The Presence - Diving Deeply


The next 5 day ( 4 nights) retreat will be held from

26-30 November
at the Karuna Retreat Centre 
Explorer’s Road, Katoomba

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The Karuna Retreat Centre is situated high in the Blue Mountains amid three hundred and seventy five acres of undulating bush land.  Shady woodland trails wind through the surrounding forest and you can stroll along these to cliff tops with dramatic views of the Megalong Valley escarpments.  You can discover hidden valley pools and tinkling mountain streams.

The retreat brings focus to BEING PRESENT, IN THE NOW.



You will be engaging with silent and guided meditation – specifically applying the practice of The Presence, kundalini energy work, pranayama (breath consciousness and energy work), yoga, some toning and chanting, conscious dialogue with question and answer opportunity, and activities of sense awareness to integrate the experience of The Presence as a living continuum.

The dominant focus will be establishing oneself in the deep stillness and flow of The Presence meditation. The other activities are to support and assist the deepest alignment with The Presence.
 
Each day of the retreat there will be "private time" where you can commune within and with the beautiful natural environment.  It is a sacred, silent, still time for you to pause and be present to all that is...And even outside of this private time you will be asked to maintain silence, except in appropriate sessions, to facilitate your commitment to diving deeply into the Presence that you are.  You are this silence, this stillness, this liberation, this Presence...

More about The Presence programs

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Some feedback from previous attendees of The Presence - living meditation;

“It was a wonderful experience – one that I will treasure now and for all time.  Thankyou for reminding me how I get home, and that the whole time I was running I should simply have stopped. Bless you Isira...”

“I feel deeply touched by the beauty, simplicity and penetrating direction of your teachings and practices.”

“Isira’s certainty and experience of realms of freedom, and her certainty that they are within our grasp too, is utterly compelling, daring and exhilarating.”

“Absolutely speechless….I’m leaving this place with my heart full of love, and this is the greatest gift.”

“It’s simple, it’s profound and it works.”

 DETAILS

Registration: 26 Nov from 2.00pm. Retreat starts 5.30pm
                   Retreat finishes after lunch at 2pm 30 Nov

$895 or Early bird $845 by 8th September.

Closing date and all bookings must be paid by 31st Oct. A non refundable fee of $350 applies.

To book
  Add to Basket Early bird before 8th September 2008
  Add to Basket 9th September - 31st October 2008

Information for those travelling by plane or train:

1. After collecting baggage at Sydney domestic airport proceed to the railway station at the airport terminal. it is fairly well signposted.
2. Purchase a ticket from the airport station to Katoomba ( $23.80). Trains are frequent between the domestic airport and central station and only take about 10 mintues.
3. At Central station hop out and proceed to the country platform for the Blue Mountains train. I just ask an employee for directions.
4. Trains depart approx hourly for the Blue mountains and the journey takes about 2 hrs.
5. After alighting at Katoomba station there is a taxi ramp outside the station. The taxi ride only takes about 10 mins and the fare is about $10.

Information for those travelling bycar:

From Sydney it takes about 2 hours.
1. Drive along Great Western Hwy to Katoomba.
2. Continue past Katoomba about 2 km until you get to the Explorers Tree.
3. Turn left into Pulpit Hill Road and go over a small rise and take right fork into Explorers Road.
4. Go to the top of the next small rise and turn left into a driveway marked Karuna, Saywell Rd.

FACILITIES
There is a variety of shared accommodation, with bunk beds and a few single beds. Some rooms are carpeted. There are shared bathrooms.


WHAT TO BRING
Bedding (sheets, pilllows, sleeping bag/blankets) and a towel.
A rug, cushion and yoga mat for sitting and floor work. The main meditation room is floorboard.
Indoor slippers/shoes or socks for the main meditation room which is a shoe-free area.
Loose comfortable clothing, notebook and torch if you wish.
The retreat centre is 1000 metres above sea level so that weather conditions can vary greatly. Please bring warm clothing as evenings can be very cool even in the summer months.
A puja item, if you desire, to place in a central area for blessing. This is not as a gift, it is something precious you place for the duration of the retreat and take away with you when you leave.


FOOD
The general menu is designed for thorough cleansing and detoxifying which is essential to the process of clarifying awareness. Food is vegetarian, simple, clear, whole and light. The aim is to clear the whole being. Therefore there will be no coffee, sugar, meat, dairy or refined foods.


SEVA
One of the great gifts of retreat is the opportunity to share the process with others and open our being in the field of service - to give and to receive. Seva allows the whole group to work as a team and contribute to the experience as a whole. It also takes away the thought that meditation is something separate to our everyday experience. There will be opportunities for seva in the clearing and cleaning after eating and maintaining the general cleanliness of our living spaces.


RETREAT ACTIVITIES
The retreat brings focus to BEING PRESENT, IN THE NOW.
You will be engaging with silent and guided meditation – specifically applying the practice of The Presence, kundalini energy work, pranayama (breath consciousness and energy work), yoga, some toning and chanting, conscious dialogue with question and answer opportunity, and activities of sense awareness to integrate the experience of The Presence as a living continuum.
The dominant focus will be establishing oneself in the deep stillness and flow of The Presence meditation. The other activities are to support and assist the deepest alignment with The Presence.
Each day of the retreat there will be "private time" where you can commune within and with the beautiful natural environment. It is a sacred, silent, still time for you to pause and be present to all that is...And even outside of this private time you will be asked to maintain silence, except in appropriate sessions, to facilitate your commitment to diving deeply into the Presence that you are. You are this silence, this stillness, this liberation, this Presence...


SCHEDULE GENERAL GUIDELINES
The schedule may vary according to the appropriateness of the group dynamics.
7am The Presence meditation, yoga and pranayama
8am Breakfast
10am The Presence with toning and body/mind dynamics, meditation
11am Self time, Seva (sharing service for meals and house duties)
12pm Lunch
1pm Self time, Seva.
2pm Creative activities and play
4pm The Presence
5pm Silence. Self time. Seva.
6pm Dinner
7.30pm Satsang and The Presence meditation, followed by music
9pm Rest and silence


‘Every degree of success is directly proportional to the degree of application. The beauty is, that simple clear and true methods lead to the fastest attainment. Just like the mind- the less cluttered it is the closer one is to the heart. This is where the richest fruits lie, waiting to be ripened.’



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