Silence & Solitude
19th – 22nd July, 2019
Silence is becoming a desire, a want in this noisy world. Other than shutting the door on everything & everyone and snatching small moments how else can you sink deeply into a held space and just Be, nothing to anyone?
Silence & Solitude is wellness of a different kind. In this modern world the old practices can be overlooked & disregarded. To stand in a forest, to wander beside a lake, to stay in silence without dissolving the wellspring of creativity within you. To let all of the social nuances go & fall in love with yourself all over again requires the noise to go away.
This retreat is an invitation. To Y O U To winter in, to hibernate by the fire. Settling into restoring the ancient practice of withdrawing from the world.
Imagine moments of deep listening, silence & space to breathe
Daily walks of devotion mapping your steps as a pathway towards your inner sanctuary
We are inviting you into a sanctum of women, into reclaiming a ritual for self. Illuminating, awakening insight and softening towards the wanderings that our instinctive nature can take us on.
Imagine stories beside the fire as dusk gathers her cloak around us. Silence suspended as we speak with voices rich with our wanderings. Gesturing towards liminal spaces of sensitivity
**During our time together we’ll take full advantage of our surroundings and embrace a meditative pace of life. Every detail of this retreat is a thoughtfully curated journey for those longing for more space to dwell in silence, to breathe & rest in no-thingness.
Some images from our last retreat
Practices offered during this four day, three night retreat will range from restorative yoga, yin yoga, writing, journalling, mindful meditation, walks of devotion & solitude practices. There will be creative stations set up to create what the voice may struggle to articulate. Kayaks available to paddle over to the island, and many walks around Mangarara Eco retreat lodge.
We finish each day gathering after dinner by the fire to speak.
Your meals will be lovingly prepared to nourish & sustain you by Kelly Dobson from Holi Eats.
Proposed Schedule
Arrival day
- 17:00 Arrival & check in
- 19:00 – 20:00 Dinner
- 20:00 – 21:00 Welcome ceremony + restorative yoga
Each Day
- 07:00 – 09:00 Silent morning meditation with optional asana practice
- 09:00 – 10:00 Breakfast – silent
- 10:30 – 12:30 Devotion Walk – silent
- 13:00 – 15:30 Lunch and creative time – silent
- 16:00 – 18:30 Evening practice
- 19:00 – 20:00 Dinner – silent
- 20.15 – 21.15 – By the Fire – conversations & story telling
Departure day
- 07:00 – 09:00 Silent morning meditation with asana practice
- 09:00 – 10:00 Breakfast – silent
- 11:00 – 13:00 Closing ceremony & ritual
- 13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
- 14:30 Departure
SOME KIND WORDS ABOUT FIRST LIGHT WOMEN & RETREATS
The Adventure • Play retreat was just what body and soul needed. I totally stepped out of time during the weekend and fully stepped in to the beauty that surrounded me at the venue. I can’t remember the last time I felt so rested and refreshed after a weekend of self-care.
– Retreat Participant, April 2017
“I thought the retreat was great value – stunning accommodation, delicious food, and facilitators that were truly caring, friendly and professional. Yoga at dawn on the deck was just amazing – both tranquil and somehow magic. The weekend was a perfect mix of relaxation as well as both introspection and sharing with other women. I felt both peaceful and empowered. … I have already spoken about it to several friends and I only had positive things to say.”
–Adventure + Play Retreat Participant, April 2017
Silence & Solitude Retreat Cost includes
- 4 days + 3 Nights accommodation at Mangarara Eco Lodge in Central Hawkes Bay
- All meals, grazing table, unlimited tea, herbal blends + coffee
- Participant materials
- Three morning yoga sessions
- Two evening restorative yoga sessions
- Mindful meditation & walks of devotion sessions
- Mentoring conversations, by arrangement
More information and booking
Price for this retreat is $800.00 – accommodation is shared. There may be a massage therapist available. This will be confirmed in your welcome letter. Massage cost is extra.
To book your spot for this retreat, registrations will be opened on the March Full Moon.
Adding your name to the waitlist means that you will be first to receive the early payment package ($250.00 deposit, then weekly payments of $28.94) which makes this an easy Y E S to a weekend of Silence & Solitude
The women holding space for this lush, velvet cloak of silence & sitting guardian over your solitude are retreat facilitator – Carol Neilson, assisted by Sydnie Faulknor & morning Yoga teacher TBC
These payment buttons are now active on this abundant March Full Moon
If you’d like to be notified of future retreats via email, please sign up to our mailing list.
Past Retreats
Adventure + Play
31st March – 2nd April 2017
The Retreat includes
- 3 days + 2 Nights accommodation at Mangarara Eco Lodge in Central Hawkes Bay
- All meals, grazing table, unlimited tea, herbal blends + coffee
- Daily Practices – Yoga |mindfulness | meditation sessions |silent mornings
- One-on-One yoga conversation & adjustments, or a wellness mentoring dialogue
- Spirited Conversations + Kitchen Table stories
- An abundance of time, space and quiet nooks to relax into
- A secret adventure + play
- A beautifully curated goodie bag to take home
The Food • In Partnership With Holi Good Eats
Nourishing food including daily grazing table. Locally sourced produce, tea, coffee & juices.
The Venue • Mangarara Eco Lodge
Relax to the sounds of bird life on Horseshoe Lake and grazing farm animals, while unwinding on the sheltered deck. Witness the breath-taking night sky, kayak on Horseshoe Lake wildlife reserve, relax beside the evening bonfire.
By staying at Mangarara Eco Lodge we help enable families associated with Cranford Hospice, Little Elms, Salvation Army and Woman’s Refuge Napier some invaluable time out.
Mangarara Eco Lodge is the perfect place for us to partner with to enable you to relax and reconnect…
SOME KIND WORDS ABOUT FIRST LIGHT RETREATS
“Everything was just lovely. Felt like you had thought of everything. I had a wonderful time and came away feeling, supported, loved and nourished. I have talked to a few close friends about the retreat and they are really intrigued to know more about the next one”
– Adventure + Play Retreat Participant, April 2017“Didn’t have an expectation, just went with the flow and it was over and above my expectations. Being just for women was so perfect”
–Adventure + Play Retreat Participant, April 2017
If you’d like to be notified of future retreats via email, please sign up to our mailing list.