Meditation & Yoga Retreat in GG Hinterland
26 - 29 Sept 2024 (booking now)
24 - 27 Jan, 2025 (Monday Public Holiday)
@ The Theosophical Society Retreat - Springbrook, Yugambeh Country - acknowledging traditional custodians of the area the Birinburra and Kombumerri people
"Spirit is both utterly formless & impersonal and at the same time totally capable of taking a Personal form.” Swami Gurushananda, Swakriya Yoga
The practices of yoga are for the mind - they help to make the mind more sattwic (calm), this sets up a condition where realisation of our natural free state is more likely. Practices of self enquiry and meditation are part of the yoga tradition and help to develop strength and clarity in thinking and emotions. Our retreats give a nice opportunity to experience this freedom and are suitable for beginners and experienced students alike.
The retreat is facilitated by Tam James - a physiotherapist, and senior yoga teacher with Yoga Australia. She has been practising yoga and meditation since 1994. She acknowledges many inspiring teachers for a sadhana of Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra, the main one being Clive Sheridan. By the grace of her teachers she has shared her understanding with her students since 1998. Her passion for retreat is to support people to go deeper into the practices of these ancient traditions in the precious environment of a silent retreat.
Yoga postures (asana) and breathing (pranayama) practices are skilful tools to bring awareness into the body and opportunity to notice how the mind filters this process. For healthy yoga students the day begins at 5.30am with meditation and seated pranayama.
Mid-morning there will be a multi-level yoga class – beginners and experienced students will be catered for. In the afternoon there will be a supervised self practice session. Tam will be available to assist students in backbends and inversions. Alternatively students may like to walk around the beautiful property and meditate – but please use the time purposefully.
The 'talks' offered on retreat are drawn from Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra not espousing a philosophy or religion; but present a system of becoming familiar with the eternal, unchanging part of you. In this retreat we will explore the Tantric dance between glimpses of impersonal Divine Being, but still inhabiting Maa's playground in a personal form, rich with complex human experience. :)
Noble silence and Etiquette on the retreat:
The retreat environment is a sacred space, where we come together in tolerance and trust for Svadhyaya (self study) - to examine and study ourselves. From the comfort of home - where you can have what you want, when you want it - you are entering into a semi-monastic lifestyle, where you are invited to adhere to a set program and take what is offered. Such an environment is beautiful and precious, but also a bit of a 'pressure-cooker' for the egoic mind and silence supports this process. Mental resistance may manifest in finding faults with the space and those around you – please be aware of this and remain respectful of the retreat opportunity. There is as much value in what you learn from this process as in the meditation itself. As part of cultivating awareness and understanding mind, the retreat talks will support you in this process of svadhyaya.
We will break silence on Sunday at breakfast where you can enjoy reconnecting with the folk you have shared space with for these days.There will be a brief closing program with a final meditation and a talk to support the move back into the world.
Gold Coast Hinterland Venue: Springbrook Theosophical Retreat
Plan to arrive between 2 & 3 pm - on Thursday we finish at about 11am on Sunday. Please advise if work commitments necessitate arrival outside standard arrival time and allow for traffic.
Meals & Accommodation (bed linen provided, please bring a towel):
Prices:
~$600 per person - single bed in basic single room ($800 4 day May Retreat)
~$900 twin/couple - there are only 2 multiple occupancy rooms ($1200 May)
NB: Rooms are not confirmed before the receipt of $150 non-refundable deposit & forwarding of rego form to yogaphysio. Pay: Tamara L James BSB 484 799 Ac No 502082411 Ref: your name
Donation for teachings:
The set retreat fee covers accommodation, facility use, all meals, snacks and drinks. The retreat fee does not cover the teachers’ time and energy contribution to the retreat. Meditation teachings are priceless and are offered without a set or up-front fee. In a spirit of trust and generosity you are requested to provide ‘dana’ (generous support) to the teachers’ in appreciation of the teachings. You are invited to reflect upon your means and value of the retreat in so doing.
Additionally, if you have financial resources that would help others less fortunate to attend the retreat, please post in your support with a note stating how much you are giving to the fee sponsorship fund.
Please print and bring completed registration form to retreat. If you want to discuss anything related to your attendance you can forward it before or email and we can chat. Please advise of specific food requirements and desire to carpool in advance.
Registration Open .doc .pdf
Enquires - retreat@yogaphysio.com.au
Cancellation:
Please inform us as soon as possible if you need to cancel, so that a place may be offered to another. Cancellation will incur an $150 cancellation fee before registration closing. Cancellation within the last week, will result in forfeit of 50% of retreat fee, unless a waiting list participant fills the spot. 50% credit will given for us on another retreat within the year. Please understand that late cancellation still incurs catering costs, as food is purchased in advance.