Retreat Information

Location

Buckland Hall, Bwlch, Brecon Beacons, Powys, LD3 7JJ, Wales.

Arrival and Departure

Arrival: Sunday 29^th June, 2008. Departure: Friday 4^th July, 2008.

Cost

The retreat costs £300. This includes transport to and from London to the retreat location, five nights accommodation and all meals and refreshments. For more information on payment, please go to the bookings page.

If you are in, or have completed the Teachers course, and you would have difficulty meeting the cost of the retreat, you may be eligible for a discounted rate. Please enquire about our financial assistance at Europeretreat@gnosticweb.com.

Activities

We will be offering a range of spiritual practices and activities including: meditation, mantras, astral projection exercises, fire-side discussions, yoga, and awareness walks through the beautiful countryside and surrounding woodlands.

During the day, you’ll explore the large estate or go for trips to experience the sights and adventure of the Brecon Beacons national park.

The retreat will include a visit to Stonehenge – an ancient site in Southern England, said to be linked to the druids – which is thousands of years old and immersed in mystery. Expect wonderful walks and stunning scenery, stopping along the way to ponder, reflect and take in the inspirational scenery.

Listening to stories, singing to a guitar, or sharing quietude will ready you for evening retirement. The peace of ‘inner silence’ will lull you towards a restful and rejuvenating sleep – or a night spent investigating the wonders of other dimensions.

There will also be plenty of time to re-connect and chat with others, or to spend a quiet moment reflecting on your own. No practice is compulsory, so you can join in as little or as much as you like.

Travel

A coach will take people from a meeting point in London to Stonehenge where we will spend a couple of hours, before continuing on to the retreat location. This is included in the cost of the retreat; however this does not include airfares or other travel costs to get to London.

The meeting time in London will be 10.00am on Sunday 29^th June (meeting point to be confirmed).

The coach will depart from the retreat location to London at approximately 2.00pm on Friday 4^th July and will arrive in London at approximately 6.00pm on 4^th July.

Please take into consideration these times when you book your flights. If you are coming from overseas we recommend you arrive in London at least the day before the retreat and leave the following day.

There are four main airports in London – Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. We would recommend Heathrow and Gatwick as the most convenient taking into consideration the meeting point and locations of the recommended accommodation. However, it should not be a major problem to arrive and/or depart from any of these airports providing you plan your transport well to and from the airport.

There are a range of travel options to and from these airports, which are provided on their websites:

Food

Incredible cuisine - served in style. All meals are fully vegetarian and included in the retreat cost. Buckland Hall has a vegetarian policy and has asked that we respect their wishes to not bring products containing meat to the venue. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served in the elegant wood-paneled dining-hall. If you ever need a snack, there is also a permanent tea station offering teas, coffees, and delicious cookies. Please inform us if you have any special dietary requirements when you book.

Retreat Accommodation

Sleeping arrangements will be in comfortable twin or triple rooms with ensuite bathrooms. Male and females will be in separate rooms.

London Accommodation

If you are arriving in London prior to the retreat or staying on after the retreat and need accommodation options in London, we can recommend two based on easy accessibility to transport, a wide range of room options and good value for money. They have both been awarded 3 stars by the English Tourism Council.

If you wish to stay in alternative accommodation we can recommend the following search sites:

Please Note: We do not make hotel bookings for your stay in London or take responsibility for your hotel experience. We only provide recommendations to the best of our knowledge.

If you would like to share a room in a hotel with another retreat participant and would like to be put in contact with another retreat participant to share with, please email Europeretreat@gnosticweb.com. and indicate to us that you would like us to pass on your contact details to another person looking to share and we will do so.

Visas

It is your responsibility to ensure you have all the necessary documentation or visas for entering the UK. We do not organize documentation for you.

Eligibility

This retreat offers the chance for people to come together to practice, learn, and catch up with others, and go further into some of the topics and practices covered in our courses. To be eligible you must:

• Be 18 years or older
• Have completed the 'Dreams and Out-of-Body Experiences' course before the retreat commences
• Be enrolled or active in a Gnosticweb course

Retreat rules

We do not permit smoking, alcohol or drugs (unless medical) on our retreats. We appreciate your cooperation in following these rules.

What to bring

For maximum comfort and enjoyment of your retreat experience, we offer the following practical considerations: the weather can vary, so you will need to bring clothing to accommodate for the cold weather at night, the sometimes warm weather during the day, as well as the chance of some rain. Here are some things we suggest to pack:

• Warm full length clothing (the nights can be cool)
• Light long sleeved clothing (for walking through the forest)
• T shirts and shorts, for warmer days
• Comfortable, well broken-in, sturdy walking shoes
• Loose fitting clothing for yoga practices, practice mat (optional)
• Jacket or fleece for wind and/or warmth
• Hat for sun and/or rain, sunscreen, sunglasses, umbrella
• Bedding sheets and pillow slip (and an extra blanket for those who feel the cold)
• Flashlight, insect repellant, water bottle
• Toiletries, lots of socks, any first aid/medications that you need

Linen, bath and hand towels are provided, however you are welcome to bring your own if you wish.