The Art of Deep Listening & Mindful Speech

“Reconciliation is a deep practice that we can do with our listening and our mindful speech. To reconcile means to bring peace and happiness to nations, people, and members of our family…in order to reconcile, you have to possess the art of Deep Listening.” – THICH NHAT HANH.

I believe that many of the problems in our world today stem from our inability to listen deeply – principally to ourselves, and because of that, to others.

In my 30 years of working with people, I have learnt to listen with my ears, my eyes, my hands, my heart, my whole body and my intuition. I have learned (slowly!) to listen to myself, my mind, emotions, spirit and body, to listen to others, and also to listen to nature. She is a great teacher.

I am thrilled to be able to offer this Retreat in the beautiful and much loved setting of Bodhi Khaya, where we will take time out from the pressures of our daily lives and relationships to stop, to learn how to deeply listen, and how this can transform our speech, our relationships and our lives.

We will spend time with ourselves, with each other, with nature, in both silence and speech (and maybe song and dance if we are so moved!)

Please be aware that the following timetable is an invitation for you to participate – nothing is compulsory and you can come and go as you need, as you listen to yourself and what you need from this time. We will also be free to alter things if the need arises – this is for guidance only.

FRIDAY 30th 

Arrive any time after lunch and use the time to wind down and feel into your surroundings

• 3pm     Guided walk for those present, led by Georgina Hamilton, the owner/caretaker of this beautiful piece of land.
• 6pm     Supper
• 7pm     Welcome, guided meditation and exploration of our selves in a few awareness exercises about the body.
• 8.30pm Bring instruments if you wish – sharing of personal story and perhaps song.

SATURDAY 31st

We invite you to start the day in silence until we meet together at 8.30am

• 8am     Pre-breakfast swim for the brave! (Brief screams on getting into cold water permissible!)
• 8.30am Stretch, warm up and meditation
• 9.15am Breakfast
• 10am   Teaching on the five levels of listening and how to ask open questions to assist development of thinking
• 11am   Practice working in triads – a speaker, a listener and an observer. Each group to have chance to take each role. Please remember that when we are learning something new, we need to be brave to go outside our experience, and if we don’t ‘fail’, it is likely we are not learning! Groups to have breaks and tea as they feel the need.
• 12.30pm Reflection on the process
• 1.15pm Lunch
• 2.30pm    Guided walk with Georgina, possible individual session with Julie (additional cost)
• 4.30-6pm Time for solitary reflection
• 6pm     Supper
• 7pm     Personal story sharing

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 1st

• 8-10am as for Saturday
• 10am-1pm       Group work practising the skills learnt yesterday in groups of 4-6 people, where you will bid to be the speaker if you wish, and the group will choose. The speaker will bring an issue, either a project that they are looking to develop, or a problem that is troubling them. The group will use the listening and questioning skills they learnt the previous day to ask questions – WITHOUT GIVING ADVICE!- in order to challenge, expand or help change the thinking. In the years I have been working in this way, I have so often found that it is not the situation that is making us feel uncomfortable, anxious, frightened, or trapped but the way we are thinking about it. This experience has helped release and rejuvenate many people. It is sometime known as Action Learning.
• 1.15pmLunch
• 2.15pm Reflection on the processes and the weekend
• 3.15 End of guided retreat, and time to stay and walk and think or head home!

Feedback on Julie’s Workshops

• “Of all the training I’ve had through WRoCAH, this has undoubtedly been the most valuable.
• “Julie’s helped me to discover insights about my self and my project which have cut through vast swathes of time-consuming procrastination, and I feel that I’m starting to make real progress now, with a much clearer focus on where I’m headed.” Emily Coleman, Documentary maker and PhD student.”

A note on the Retreat Price

Usually in York, UK, Julie would charge between £60-£90 (about R1200 – R1500) per day, and in London more. However in order to make this retreat accessible to everyone in South Africa, she is offering to charge a base price of R1060 for her total facilitators fee. Then if at the end of the Retreat, you feel it was worth more and you are able to pay it, please make an additional contribution via the office.

All-inclusive retreat price of R4000 includes lodging, 3 vegetarian meals per day and refreshments.