior to or during the retreat.
Presenters:
Marie Bloomfield: Clinical Psychologist and Senior Certified Mindful Self-Compassion teacher. Marie is an accomplished teacher in mindful self-compassion having presented over 50 workshops most of which were targeting health professionals since 2014. As a clinical psychologist, Marie has over 40 years of experience in working in mental health, including public, academic and private sectors. Marie has been using Compassion-Focused Therapy and Mindful Self-Compassion in her clinical practice since 2011. She is one of a leader in teaching Mindfulness and Self-Compassion for health professionals in Australia.
Marianna Lolas: Clinical Psychologist and training to become a Mindful Self-Compassion teacher.
Next Retreat:
Self-Compassion in Nature Retreat For Professionals (5 days)
Presenters: Marie Bloomfield and assistant teacher Marianna Lolas, Clinical Psychologists
Dates: 5-Day Retreat: 30 November - 5 December 2022
-arriving 3 pm on Wednesday 30 Nov. and finishing at 2 pm Monday 5 December 2022
Location: 2184 Springbrook Rd, Springbrook QLD 4213
Cost: Extra Early bird (24 July ): $1,750.00
Early bird (24 Oct): $1,975.00
Regular: $2,225.00
The fees will include teachings, accommodation, and meals.
Discounts available for direct payments
Only fully vaccinated participants will be allowed
Before you register, please read the Disclaimers, Terms & Conditions for the Retreat
Terms and Conditions for the Self-Compassion in Nature Retreat
If you would like to know more or to register please contact us
We would love to meet you there!