One of the intentions of The Flame Centre is to help people connect inwardly and come home to themselves to access source energy, or some might call it the divine, creative spark within. This is our true nature, our authentic self, simple, natural and spontaneous. Flame mindfulness retreats, spiritual development courses and theme centred weekends offer ways for helping people to begin to access and awaken into this higher consciousness.
The Flame Centre retreats are open to those who have not practiced meditation before.
We offer a series of retreats every few months in rural north Norfolk.
“Meditation is not a difficult task, nor something foreign, it is a part of our nature.” Tarthang Tulku
Meditation and Mindfulness
We cannot control what happens to us in life – things are changing all the time. Good circumstances don’t last forever and difficult situations arise out of the blue, no matter what we do. The pressure of dealing with changes can be quite stressful, but there is one choice that circumstances cannot take away from us; we always have the power to choose how we react. The key to our reactions is to be mindful and aware so that even the most difficult circumstances can lose their power to overwhelm us.
Mindfulness is an undistracted mind, and awareness is the ability to see the whole situation as it is. Mindfulness brings us peace and awareness brings insight. It is easy to become distracted and get sucked into difficult circumstances when we get caught up in the speed and aggression of life. If, through the practice of meditation, we pause and relax, we will uncover a naturally open heart and open mind, and discover that we are able to deal more skilfully with whatever comes.
The meditation practice of Mindfulness and Awareness, originally taught over 2,500 years by Buddha, continues to this day. However, anyone from any background can apply the principles of mindfulness and awareness – you don’t have to be a Buddhist. Meditation is simply getting to know your own mind and heart, and realising the potential you already have within.
“Sit as if drinking water when you are thirsty.” Shunryu Suzuki
Meditation itself is a completely natural way of being and helps us access stillness – ‘peacefully remaining.’ There are daily, new scientific and medical discoveries about the considerable benefits of meditation practice. However, Buddha invited meditators to test things out and discover the truth of this for themselves, rather than taking someone else’s word for it – so it is in this spirit that you are invited to experiment with meditation.
We practice meditation and mindfulness on all our retreats. Please feel free to join us.
DETAILS ABOUT THE RETREATS
The retreats we offer help people connect with deeper aspects of human experience, the universal wisdom at the heart of all spiritual traditions. We welcome people from all faiths, those with no formal belief, as well as those who have not practiced meditation or mindfulness before. This is a space for like-minded souls to connect in a friendly intimate group setting.
You are warmly invited to attend any of our retreats, each have their particular theme. If you would like to discuss any aspects of these events, do feel free to get in touch. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
VENUE
Retreats take place in Sculthorpe, a village outside Fakenham.
The venue is Rose Cottage, a small cottage with gardens and an Octagon purpose-built for meditation.
Octagon: The shape of the octagon carries sacred meaning throughout human history where the number eight represents cosmic balance, infinity and eternal life. The octagon is a symbol for renewal, rebirth, regeneration, and transition. In China, the meaning includes providing protection from negative energy as well as being a vehicle for the advent of good health, prosperity and good fortune. Amongst its qualities, the Octagon is said to represent: the ultimate balance between material and invisible (spiritual) forces, a balance between male and female, and total balance between heart and mind.
RETREAT FRAMEWORK
Meditations: depending on the particular retreat there will be a mix of simple mindfulness meditation, some guided practice, walking meditation, and use of visualization and mantra, and space for both individual and group meditation practice.
Space for silence: there will be periods of meditation quiet and stillness, when the retreat will be silent, (unless we need to speak to clarify details about the programme). However these are not ‘silent retreats’ – rather, we aim to have as much peaceful reflective space as possible.
Energy work: there will be space for physical movement to enhance the body’s energy system using yoga, Qigong and breathing exercises. We will also use self-help techniques for clearing blocked energy.
Walks: Rose Cottage is located a short drive away from some of the country’s most spectacular beaches. There is also a beautiful nature reserve 5 minutes’ walk away.
Meals: We have a cook who prepares the main meals with options to suit individual needs. Everyone is asked to help in the kitchen and share in simple daily tasks.
Connecting up: There will be time to speak with one another at mealtimes, during afternoon walks and in sharing and discussion times. Sometimes there will be opportunities to listen to and discuss relevant materials (mp3s, videos, articles etc).
RETREAT ETHOS
Energy follows intention – so what we focus on is what we create. Since a group amplifies the energy, and light brings up our densities for clearing, it is a normal part of a retreat that each of us will be dealing with our own issues. We ask people to be aware of this so in all the retreats our group intention is to:
- honour each and every one of us and allow different voices to be heard
- respect people’s life experiences and pathways
- enable a peaceful space where people feel safe
- create a place of light, love and openness where we speak to one another in a supportive way valuing people’s diverse feelings and experiences.
MAILING LIST
If you are interested in attending a Flame retreat and would like to be on our mailing list to receive information about the latest retreats, please follow the link here!
TESTIMONIALS FROM RETREAT ATTENDEES
“I found my experience at the retreat to be a deeply profound one. The care put into the weekend – giving ample time between meditation; group work; alone time; physical activity – really shone through”
“The beautiful surroundings and delicious food added to the nature of the retreat. It created a safe and relaxed atmosphere to really connect with others and myself.”
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to meet new like-minded people, all of whom had different experiences and histories with meditation and exploration of some of the ideas. This created a really supportive group where we learned from, and with, one another. We also had a lot of fun and made some new friends.”