Tara Hills Winter 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?
To get the most out of your time at Tara Hills during winter, please check through the following:
- Temperatures are generally 3-7 C cooler than in the city, so bring some extra warmth for when you are outside. Our buildings are well insulated and heated, so there should be no issues when inside.
- We recommend that you bring a set of clothes that you can use for walks even if the weather is inclement. If you are prepared for wet weather (and some wind) then walks can be hugely enjoyable and provide a great break from being inside. We recommend that you bring a pair of waterproof walking shoes (or even rubber boots), plus a good raincoat or an umbrella (or both) so that you can enjoy going for walks even if it is raining. Some people bring waterproof pants as well. A pair of gloves and beanie can be a good addition as well.
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.
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. A roster is set up at the start of the retreat for each shared meal (dinner and lunch). When you arrive a teacher will direct you to this and you will need to add your name to the days/meals that you will be involved in preparing. Normally you should expect to be sharing the cooking every 3rd meal or so, however this will depend on the number of members attending.
Please aim to have at least one vegetarian option with each meal that you cook.
We have 2½ 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.
An important part of members’ retreats is the communal cooking and sharing of two meals a day (lunch and dinner) with your fellow retreatants. Whilst we appreciate that members may have diverse dietary needs we have found that the type of food contributed is inclusive for everyone to enjoy. You may wish to bring supplementary foods if at all concerned. However, it is a pre-requisite of undertaking a members’ retreat that you agree to the above arrangements.
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.