Going the Soul’s Way
Multi-Day Retreats in the Wild
Based in the UK
There is only one life
you can call your own
and a thousand others
you can call by any name you want
-David Whyte-
There are times in every life when the way ahead becomes dark and uncertain, when the signs, get hard to read and direction hard to find, when the old maps that had been such reliable guides for years, no longer work. This is what it feels like to approach a threshold, a borderland between old ways of being in the world that somehow no longer serve us, and a new life, unfamiliar, waiting for us in the shadows, calling for our attention. A threshold time is an encounter with the margin or limit of our former self. To cross the threshold is to formally step beyond that limit.
Threshold times often feel unwelcome and frightening for people living in cultures that don’t recognise their value, purpose and place in the wider process of human development. Yet they are rare and natural moments in any life, signifying that we have entered a time fit for personal renewal, and inner transformation. In healthy societies, threshold times are recognised as sacred moments in a persons life, understood as a time of death and re-birth that should be met, marked, honoured and lived through creatively. Such threshold crossings are considered necessary for the continued well-being of the person in their fullness; body, soul and spirit.
The Greeks referred to these moments in life using the word Kairos, meaning a ‘right’ or ‘critical’ moment. Kairos is a special quality of time, different from Chronos, which is time as duration, as we experience it, in day-to-day life. Kairos arrives like a calling from the gods. It is a window, a bestowing, a grace, in which real change becomes possible and in which the commitment to change is ‘favoured’. We do not create such times and we cannot control their arrival or departure. It is mysterious. The ego usually experiences it as big trouble, even as the soul welcomes it with open arms. Arrival of Kairos provokes another Greek word, Krisis, meaning ‘decision.’ We know, at the level of the soul, that this time is decisive. It feels like a crisis. How we recognise and meet it, matters greatly for the course of our future lives.
Outside In and Inside Out
Times of renewal typically reveal themselves in one of two ways: from the outside in, or the inside out. I refer to these as the Way of Fire and the Way of Water.
The way of Fire reveals itself from the outside in, often like an eruption. There may be a sudden disturbance or incursion into the life we thought secure and clear, demanding a radical change in our perspective; in the way we understand our life situation. It might arrive as an accident, a sudden loss, a shattering crisis, a series of difficult events that overwhelm us, an illness, or some other unexpected life changing event. In whatever way it comes, it thrusts a stick in the wheel of life and we are thrown to the ground.
The Way of Water rises up from the inside. It may be heralded by the feeling that life has lost its meaning and purpose. Perhaps our work no longer engages us, or a relationship has lost its vision. Perhaps there is an unnameable sorrow, a feeling of loss, or, depression, a feeling that life has become fractured and fragmented, or perhaps we feel caught in an unaccountable fear or anxiety that just won’t lift. One way or another, we feel the light of life is being swallowed up in rising water. It feels like a winter darkness has fallen onto our life, and with it, come winter doubts and concerns.
I don’t know who I am anymore
I don’t know why i am anymore
I don’t know where i’m going
These doubts are fit for a time of inner transformation. Times of renewal call for certain things. Above all, they call us to stop, listen, admit what’s happening, and submit to the process at hand.
In a Kairos time, we are being called into the depths of our lives, back to our origins. The call may be gentle or violent but, in any case, it’s unmistakeable We are being called to a journey of discovery, through which we can recover the one life we can call our own.
The Retreat Process
‘Going the Soul’s Way’, offers a unique opportunity in support of people experiencing a major life transition. The retreats run from 3 to 7 days depending on need, and are bespoke in nature, tailored to meet the specific needs of each individual.
The retreat has its roots in one of the oldest of human spiritual practices: leaving one’s familiar world to wander, opening to new insights and gifts through direct contact with the wildness of the world, and returning to share the gift for the benefit of one’s people and one’s place.
On this retreat you will leave the world for a time to live simply and digital free, in a wild, nature rich environment. You will live in a way fitting for soul work. As your companion, I will be your guide in the process, and your cook. I will take care of the spaces in which we work together, ensuring the work is safely held, that it is honest and courageous and that it honours the sacred nature of the undertaking.
During the time we are together we will walk, talk, and spend time in silence. We will spend extended time outside, and we will explore your life situation in different ways, that are conducive to the ways of the soul. We will spend time together and alone.
As part of the retreat, there may be the option to complete a vision-fast ritual, spending 24 hours or longer, alone outside.
Having set a clear intention for this time, and depending on your needs, you will have an opportunity to:
- Learn about the four facets of healthy human functioning
- Identify and works on blocks to healthy functioning
- Discover the ‘one life you can call your own’
- Identify, name and align your guiding principles
- Reconnect deeply with the natural world
- Discover the ‘gift’ you carry for the world
- Learn to balance ego, soul and spirit needs in healthy ways
- Begin to live a soul-informed life
Booking a Retreat.
This retreat is a deep psycho-spiritual process carefully designed to heal the body, soul and spirit in ways that support the renewal of a healthy flow of vital energy in all aspects of your life, that will help you clarify the purpose and meaning of your life, and that will support you to live well, in balance with the natural world, in a soul informed way. Timing is important to the success of this process, and I will only proceed with a retreat if I deeply believe you are ready for it, and that it will help you with the life questions you are holding.
I offer a maximum of eight 121 retreats a year
If you would like further information about ‘Going the Soul’s Way’ retreats, please get in touch via the email link.
Once I have heard from you, I will send you a simple application form to complete. This will help you clarify what it is that is calling you to retreat at this time. It will also help me better understand if this experience will be a good fit for you and if there are contra-indications that need to be taken into consideration. Following this, if all is well, we will connect virtually, to further discern if this path is right for you, and if I am the right person to support you at this time.
Once we agree to continue, the process will begin formally. There will be a period of preparation which might last from 1-6 months prior to the retreat, depending on need. This will serve to deepen our connection, clarify our understanding of the situation, and ensure our shared sense of commitment to the work at hand.
The retreat will take place at the end of the preparation phase and will be tailored to meet your needs as I understand them. You will be well prepared for all aspects of the retreat, including the vision fast, where this process is felt appropriate.
Following the retreat, we will continue to work together on a monthly basis for a period of 3-12 months depending on need.
For all enquiries please get in touch here
a different drum 