🌟 Welcome to a unique retreat experience that offers a rare blend of meditation and Circling, set in cozy and beautiful surroundings. Come and join us for a transformative journey of self-discovery, connection, and growth.

Through the practice of meditation, we will explore the art of noticing and cultivating an inner stillness that can help us stay calm and centered in the midst of life's challenges. We will dive into the depths of our being to uncover our authentic selves and learn to trust our own experiences.

In the intimate and supportive environment of Circling, we will learn to connect with others on a deep and meaningful level, exploring such things as aliveness, friendship, judgment, shame, and trust. We will develop our capacity to be present and attuned to the moment, gaining greater insight into ourselves and others.

This retreat is a space for exploration and growth, where you can connect with like-minded individuals and experience a profound shift in your perspective on life. With the guidance of experienced facilitators, you will learn tools and techniques to help you stay grounded and centered in the midst of life's challenges.

For 5 full days we will turn our devices off and spend our time in a shared attention lab, learning more about how attention works, and how to notice more of our sensations, feelings and perceptions. Join us at Meditation in Relation and find time in deep connection with yourself through meditation, and in deep connection with others in Circling.

Each of the 5 full days we spend together will have a special focus, following a natural progression from training basic skills of presence and attention to learning to let go and trust in life and your innate wisdom.

Day 1: Noticing 

Day 2: Concentration 

Day 3: Loving-kindness 

Day4: Aliveness 

Day 5: Trust [text coming tomorrow]

What is meditation and Circling?

Meditation is not just sitting still and doing nothing, it's a dynamic practice of engaging with your present moment experience in a way that cultivates greater awareness, presence, and aliveness. We will be teaching a variety of meditation techniques to help you connect with your inner being, calm your mind, and access the wisdom and intuition that is always available within you. Through meditation, you'll learn to observe your thoughts and emotions without getting caught up in them, cultivate a sense of inner peace and stability, and develop the capacity to stay present and open to whatever arises in your life. Whether you're new to meditation or an experienced practitioner, this retreat will provide a supportive and nurturing environment to deepen your practice and connect with your true self.

Circling, is similar to meditation, but with the added element of interactivity. It’s a recent invention, still and being developed. In circling we come together with a curiosity about our own experience, and about other people’s experiences, as well as what it is like when we are together. We explore the many nuances of the present moment together by sharing about what it is like to be us, and asking others what it is like to be them. Follow-up questions are very much encouraged, and often these questions reveal some new understanding about ourselves. Our experience of leading circling for several years is that people get some of their strongest experiences ever of connection with other people, and that it opens up new ways of relating. With some practice this can be brought into your life and help deepen your existing relationships.

NB: Circling is not regular “sharing circles”. You don’t have to sit in a circle. You don’t have to wait for your turn. We are generally not sharing long stories from our past. Although stories like that sometimes show up as explainers of the present, they are not core to Circling. How we feel in this very moment, with this very group, that is the core and focus of circling. 

A longer introduction to Circling here.

A newly released documentary about Circling here.

You can also read what ChatGPT said about Circling when Einar asked it 😉: “It's like a group therapy session on steroids, where everyone is encouraged to be their authentic selves and connect with each other on a deeper level. It's like the ultimate spiritual workout for your heart and soul.” – ChatGPT

Why are we combining meditation and Circling

The desire to offer this combination of meditation and Circling is born out of our deep personal experiences of training in both of them, and witnessing the transformative power of their integration. Through meditation, we learn to cultivate stillness and presence, staying grounded in the realm of pure being. This creates the space for us to welcome everything in the present moment, without judgment or resistance. Circling then takes us on a journey towards learning to trust our innate wisdom and surrender to the flow of life that can spring forth from the stillness we have cultivated in meditation. The two practices mutually deepen and support each other, creating a powerful container for growth and transformation.

Practicalities:

🫶🏼A maximum of 18 tickets are sold 

🇩🇰🇸🇪🇬🇧 Instructions in English, Danish and Swedish. Most of the group settings will be in English, smaller groups and individual work can be in Danish or Swedish

🕑 Arrival between 13:00 and 17:30 on the 31st of March. Dinner and evening programme starts at 18:00. In the afternoon there will be hygge, relational card games and the first 1-on-1 sessions. Departure the 6th around 9:00.

🛏️ Beautiful rooms for 2, sometimes 3 people. Bring your own towels & bed sheets.

🪴 Large common rooms and a beautiful, spacious meditation space

🍲 Nice vegan food with a vegetarian option

⏳ See the schedule here. We want the group to stay together, so you are invited and expected to follow the schedule. However, individual needs can be taken into account, so if you need to adapt the schedule a bit, please reach out and let us know.

🌊 Winter bathing at Stevns is optional but awesome, 5 minutes away by car.

💼 Circling, Terms of Service, a.k.a. “Circling is not therapy”: https://www.relationalspaces.dk/circling-terms-of-service/

About the facilitators

We, Einar and Anezka, are both certified Circling facilitators from Circling Europe and have been running shorter and longer courses for 3 years. We have also both spent many hours “on the pillow” in meditation retreats and as a daily practice for many years. Our approach is pragmatic and inspired by many spiritual traditions and philosophers amongst other: Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory, adult development theories, John Vervaeke’s Meaning Crisis, Rudolph Steiner’s esoteric christianity, Alan Watts’ understanding of Oneness, Peter Levaine’s understanding of embodied trauma, Eugene Gendlin’s Focusing, Internal Family Systems, Manuvision Bodytherapy.We have practical & theoretical experience with trauma in relation to our practices, and can guide you to exercises that allow you to process trauma without it becoming overwhelming. However, none of us are psychotherapists, and we will be clear if we feel that something is not aligned with our ethics or skills. 

Einar has a background as a software engineer and later high school teacher. He has since graduated as a body therapist and circling leader, and is highly committed to presence practices. He believes that modern spirituality is primarily about learning to feel oneself in equanimity and learning to trust oneself. Einar just came home from 3 months at the Monastic Academy in a stewardship role to deepen his meditation practise. 

Anezka has a background as chemical engineer and free school teacher and is a certified coach and mindfulness teacher. She’s driven by the belief that emotional healing is environmental sustainability. Only by getting in touch with our feelings - and maybe getting in touch with a deeper understanding of reality - can we take the difficult decisions that are needed for the thriving of all beings on Earth the coming years. She was a steward for three months at the Monastic Academy last year.

Important info on tickets

If you get this retreat paid for by an VAT-registered organization (momspligtig virksomhed), you’d have to pay moms on top of the ticket price and therefore pick the option of “firma/institution”. If you are in doubt, write Anezka through the “kontakt arrangøren”.

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When you buy a ticket you get a personal "save 10% code", that you can give to as many friends as you like - and for each person who uses it, you will also be paid 10% back! So 10 friends joining, and you'll go for free 🤸‍♀️