Eco Dharma Centre | Radical Ecology Radical Dharma
wanderers retreat
6th to 20th Oct 2012
a nature based practice retreat following the pathless path
I’m writing this with a vivid sense of the most recent of these inspiring retreats. The last night we slept in beds of deep-soft moss, listening to stags bellowing and calling to each other across the Carreu valley. Now we have these dates for the 2012 retreat. We hope you will join us!
Inspired by the lives of the early Buddhist practitioners and yogis, who were homeless wanderers, forest and mountain dwellers, this nomadic retreat carries us into a simple life immersed in elemental nature. Through meditation, dharma study and deep ecological perspectives, for two weeks we will wander the pathless path.
This retreat, for up to 8 participants, begins at the residential centre, where several days of initial preparation take place. For the rest of the time we will wander as a small itinerant band through the spectacular landscape of the Serra de Carreau. The objective is not getting from one place to another! Some days may be spent in one place, with time devoted to sitting meditation and study, others might involve a short wander or a long hike. That will all dependent on what will support the group to best deepen their practice in nature.
Wilderness immersion has long been recognised for its powerful transformative potential. Combined with mediation and mindfulness practice, and the supportive context of a small nomadic community, it offers a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our practice, clarify our sense of our deeper self, and reconnect intimately with the web of life. These are aims of all events in our Nature Based Practice and Learning series.
As we move through the external terrain, encountering different places and atmospheres, we will also follow an inner journey and adventure – stepping into a world not easily contained by our superficial and habitual assumptions.
We will meditate and live together in glorious simplicity – one pot between us for cooking on a fire, sleeping under the stars or a bivi sheet. We are likely to wander through and stay in the caves of the Val de Carreau, to spend time by the river and pools of Riu d’Abella, and to pass by the woods surrounding the vulture feeding grounds in the Serra de Boumourt. This is not a Yatra. We will follow our senses, not a fixed itinerary. So who knows, perhaps we will be drawn up towards the snow fields of the High Pyrenees, or the arid dust bowls above the Barranc de l’Infern.
There will be lots of silent time. And plenty of meditation, periods of study, discussion, story-telling and sharing will all be woven into the two weeks. Food will be simple, porridge for breakfast and one basic cooked meal a day. Food will be dropped in various caches for the group every few days so we don’t need to carry much. However, the group will carry its own sleeping and bivi material, so we can stop and set camp wherever feels appropriate. Gear will be kept to a bare minimum. Leave your digital cameras, watches, and change of spare trousers behind – radical simplicity is the goal! Participants need to be in good health and have an adequate level of physical fitness (which we can explore with you during the application process).
The event ends with a couple of days back at the centre, where we can de-brief, assimilate and prepare for taking our learning back into our everyday lives.
Suggested contribution in the Dana Economy €300 to €500 (euros). Make a booking.
These events are supported by a core team drawn from the ecodharma collective. Permanent members of the team for these events will be:
Guhyapati, who is founder of the centre, an experienced Dharma practitioner and teacher of meditation, long term mountain dweller and seasoned mountain and climbing guide. He is also trained in wilderness medicine.
Rob Coventry, who is a natural woodsman. He is much loved for his easy capacity to share his passion for living in the woods, bush-craft, and delight in wild ecology.
Carol Alvarez Marin, who has a close knowledge of the plants and folk traditions of place, and in recent years harvested a range of inter-generational wisdom from elders in the region with L’Escola de les Padrines.
Some useful background reading: The Practice of the Wild, Gary Snyder, Shoemaker & Hoard/ Eco psychology – Restoring the Earth and Mind, edited by Theodore Roszak/ Living with Awareness, Sangharakshita, Windhorse Publications/ Deep Ecology, edited by Bill Devall and George Sessions, Perregrine Smith / Buddhism and Ecology, Tucker and Williams, Harvard University Press.