| THE
SUN CENTRE
FRANCE 2004
NEWS
BULLETIN
Dear friend,
(skip
to the events listing)
Following
the success of our first yoga & walking retreat, and Alex's first
Ayurveda weekend event, we have added a few more dates to our calendar
for 2004. We hope you will find something among them to take your fancy,
or indeed any of our other retreats this year, which we have also listed
on the basis you can't get too much of a good thing.... If you are not
able to join us during the warm weather of the summer and autumn, perhaps
you might be interested in our first ever mid-winter retreat as an alternative
to Christmas. Lots of good food, chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
a cosy heated yurt to relax in, music, contemplation, stillness, fun
- and best of all, no bath salts or multi socks packs from Aunty Em!
If you know anyone else who might be interested in The Sun Centre's
activities, please let them know about us. We also have printed brochures
for those wishing something for their pinboard.
New
this year, we have converted our meditation room to a beautiful
glass-fronted cabin for double-room accommodation with spectacular panoramic
views across the valley. We have also completed our woodland cabin -
now known as the Serenity Hut thanks to Brigitte Naroskyin - for a cosy
twin-room experience in the heart of our beautiful chestnut forest.
Our Mongolian-inspired yurt has been a resounding success as a communal
living room and this winter we will be fitting it with a wood-burning
stove for winter warmth. Our first organic veggie and herb garden, next
to the splash pool, is coming up spectacularly, thanks to Frances' loving
green fingers and wily, uncanny ways with scrub and soil.
Much to
our surprise and delight, we now appear in the new 5th edition of The
Good Retreat Guide by Stafford Whiteaker, who gives us a Highly
Recommended commendation. We also found ourselves featured recently
in an article in Harpers & Queen by Janet Street-Porter.
How we got there is a bit of a mystery but we were very happy to be
in such good company.
As I write,
we are mid-season and the warming rays of the sun are a welcome daily
companion. Thankfully the excessive temperatures of last
year are now a faint memory and we are enjoying balmy
warm weather as we enter July. The cherries are just ripe for picking
and the figs are turning deep violet, almost ready for making into jam.
The school holidays have just begun and we have once again the laughter
of our own children and those of our neighbours punctuating the soft
sounds of the valley: goat bells, woodpeckers, crickets and cicadas.
With these thoughts in mind, and with my hope and blessings for tranquillity
in whichever ways you wish to find it, I wish you all a wonderful summer.
Here is
the new program for this year. Hope to see you soon!
- Sharon
THE
SUN CENTRE – FRANCE - CALENDAR 2004
Yoga
Retreat - with Frances Yates
17 - 24 July 2004
€500 (about £350)
*NEW* 25% discount on this event
= €375 total
Join Frances for a relaxing week of yoga and body awareness in inspiring
surroundings. Each day will start with an outdoor yoga session on a
beautiful woodland deck accompanied by the whispering of leaves and
symphony of bird song. Afternoons will provide an opportunity to relax
in a hammock under the shade of the sweet chestnut trees, visit one
of the nearby river spots for a swim, do a bit of local exploring on
foot, mountain bike or horseback, or to let go completely with a massage.
Before supper the group will come together to practise mantra or meditation,
share some hands-on massage or create personal mandalas.
Yoga
Retreat - Mary Mardhevi
7 - 14 August
€650 (£465)
Internationally-renowned yoga teacher Mary Mardhevi promises to put
you through your paces and enrichen your experience of yoga practice
with this varied week. Each day will start with an early morning wake-up
Asana yoga class followed by a pre-lunch practice. Participants will
also explore Pranayama (breathing practices), Kriyas (cleansing), Chakras,
meditation, chanting, personal soul work, relaxation and karma yoga.
All posture work is as dynamic as possible with a light hearted, accepting
atmosphere and attitude, and anyone can take part. Mary has studied
with Philip Jones, Alan Babbington, Swami Indrananda Ji, British Wheel,
Bihar and Sivananda Schools and the work of Swami Gitananda. She is
a Sivananda ATTC Albion Yoga Teacher and Craniosacral Therapist.
Yoga
Retreat - Bronwen Coghill
14 - 21 August
€500 (about £350)
Deepen your practice, understanding and living of yoga with a week’s
retreat in the beautiful surroundings of the Sun Centre with yoga teacher
Bronwen Coghill. Each day will start with a morning session including
banda practice, a flow-based asana practice (sometimes to music) designed
to lead into more challenging asanas towards the week’s end, pranayama
and meditation. The middle of the day will be free to explore what the
surrounding area has to offer - walking, horse-riding, mountain biking,
swimming in the river, massage / kinesiology / one of the therapies
the Centre has to offer, or simply relaxing and absorbing the beauty
of nature. There will be an afternoon session of restorative practice
and Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation practice), exploring how Yoga Nidra
can be used for personal growth and healing on all levels. Evenings
will be ‘as the mood dictates’ – exploring the philosophical
side of yoga and how to integrate it into daily life, relaxing, massage
or other therapy, or meditation. The week is suitable for those who
have already had some introduction to and experience of yoga.
Mantra
Retreat - with Muz Murray (Ramana Baba)
11 - 18 Sept
€600 (approx £430)
Mystic master Muz Murray (Ramana Baba) invites you to join him for a
relaxing week of Mantra and Mysticism. Group chanting (mantra) sessions
will be complimented by activities such as consciousness expansion exercises,
yoga movements, guided visualisations and deep relaxation. There may
also be meditative partner massage with rhythmic breathing and a choreographed
form of 'laying on of hands.' Muz also offers his wide-ranging wisdom
and humour in evening Satsangs (Quest-sharing time) in which your long-standing
spiritual and yoga questions may finally be answered. Muz Murray is
the author of 'Seeking the Master: A Guide to the Ashrams of India'
and 'Sharing the Quest' – a powerful guide to spiritual life.
*NEW*
Autumn Equinox Yoga & Walking Retreat - with Alex & Sharon
18 – 25 Sept
€500 (about £350)
Alex and Sharon (your hosts at The Sun Centre) lead a week of inner
and outer discovery. Alex will help you find your feet with your yoga
practice through his daily yoga and Ayurveda classes, while Sharon will
guide you around the beautiful walking trails in the mountains around
the centre. Discover the natural beauty of this part of the Cevennes
from the GR routes (Grande Randonnee) as well as some of the smaller
trails, our own personal favourites. Walking times will vary from 2
hours to 5 hours a day, with picnics provided at one or two out-of-the-way
beauty spots on longer hikes. The emphasis of this week is fun, exploration,
discovery and relaxation - in the order of your choosing. With a special
evening gathering to celebrate the autumn equinox (21 September). There
will be lots of opportunity to talk with Alex and Sharon informally
about their own personal interests in yoga, Ayurveda and personal development.
*NEW*
Midwinter Retreat – with Alex and Sharon
22 – 29 Dec
€600 (about £365)
Join us for an alternative to the traditional Christmas festivities
– a week of sharing, laughter, discovery, outdoor activities,
and plenty of healthy vegetarian food! With an emphasis on nature and
the rythms of our own nature at this pivotal time of the year. The varied
schedule for this week will include invigorating walks in the mountains
around the centre, yoga, evening bonfires, kirtan (songs and chants
with guitar, drums etc), games, karma yoga (shared community chores,
including some winter gardening), present-making, and a special evening
celebration to mark Yule. Delicious vegetarian food, inspired by the
ancient life wisdom of Ayurveda, will be served – along with the
sweet chestnuts, for which the area is famous, roasted on an open fire.
Curl up in our cosy yurt – heated by a wood-burning stove –
and chill out with no pressure to do anything you don’t want to
do! All the usual extras – massage, reflexology, craniosacral
therapy, Ayurveda consultations etc – will be available.
Open
Retreats available throughout the year
€350 EUROS per week (about £225)
Price includes accommodation (twin or single room, depending on availability;
camping available for reduced rate) plus 3 meals per day (or picnic
lunch if requested). A variety of additional activities (yoga, Ayurveda,
massage, etc) are on offer and charged separately. During your stay,
you will be able to make use of our various workspaces and gardens &
grounds - ideal for reading, studying, yogam or meditation.
*NEW*
Talks, Walks & Meditations
A series of regular Sunday events from May through to November
€18 / day or €10 / half day. Full board overnight stay possible.
An opportunity to learn about ‘the science of life’ according
to India’s ancient philosophy of Ayurveda, and explore the scenic
beauty of the Cévennes. In the morning (10.30am to 1pm) Alex
will give an informal talk on an aspect of Ayurveda, with a snack interval,
followed by a short guided meditation. Bring a picnic lunch to share
in our beautiful grounds overlooking the valley. In the afternoon (2.30-5pm)
Alex or Sharon will accompany you on a mountain walk, through the pine
and chestnut forests to the mountain ridge or beyond, then back to the
centre in time for afternoon tea and a snack. For a full list of discussion
topics, visit our website www.thesuncentre.net or phone to request a
leaflet.
For all
events, please visit THE
SUN CENTRE
website for full details
Details
of our 2005 calendar will be available soon.
Sharon
& Alex
The Sun Centre
48160 St Martin de Boubaux, France
(tel) +33 (0) 4 66 60 16 78 (dial 00 33 4 66 45 59 93 from UK)
(email) retreat@thesuncentre.net
(web) www.thesuncentre.net
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