Events

Spiritual Dancing, a form of embodied spirituality and somatic awareness, is one such way. Through dancing and singing we learn how to inhabit our bodies more fully and with a greater sense of awareness and presence. It’s clear for me that realm of direct experience is located firmly in the body, from the physical body to all of the more subtle and interpenetrating layers of our being. When we dance there is always a sense of something larger, an expanded sense of oneness that touches us in the sacred space we create together. Our healthy sense of self is also enhanced by such nourishing contacts with others of like heart and mind.

Mantras from various traditions are the essential component of this form of spiritual practice. Through the repetition of the mantra along with the devotional quality of the movements, the inner atmosphere is transformed which leads to many beneficial changes in the vibrational field of the dancers. The parasympathetic nervous system is activated allowing us to feel safe and creative in each other’s presence; muscles begin to relax and soften; our voices become more resonant and mellifluous; our hearts open spiritually; our minds begin to quieten; our breath becomes easier and more enlivening; we become more aware of the energy of life within us and around us. Yet surprisingly all this happens through simple, natural rhythms of heart, voice, body and breath as we move together in a circle.

One of my favourite quotes of Jesus is:

From the mystical perspective, our body and the body of the universe are inseparable dimensions of one and the same reality. Through Spiritual Dancing we can learn to experience for ourselves such great mysteries of life.Spiritual Dancing will be the main focus of our weekends together. Interspersed between the dances we will draw upon on complementary practices from Yogic, Tantric, Buddhist, Aramaic Christian, Sufi and western systems. We will also incorporate some of the recent developments in neuroscience which among other things are transforming how we are able to understand and appreciate the many benefits of spiritual practices.

This whole experience is being offered over the course of two weekends. While naturally many more benefits will be gained from attending both weekends it can be possible to attend either weekend separately if you are unable to make both.

While these sessions will appeal mostly to experienced dancers and dance leaders, those who may have not danced before are really welcome to join the circle. With a sense of adventure and a willingness to explore the inner aspects of being one can settle into the whole experience with ease.

Do get in touch if there is anything I can add to help you decide if these weekends are for you.

Philip is a master of Spiritual Dance. He has been immersed in the spiritual path for many years and is a senior teacher (Murshid) of the Sufi Ruhaniat International. He has studied and practised within a number of spiritual lineages including yoga, Tantra, Buddhism, Christian mysticism and Sufism. Essentially he is as a modern-day mystic who is also simply an ordinary human being.  His way of sharing practices is easy and apparently effortless yet offers depth and insight for participants.

The Venue: The Marist Retreat Centre is tucked away in the Cotswolds in the quiet little village of  Nympsfield set in an area of outstanding natural beauty. It is six miles from Stroud accessible by rail from London, Bath, Bristol and the Midlands into either Stroud or Cam and Dursley.

Accommodation will be in single, double or twin rooms. Standard diet is omnivorous. Vegetarian food option is available. Some other medical diets can be catered for. Please indicate dietary and room preferences when booking.

Address of centre: Marist Retreat Centre, Front St, Nympsfield. Stonehouse, Glos, GL10 3TZ.
Tel 01453 861511. Website: www.maristretreatcentre.co.uk

The weekend will begin with supper at 6.30pm on Friday and end after lunch on Sunday.

July 2019

14th-17th Dorset. Dancing Dorset Sacred Sites: Energy Healing. Non-residential pilgrimage.

Over the past few years, an important concentration for me has been taking dancing pilgrims to various sacred sites of Dorset and I consider this one of the most important aspects of my work.

Known and cultivated by our ancestors, these ancient sites are energy portals, that link together to form a worldwide web of energetic connection. What happens in one area, positive or negative, has its effects in other areas just like in the human body. The assignment I have seem to have been given relates to sites in Dorset but the effects of the practices we engage in are not limited to Dorset or even this country. The energy pathways connect the whole being of the Earth and as we activate them we can help restore and maintain the health and harmony of the earth.

It is highly likely that the ancients danced and sang together in their ceremonial practices, as we do, and we are in a real sense dancing in the footsteps of our ancestors – though who knows what if any sacred phrases they may have used. My feeling has always been that we can only offer our own heartfelt dancing and singing using the sacred phrases we have attuned to over the years.

Many of these ancient sites have been severely mistreated over the years and others have become dormant but they do seem to respond well to our presence and our practices.

This year I am offering another non-residential pilgrimage. We will be visiting sites primarily in central and western parts of Dorset with possible excursions to North and East Dorset.

To reach all the sites involves at least some walking – sometimes up hills. I have yet to revisit several sites to see if they are appropriate to visit again this year and I will be looking at new sites also. We will be going back to St Catherine’s Chapel in Abbotsbury this year and the nearby Chapel in the Woods. As well as Portland, sites near Dorchester and perhaps Cerne Abbas.

We will be a relatively small group of experienced dancers and places are limited. In this way, our dances and meditations can be more focussed and deeper.

Further details. Contact: Philip

In the state of wholeness we are fully aligned with our essential nature, with who we really are at the deepest level of being. Wholeness is oneness. There is a sense of completeness, of coherence, of being fully at ease in body, heart and mind. The Anglo-Saxon word haelen means to make whole and it is from this that our word healing originates. We can look at wholeness as the complete restoration of ease in body, mind and heart. We are already naturally whole and complete even though we may not be aware of this. Until of course we find ways to successfully remove the barriers to our awareness of inner wholeness.

Spiritual Dancing, a form of embodied spirituality and somatic awareness, is one such way. Through dancing and singing we learn how to inhabit our bodies more fully and with a greater sense of awareness and presence. It’s clear for me that realm of direct experience is located firmly in the body, from the physical body to all of the more subtle and interpenetrating layers of our being. When we dance there is always a sense of something larger, an expanded sense of oneness that touches us in the sacred space we create together. Our healthy sense of self is also enhanced by such nourishing contacts with others of like heart and mind.

Mantras from various traditions are the essential component of this form of spiritual practice. Through the repetition of the mantra along with the devotional quality of the movements, the inner atmosphere is transformed which leads to many beneficial changes in the vibrational field of the dancers. The parasympathetic nervous system is activated allowing us to feel safe and creative in each other’s presence; muscles begin to relax and soften; our voices become more resonant and mellifluous; our hearts open spiritually; our minds begin to quieten; our breath becomes easier and more enlivening; we become more aware of the energy of life within us and around us. Yet surprisingly all this happens through simple, natural rhythms of heart, voice, body and breath as we move together in a circle.

One of my favourite quotes of Jesus is:

From the mystical perspective, our body and the body of the universe are inseparable dimensions of one and the same reality. Through Spiritual Dancing we can learn to experience for ourselves such great mysteries of life.Spiritual Dancing will be the main focus of our weekends together. Interspersed between the dances we will draw upon on complementary practices from Yogic, Tantric, Buddhist, Aramaic Christian, Sufi and western systems. We will also incorporate some of the recent developments in neuroscience which among other things are transforming how we are able to understand and appreciate the many benefits of spiritual practices.

This whole experience is being offered over the course of two weekends. While naturally many more benefits will be gained from attending both weekends it can be possible to attend either weekend separately if you are unable to make both.

While these sessions will appeal mostly to experienced dancers and dance leaders, those who may have not danced before are really welcome to join the circle. With a sense of adventure and a willingness to explore the inner aspects of being one can settle into the whole experience with ease.

Do get in touch if there is anything I can add to help you decide if these weekends are for you.

Philip is a master of Spiritual Dance. He has been immersed in the spiritual path for many years and is a senior teacher (Murshid) of the Sufi Ruhaniat International. He has studied and practised within a number of spiritual lineages including yoga, Tantra, Buddhism, Christian mysticism and Sufism. Essentially he is as a modern-day mystic who is also simply an ordinary human being.  His way of sharing practices is easy and apparently effortless yet offers depth and insight for participants.

The Venue: The Marist Retreat Centre is tucked away in the Cotswolds in the quiet little village of  Nympsfield set in an area of outstanding natural beauty. It is six miles from Stroud accessible by rail from London, Bath, Bristol and the Midlands into either Stroud or Cam and Dursley.

Accommodation will be in single, double or twin rooms. Standard diet is omnivorous. Vegetarian food option is available. Some other medical diets can be catered for. Please indicate dietary and room preferences when booking.

Address of centre: Marist Retreat Centre, Front St, Nympsfield. Stonehouse, Glos, GL10 3TZ.
Tel 01453 861511. Website: www.maristretreatcentre.co.uk

The weekend will begin with supper at 6.30pm on Friday and end after lunch on Sunday.