The Sun Centre - Events 2004

Summer Solstice Yoga & Walking Retreat - with Alex & Sharon
19 - 26 June
500 EUROS (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 some 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 summer solstice (20 June). There will be lots of opportunity to talk with Alex and Sharon informally about their own personal interests in yoga, Ayurveda and personal development.

Breema: the Art of Being Present - with Jonathon Staggers
26 June - 3 July
550 EUROS (about £390)

The purpose of Breema is to bring us to the state of being present and to create harmony between mind, feelings and body. Breema bodywork is comfortable, enjoyable, relaxing and revitalising. It is based on the nine principles of harmony, and is received fully clothed on the floor. The exercises are a harmonious system of movements, gentle stretches, gradual leaning, rhythmic brushing and nurturing tapping. Jonathon Staggers was a professional American football player before training at the American Conservatory Theatre in movement, dance and acting. He has worked in corporate fitness programs and taught meditation and began his Breema training in 1998.

Ayurvedic Living Retreat - with Alex Duncan
Sorry - this event has been cancelled. Please note Alex's website: www.ayurvedaworkshops.com for future events.

A ‘Hands On’ Introduction to Practical Ayurveda. In this practical week-long workshop you will learn how to live in harmony with yourself and your environment according to the ancient teachings of Ayurveda—‘The Science of Life’. Designed for the newcomer to Ayurveda, this highly individualised introductory program includes cookery classes, demonstrations and talks, personalised nutritional, lifestyle and yoga instruction, as well as therapeutic evening activities like mantra-chanting, kirtan (mantra with music) and walks in nature.

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. Start time: 4 pm, Saturday 7th.
650 EUROS (£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. There will also be space for laughter, relaxation and trips to special sights as well and the opportunity for evening Satsangs, story-telling and dancing. 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. Start time: 4 pm, Saturday 14th.
500 EUROS (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. After Muz's long summer tour of the UK, this week will not be as intense as his usual workshops. In between sessions, there will be plenty of time to relax and explore the local area. 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.

Working Retreats
No more working retreats are planned at this time. Join the newsletter to be kept up-to-date.

Experience the pleasure of working at The Sun Centre with like-minded people. Assistance to keep the centre running is always welcome as there are 1.5 acres of land to manage. The woodlands, grassy terraces and gardens all need constant care and attention. There are jobs to suit all abilities from delicate weeding and pruning to building work, where you can achieve the satisfaction of creating something of lasting value. It is important that you enjoy what you do, so care is taken to find the appropriate task. Expect to work for half a day (approx. 4 hours) every day, usually outdoors. The rest of the day is free. In exchange for your contribution, you can receive a daily class in yoga, mantra, Ayurveda etc—usually first thing in the morning.

The Sun Centre is a vision in progress that we have been nurturing since summer 1998, when we decided to follow our hearts and develop a retreat to offer people the chance to learn and practise holistic self-development surrounded by nature. Our interest and integration of various holistic traditions and methods into our family life, is the basis of the experience we share with our visitors.
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