Updated BRC Newsflash - February 2022
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The Buddhist Retreat Centre |
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Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
For people of all religions |
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BRC Newsflash: February 2022 Dear Retreatants, |
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| Stupa at dawn | Image: Hugh Bland | |
Let’s Stop Taking Ourselves So SeriouslyWith the recent Omicron panic and mayhem in its wake, it is difficult not to take ourselves seriously. In fact, recently at the BRC a comment was made that we are taking ourselves too seriously with regards to our Covid safety protocols. We take this as a compliment……and have remained safe and open throughout December - thanks to our vigilance and your support. When it comes to our daily dharma practice, however, we really should not take ourselves too seriously. Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo encourages Western students of the dharma to relax and have more fun with their practice. In a delightful excerpt from “Lion’s Roar” she encourages fellow practitioners to lighten up and relax and enjoy the flowers on their path. It is worth reading the full article: https://www.lionsroar.com/lighten-up/. |
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| Reflections | Image: Chantelle Flores | |
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It is true that very often when people first come to the Buddhist practice - they tend to use it like a parachute to land safely when they feel buffeted by life. But by doing so, they have created yet another crutch to lean on - and they leave out a very important ingredient which is to embrace the journey - wherever it may take you. It may not always be what you wish or want, but part of our practice is to take the unpredictability and newness of life on the chin - in the way that we have all had to adjust to the twists and turns of events over the last two years - whether we like it or not. In my life, that has been the case almost from birth - an economic depression, a looming world war and a prevailing feeling of hopelessness. When one has been conditioned to existing under the severest conditions, one is well equipped to deal with difficulties. This is not a depressing thought, but rather a realistic one - and it is a healthier way of meeting up and dancing with changing circumstances and uncertainties. This has always been the undertone in my life and the way I have tuned into how things are - rather than how I would want them to be. I intend to keep treading lightly and joyfully into the new year. With affection, Louis |
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| Pace yourself | Image: Chantelle Flores | |
Now And Zen: Reboot, Recharge And RetreatThere is no better place than the BRC to rejuvenate the body and mind with nature, meditation and movement to guide you into presence and stillness. All health protocols and Covid-19 regulations are in place - with social distancing, sanitizing and masks - for your safety and well-being. |
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| A pop of colour |
Image: Angela Shaw | |
There are still a few spaces left on the following January retreats:The Way Of Ubuntu: Exploring Traditional South African HealingJohn Lockley and Nomusa Mthembu | 3 days | 21- 24 January 2022 Healing Qigong For Health And VitalityDr Hu Jin-Yun | Weekend | 28-30 January |
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| Sunshine salad | Image: Sean Laurenz | |
Conducted Retreats February 2022Rainbow Salads And Sunshine Bowls: Adopting A Wholesome Plant-Based LifestyleDebbie Rich, Sascha Türk, Nishalin Pillay and Vaneshran Arumugam | Weekend | 4-6 February We are all in need of paying close attention to our health, especially now. This retreat is ideal for those who want to make the change-over to a plant-based, wholesome and healthy lifestyle. Learn how to make nutritious superfood treats and vegan ice creams that are bursting with flavour and one hundred percent healthy, coconut condensed milk and a delicious chocolate cake. Debbie will demonstrate all the assorted vegan ‘milk’ options, ultimate dressing for any salads and a summer soup rich with flavour. Included will be sunrise yoga and meditation as well as pilates and a "sound bath" meditative experience using healing instruments such as gongs, singing bowls and percussion, chimes. Mist Rising, Rain Falling: QigongTeacher: Di Franklin | 3 days | 8-11 February This is a self retreat with a difference and a perfect opportunity to introduce qigong into your daily routine. Di will be offering two sessions of qigong daily. Qigong can be loosely translated as the movement of energy. Qi is the energy derived from nature that is always around us. Qigong exercises are slower than aerobics, but faster than tai chi. There will be lots of free time to relax and rest, and to take in the beauty of the BRC. Getting To Know The Birds At The BRC: 160 Birds of a featherSteve Davis | Weekend | 11-13 February Join Steve for an enjoyable weekend of identifying some of the BRC’s 160 species of birds - including the summer residents, the rare Blue Swallow, Knysna Turaco and Emerald Cuckoo. Wake up to birdsong and walk the verdant hills and meadows close to where the Blue Swallows nest. The BRC has been awarded “Private Nature Reserve” status by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife for its conservation of the Blue Swallow and the pristine mistbelt grasslands. Included will be talks, slide shows, qigong, meditation and some quiet time communing with nature. Bring your binoculars and a sunhat. Happy Healthy Yoga For Health And HarmonyMargot McMaster | Weekend | 18-20 February This retreat we will explore our innate strength and vitality in order to deepen and develop serenity in our minds. We will connect them with the flow of breath and mindful awareness. Enjoy a progressive sequence of extended yoga classes, comprising dynamic vinyāsa, yin yoga, yoga nidra, mantra and more. Working in sequence to unlock and expand, we will explore arm balances, hip openers, backbends and twists to challenge your body to release, and then restore vitality, riding the wave of your breath as a way to surrender into postures and cultivating calmness of mind. The retreat is suitable for all levels of fitness. Please bring a mat, water bottle, blanket and a strap. Mist Rising, Rain Falling: QigongDi Franklin | 4 days | 14-18 February This is a self retreat with a difference and a perfect opportunity to introduce qigong into your daily routine. Di will be offering two sessions of qigong daily. Qigong can be loosely translated as the movement of energy. Qi is the energy derived from nature that is always around us. Qigong exercises are slower than aerobics, but faster than tai chi. There will be lots of free time to relax and rest, and to take in the beauty of the BRC. Easter Baking And Mindful Food AppreciationCheryl Amy Jones and Nicky Read | 3 days | 20-23 February Easter Baking comes to Ixopo. Cheryl will be teaching you how to make ciabatta bread, artisan salted caramel, Greek Easter shortbread and hot cross buns - to help rope your family into the shared kitchen space for the upcoming Easter. Nicky will be offering sunrise morning stretches and gentle Pilates, with evocative visualisation sessions and mindfulness practices between baking classes. Come and enjoy yourselves! Speak Your Truth, Listen DeeplyLucy Draper-Clarke and Felicity Hart | Weekend | 25-27 February When interacting with others, we often find ourselves triggered and then communicate in ways that hurt or harm - ourselves, the other, or the relationship between us. Our conditioned ideas of what it means to communicate, especially during times of conflict, frequently results in a loss of connection. Judgement and defence, as well as the strategies of criticism, insults, blame or put-downs are commonly used in our attempt to be heard or to meet our need to be “right”, “good” or “winning”. Despite our best efforts and intentions, we habitually become “violent” with our words and then feel the pain of disconnection. This retreat explores the principles and practices of mindfulness and nonviolent communication (NVC), to foster connection and minimize the suffering of outmoded ways of engaging. Mindful meditation practice will be offered to support the empowering teachings of NVC. A Personal Self RetreatPeople often yearn for an opportunity to recalibrate their lives and to spend some time in quiet reflection among like-minded people. The BRC provides such a refuge - where silence is a precious commodity. Treat yourself to a personal retreat where you can wake up to bird song, walk in the morning mist, rake the sand garden and enjoy the Sound Circle in the bamboo grove. |
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| Rainbow over the BRC |
Image: Andrew Brown | |
About the BRCPerched on a ridge at the head of a valley in the Umkomaas river system in KwaZulu-Natal, the Buddhist Retreat Centre looks out on a vista of indigenous valleys, forests and rolling hills receding like waves in the blue distance. Here, for thirty-nine years, people of all religions and none have come to experience peace and tranquillity. It is a gentle, sympathetic space where one can be still and get in touch with oneself and reflect on the things that crowd one's life. The BRC was voted by CNN as one of the ten best meditation centres in the world. CNN Travel awarded another feather in the BRC’s cap by voting it as one of the ten best spiritual centres in South Africa, recently. The BRC was awarded Natural Heritage status in 1995 under the auspices of the Department of Environmental Affairs and received a certificate to that effect signed by President Nelson Mandela for turning an eroded farm into the natural paradise it has become - thousands of indigenous trees were planted by retreatants under the supervision of Mervyn Croft - with 160 species of birds, including the Blue Swallow, otter, deer, antbear and indigenous forests. The Centre was also given the special status of “Custodian of the Blue Swallow” for its work in preserving the breeding areas of this endangered bird. Recently, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife granted the BRC “Private Nature Reserve” for the conservation of the rare Blue Swallow and Mistbelt Grassland. The BRC facilitated the founding of Woza Moya, the community-based NGO, located in Ufafa Valley, twenty-one years ago, on the estate. Their vision is for all people in the community to be healthy and .productive, to live in a safe and clean environment, with good access to services and social justice. The Centre continues to support the organisation by showcasing their crafts in the shop and sponsoring their trainers and consultants. The Woza Moya Crafters are local women who receive ongoing training and support to enable them to create these unique and charming best sellers. Please continue to support the BRC by becoming a friend of the Buddhist Retreat Centre (a registered non-profit organisation) and find out more about the BRC's Paid-Up-Yogi and Sangha Friends’ projects. We have been very touched by your generous gifts, appreciative letters, emails, support and friendship towards the BRC - your spiritual home from home. Chrisi Visit our website for further information, directions, image gallery etc. |
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