Contemplative Retreats

A contemplative retreat at Yggdrasil Living Wholeness is not a structured programme with set dates, a theme running through the retreat, a team of busy carers and wise facilitators and the possibility to meet other contemplatives in the making. It is in essence a solitary voyage where one might meet other solitary fellow-travellers. But, more than that, it is an invitation to join us in a life of contemplation where we stand in awe at the generosity pouring out of radical simplification.

The minimum stay for a contemplative retreat is two weeks, preferably a month, so as to land in the energy field of Bornholm and be transformed by the experience. Retreats take place outside the peak tourist season which runs from mid-June to mid-September. The dark nights of late autumn and winter are conducive to vision quests, particularly when supplemented by the seasonal celebrations of endings and beginnings such as Halloween, All Saints and All Souls, the winter solstice, advent and Yuletide, or the feast of Saint Lucia kicking off the 12 Holy Nights.

Retreatants are expected to be autonomous, well-versed in self-care and able to tend to their needs. They have their own room, one of the two bigger rooms in the guesthouse, and organise their days around their practices of silence, stillness and solitude. Of course, socialising is not excluded as long as contemplative practices take precedence.

There are no teachings, no guided practices, nor philosophical debates, however tempting that might be, precisely because they are tempting. They would only hurl us back into our cataphatic practices parsing the ontological distinctions between object and subject, naming all the categories that keep us entangled in the web of self-reflective awareness, unable to get out of the labyrinth of the mind, pierce the veil and fall upwards into contemplative awareness and nondual perception.

In the same spirit, we pay attention to the unconscious biases that startlingly break into conversations when we enter the territories of feelings and unexamined desires. We quietly meditate on the distortions enabling the dynamics of domination and power-wielding to overcome mutuality and solidarity. Consequently, we practice conversations of little words seeking the one-liner or the koan that will disrupt our mind, open our heart and lead us into emptiness. For these reasons, we refrain from excessive sharing that would only jeopardise emotional sobriety and equanimity.

Although there are no specific activities associated with the retreat, retreatants are encouraged to participate in community life, practice an art form and enjoy the surrounding nature in ways that support their contemplative practices. Community life focuses on caring for the property with home care, garden work and preparing meals. We eat together at least twice a week and this can be done in silence if so wished. We can also decide on regular meeting times for sitting in the meditation circle, again with no obligation of sharing afterwards or committing to regular attendance.