‘The Birth of Christ in the Heart: Advent and Spiritual Motherhood’ weekend retreat

Event description

Each moment, each breath, is an invitation to open ourselves to the birth of Christ within us, says the great medieval spiritual teacher Meister Eckhart. This birth is always happening within us. It is the gift of our life, the energy that sustains the whole of creation. But to know this in our own experience changes everything.

To awaken to the birth of Christ in our heart is to awaken to our life within the infinite love of God – and to become that love for each other. In the words of Julian of Norwich, ‘The love of God creates in us such a unity that when it is truly seen no person can separate themselves from another.’

How might we awaken to this birth?

‘There is no better way than by silence and by listening,’ says Eckhart’s great pupil, Johannes Tauler. ‘What is truly needed is the creation of inner stillness and peace.’ In this silence, ‘God’s Word is heard in truth…’. What does the Word say within us? ‘You are my beloved.’ What does the Word say through us to those around us and the whole of creation? ‘You are beloved.’

Cherish inner silence, says Tauler, ‘nourish it frequently, so that it may become a habit, and by becoming a habit, a mighty possession. May God help us to prepare a dwelling place for this noble birth, so that we may all attain to spiritual motherhood.’ This ‘spiritual motherhood’ is a calling for us all: to become a dwelling place for the birth of Christ and to bear divine love into the world.

Through a flow of talks, silent meditation practice and opportunities for conversation, this special Advent retreat will explore the wisdom of three great medieval contemplatives, focusing on:

• the ceaseless birth of the Word within us and all creation
• silent meditation and awakening to this birth
• spiritual motherhood and compassion

Everyone attending will receive a selection of key quotations from Meister Eckhart, Johannes Tauler, and Julian of Norwich a week before the retreat.

Who is this for?

This retreat is offered as a shared journey. It has been carefully crafted to be relevant and accessible to anyone searching for truth and peace, regardless of their faith or beliefs. We warmly welcome people who are completely new to meditation or have been practising for many years. Participants will arrive with different levels of experience and this is part of the richness of the retreat. The rhythm of teaching, silence, and shared reflection is designed to support this diversity, offering space to listen, to ask questions, learn from others and to be accompanied along the way.

What to expect

Being on retreat is a precious opportunity to be still and to be silent — to step back from conversation and distraction, and to practice living simply and peacefully. It allows us to cultivate the gift of peaceful awareness as we devote ourselves more fully to the depth-dimension of faith and life.

The core focus of the retreat is silent meditation practice.

• We will practice bringing peaceful awareness to all our daily activities – while sitting, while walking or eating, when we are simply enjoying a glass of water. We will practice living each moment deeply.
• The practice of silence will commence when the retreat begins at 4pm on the Friday and continue until lunch on the Sunday, with a few structured opportunities for conversation and shared reflection as described below.
• Although the practice of silence may be new to some, most people find this a powerful and wonderful experience. Maintaining a quiet and peaceful environment – walking, moving, and doing things quietly – is important for our practice and a gift we can offer to each other.

When are there opportunities for conversation for people who’d like them?

• Small discussion groups interspersed throughout the weekend, hosted by Chris, provide an opportunity for up to seven people to meet and explore together a question or two about their meditation practice, or how practice relates to what they have heard during a talk or to daily life. We can learn so much sharing with and listening to others.
• The last session of each day will be an opportunity for conversation together – to reflect on the content of the talks and what we have experienced through the day.
• There will be conversation during Sunday lunch. Also, you’re warmly invited to stay after the retreat for an hour to connect with fellow retreatants.

Practical information

A detailed timetable for the retreat will be sent to everyone attending a week before it begins (or is available on request sooner). The retreat starts on Friday at 4pm with an orientation talk, followed by a period of silent meditation before dinner. Talks across the weekend will be balanced with periods of sitting meditation, walking meditation, time for private practice, shared reflection and enjoyment of the beautiful surroundings. The retreat will finish at 2pm after lunch and a closing conversation on Sunday.

Saturday and Sunday begin at 6:30am with meditation practice. Early morning meditation is a wonderful way to greet the day together. Many people find this session especially meaningful, but if it is difficult for you for any reason, please don’t worry. It is always enough to do what we can — or what our life allows.

Venue, accommodation, meals and costs

Holland House is a beautiful retreat centre set in the Worcestershire countryside, surrounded by peaceful gardens and grounds. With its welcoming atmosphere, quiet spaces and historic chapel, it offers a deeply grounding environment for reflection, meditation and retreat.

The quiet beauty of the surroundings make it an ideal setting for contemplative practice and shared silence. Prices include all teaching, accommodation and meals and are between £350 – £370 depending on whether you secure an early bird ticket.

Event leader

Chris Whittington is the Founder of The School of Contemplative Life. He was introduced to contemplative practice during several years of formation when he lived at the Benedictine monastery of Prinknash Abbey in England. Chris’ monastic teachers taught meditation as a universal wisdom found within all the great spiritual traditions, a pathway to peace and solidarity with people of all faiths and none. Chris regularly delivers talks, workshops and retreats and has introduced the practice of meditation in the Christian tradition to thousands of people in the UK and abroad. Chris is the author of The Missing Peace – Meditation as a Spiritual Path to Peace, Community and Oneness published by Canterbury Press.

Testimonials

“From start to finish, the retreat was incredible. The schedule was ideal: a mix of talks, meditation, silent meals and private practice. This was my first experience of The School of Contemplative Life and I drove 9 hours on a gut instinct to attend. It was worth every minute. This is the kind of teaching I have been searching for! Thank you for making it possible. I feel relieved and excited to have landed on a path I can trust. I know I can learn, develop and grow under such guidance. Post-retreat, I feel a sense of inner peace and calm that is new.. .a wonderful beginning.”

“There is so much that I valued about this retreat and so many things I will be taking forward: being given the opportunity to practise meditation multiple times through the day, the teaching, the peace, the fellowship with others, learning to train my mind.”

Terms

Events organised by The School of Contemplative Life are subject to our Event Terms & Conditions (available in full here). Where an event is organised and hosted by a third party, their own terms and conditions apply.

Please note: our events and those we contribute to or lead on behalf of a third party should be understood as providing spiritual guidance and advice to help participants deepen their own meditation practice and understanding. If you have any mental, emotional or physical health conditions, please ask your medical practitioner if it is advisable for you to attend and make sure you always follow your medical practitioner’s advice.

All Bursary applications are administered by The School of Contemplative Life in accordance with our Bursary Guidelines.