The Experience Of Darkness
“All great and beautiful work has come of first gazing, without shrinking, into the darkness.”
– John Ruskin –
The Experience
Journeys into the great unknown have always been a part of the hero’s journey. In the descent, letting go or being divested of identity and beliefs, one enters into an opportunity beyond previous limits or imaginings. The Darkness is a place where there is no identity and no knowing. A limitless, timeless awareness.
What To Expect
There is plenty of room for a physical practice e.g. Yoga or Qigong. The rooms have ventilation systems, heaters and a two way service hatch for meal delivery.
All light switches work (Eskom permitting) and all doors remain unlocked. No electronic devices with any form of display will be in the Dark rooms.
Darkness retreats may be booked for between 3/4, 7 and 11 nights.
No booking will be considered for 7 or 11 nights until a retreatant has experienced a 3 or 4 night retreat. One of the rooms has a double bed and would be suitable for a couple wishing to retreat together.
Vegan, vegetarian & frugivore meals are booked according to the requirements of the retreatant, retreatants are strongly advised not to fast or combine this journey with other experiences.
The Darkness is a completely unknown experience to almost all of us, we cannot know what is awaiting us and stressing ourselves, forcing a certain outcome or experience or demanding a particular experience from the Divine/Universe is only going to create difficulty for the retreatant which may result in ending the retreat early.
The optimal way to benefit from the Darkness Retreat is to make rest your primary intention.
Approaching the retreat with gentle curiosity and surrender is key.
Things To Remember
Never carry things in both hands as you navigate the room, you need a hand free to keep you orientated.
Always check the space you are moving into eg bending forward, ensure there is room for your head away from hard edges.
Always use a wall for balance postures or fast movement.
Don’t spin around and make yourself dizzy, it’s really hard for your body to readjust afterwards.
Bring a book and pencil and some prestick to put on it so that you can mark your last line.
A recording device is recommended but it may not have any lights and should be very, very simple so that you don’t accidentally erase your recordings.
Mark shampoo and conditioner bottles or cosmetics with tactile symbols so that you can tell them apart.
Bring a few robust items for a small altar if that is part of your lineage/tradition.
The fewer things you have in the space the easier it will be for you and the less distraction there will be.
Bring comfort items, pillow, a favourite blanket, yoga mat and blocks meditation cushion etc.
The Experience Of Darkness
“All great and beautiful work has come of first gazing, without shrinking, into the darkness.”
– John Ruskin –
The Experience
“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.” Terry Pratchett
Journeys into the great unknown have always been a part of the hero’s journey. In the descent, letting go or being divested of identity and beliefs, one enters into an opportunity beyond previous limits or imaginings. The Darkness is a place where there is no identity and no knowing. A limitless, timeless awareness.
What To Expect
The Darkness Retreat rooms are comfortable, fairly large bedrooms with a bathroom en suite. Each room is carpeted and equipped with a bed and side table, a wardrobe, a counter, shelves and washing bowl for preparing and storing snacks and utensils, a comfortable chair and a rose quartz lamp for gentle reintroduction of light.
There is plenty of room for a physical practice e.g. Yoga or Qigong. The rooms have ventilation systems, heaters and a two way service hatch for meal delivery.
All light switches work (Eskom permitting) and all doors remain unlocked. No electronic devices with any form of display will be in the Dark rooms.
Darkness retreats may be booked for between 3/4, 7 and 11 nights.
No booking will be considered for 7 or 11 nights until a retreatant has experienced a 3 or 4 night retreat. One of the rooms has a double bed and would be suitable for a couple wishing to retreat together.
Vegan, vegetarian & frugivore meals are booked according to the requirements of the retreatant, retreatants are strongly advised not to fast or combine this journey with other experiences.
The Darkness is a completely unknown experience to almost all of us, we cannot know what is awaiting us and stressing ourselves, forcing a certain outcome or experience or demanding a particular experience from the Divine/Universe is only going to create difficulty for the retreatant which may result in ending the retreat early.
The optimal way to benefit from the Darkness Retreat is to make rest your primary intention. Approaching the retreat with gentle curiosity and surrender is key.
Things To Remember
Never carry things in both hands as you navigate the room, you need a hand free to keep you orientated. Always check the space you are moving into eg bending forward, ensure there is room for your head away from hard edges.
Always use a wall for balance postures or fast movement. Don’t spin around and make yourself dizzy, it’s really hard for your body to readjust afterwards. Bring a book and pencil and some prestick to put on it so that you can mark your last line.
A recording device is recommended but it may not have any lights and should be very, very simple so that you don’t accidentally erase your recordings. Mark shampoo and conditioner bottles or cosmetics with tactile symbols so that you can tell them apart.
Bring a few robust items for a small altar if that is part of your lineage/tradition. The fewer things you have in the space the easier it will be for you and the less distraction there will be. Bring comfort items, pillow, a favourite blanket, yoga mat and blocks meditation cushion etc.
The Experience Of Darkness
“All great and beautiful work has come of first gazing, without shrinking, into the darkness.”
– John Ruskin –
The Experience
“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.” Terry Pratchett
Journeys into the great unknown have always been a part of the hero’s journey. In the descent, letting go or being divested of identity and beliefs, one enters into an opportunity beyond previous limits or imaginings. The Darkness is a place where there is no identity and no knowing. A limitless, timeless awareness.
What To Expect
The Darkness Retreat rooms are comfortable, fairly large bedrooms with a bathroom en suite. Each room is carpeted and equipped with a bed and side table, a wardrobe, a counter, shelves and washing bowl for preparing and storing snacks and utensils, a comfortable chair and a rose quartz lamp for gentle reintroduction of light.
There is plenty of room for a physical practice e.g. Yoga or Qigong. The rooms have ventilation systems, heaters and a two way service hatch for meal delivery.
All light switches work (Eskom permitting) and all doors remain unlocked. No electronic devices with any form of display will be in the Dark rooms.
Darkness retreats may be booked for between 3/4, 7 and 11 nights.
No booking will be considered for 7 or 11 nights until a retreatant has experienced a 3 or 4 night retreat. One of the rooms has a double bed and would be suitable for a couple wishing to retreat together.
Vegan, vegetarian & frugivore meals are booked according to the requirements of the retreatant, retreatants are strongly advised not to fast or combine this journey with other experiences.
The Darkness is a completely unknown experience to almost all of us, we cannot know what is awaiting us and stressing ourselves, forcing a certain outcome or experience or demanding a particular experience from the Divine/Universe is only going to create difficulty for the retreatant which may result in ending the retreat early.
The optimal way to benefit from the Darkness Retreat is to make rest your primary intention.
Approaching the retreat with gentle curiosity and surrender is key.
Things To Remember
Never carry things in both hands as you navigate the room, you need a hand free to keep you orientated.
Always check the space you are moving into eg bending forward, ensure there is room for your head away from hard edges.
Always use a wall for balance postures or fast movement.
Don’t spin around and make yourself dizzy, it’s really hard for your body to readjust afterwards.
Bring a book and pen/cil and some prestick to put on it so that you can mark your last line,
A recording device is recommended but it may not have any lights and should be very, very simple so that you don’t accidentally erase your recordings.
Mark shampoo and conditioner bottles or cosmetics with tactile symbols so that you can tell them apart.
Bring a few robust items for a small altar if that is part of your lineage/tradition.
The fewer things you have in the space the easier it will be for you and the less distraction there will be.
Bring comfort items, pillow, a favourite blanket, yoga mat and blocks meditation cushion etc.