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Tara Hills Summer Retreat

General information for members

About members retreats

Members’ retreats give you the time and opportunity to develop your own practice.

They give you the opportunity to develop and strengthen your inner experience, your confidence, and sustain your emotional balance.

You have the support of the Centre and of the community of practitioners to have your own space and the freedom to explore whatever arises for you within that space.

You are training yourself to be still and balanced in the face of the unconscious emotions which drive our lives in order to become free from their power. This requires being self-contained, still and as silent as possible.

What clothes to bring

Be prepared for a range of temperatures during this retreat.  It can be surprisingly cool, with mornings down to about 12◦C.  You may find that on some mornings you’ll need a fleecy topwhen you are outside walking.  Also, we recommend that you bring a raincoat – occasionally there can be heavy summer showers.

Obviously it gets very hot too – but it is usually a few degrees cooler than in the city.

You’ll need to bring a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses.

If you are staying in a Standard Room, then you will need to bring all of your bedding and a towel etc. If you are staying in an Ensuite Room, then these items will be provided.

Fans

We have small fans in each room, so you shouldn’t need to bring your own.  Even if the day has been hot, it does normally cool down quite well at night.

Food

Breakfast is self-serve – please bring along the things that you like.

All other meals are done on a share basis – normally two or three people work together to prepare lunch and dinner.  When you arrive we can find some spots on the roster for you.  You would normally expect to be sharing the cooking every 3rd meal or so.

Please aim to have at least one vegetarian option with each meal that you cook.

We have 3½ fridges available for storing food, with a medium amount of freezer space.

Normally there is plenty of food, so err on the side of bringing less rather than more.

Minimal talking

The retreat will be minimal talking. This is to ensure that everyone gets the most out of their time at Tara Hills.

As much as possible, please try to arrange your affairs so that you don’t have to ring anyone during the entire time of the retreat, or need others to ring you.  Of course, in an emergency, people can always ring the Tara Hills phone number (included in your confirmation email, or check with the teacher when you start the retreat) and a teacher can relay a message to you.

Smart phones

Please leave these off or put to airplane mode during the retreat.  Retreat revolves around being self-contained and opening to the senses.  Staying in the one place, and being open to the natural sounds is a very important part of the experience.

Fire risk precautions

This retreat is being conducted during the fire risk season in the Adelaide Hills.  It is important that you are aware of this and that your retreat may be interrupted if the fire danger is high. As such, we’ll be taking a number of precautions:

  • The retreat teacher will monitor local conditions and the CFS website for daily updates on fire risk
  • In the event that the CFS have issued a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating then:
    • Everyone will be notified the evening before so that you can decide whether to stay on the property or leave.
    • There will be no expectation to stay on the property. If you are at all unsure about staying on the property, then we advise that you choose to leave.
    • If you are planning to leave, you will need to do so by 7 am on the next morning. Please note that if you decide to leave the retreat at this time then we cannot offer a refund.
  • If you are planning on staying during Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating day, then we advise that you bring appropriate clothing with you. Clothing should be of natural fibres (cotton/wool) and needs to include:
    • One set of long pants and a shirt in a fire resistant material
    • Sturdy enclosed outside footwear
    • A cotton hat

Note that we do have four sets of overalls, hard hats, gloves and goggles for anyone staying on the property.

  • If you do plan to stay on the property during a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating day, then:
    • We’ll instruct you in the use of the fire pumps
    • We will we ask you to help with any preparation required beforehand and if required after a fire has passed. Eighty five percent of houses burn after the fire front has passed due to an ember attack. This is where help is crucial.
  • Please refer to the CFS website page ‘More about Fire Danger Rating’ for a chart on what the fire risk warnings mean and what to do:
    https://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/bans_and_ratings.jsp

Prerequisites apply to all Members Retreats

Prerequisites for members retreats

Further Questions

Please contact us on 8379 9001 or email info@lifeflow.com.au.