Courage and Care - a Women's Day 3-night Retreat

At first glance, courage and care may seem like opposites: one tough and strong, the other soft and fluffy. Explore more deeply, though, and they intertwine as the mother archetype, offering us access to feminine wisdom. From the clarity that arises in the face of compassion, the greatest courage emerges.

This Women’s Day long weekend offers you practices to heal and hold, replenish and reconnect with yourself and others. We will explore the healing arts of embodiment, meditation and creativity, which bring us back into the embrace of community. For centuries, we have gathered in circles, around the fireside, to tell stories and sing, to dance and find the sweetness of silence. In community, we become fully human.

This precious time offers an opportunity to return to the wisdom of the body, which can hold us steady in the present moment. Communities have long known that to come together and move in harmony allows for healing of the individual and the collective. Utilizing breath, rhythmic movement, and a direct sensory experience of the embodied mind, we learn to regulate emotion, and become a safe haven for ourselves, for others and for the earth itself.

By working with somatic meditation practices, including gentle yoga, qi gong and dance, we will return to this miraculous home of ours. Once the body feels settled, the sitting practices of mindfulness and compassion will allow access to the inner world of the heart-mind.

While this retreat honours the role that women play in our lives, we welcome all those who honour women :-)

About the Facilitators

Mammatli Thakhuli-Nzuza is a storyteller, reflexive practice facilitator and an applied drama practitioner. She holds a Masters degree in Theatre in Education, Communities and Social Contexts from Drama for Life at the University of the Witwatersrand.  Her research area explores the tension between women’s personal well-being, expectations and desires and the expectations imposed by cultural practices, customs, beliefs and norms. She facilitates community change processes that incorporate open dialogue, deep listening and creative embodiment. As an accredited Community Capacity Enhancement (CCE) facilitator and trainer through the Nelson Mandela Foundation, her work advocates for social development processes that are achievable, sustainable and people centred. Her practice is situated at the intersection of theatre, human rights and community building.

Dr Lucy Draper-Clarke is a retreat facilitator, mindfulness mentor and researcher-practitioner in the fields of awareness and compassion. After obtaining a doctorate in mindfulness and teacher education, she is now an Associate Researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. With a focus on compassionate activism and somatic meditation, she works with those engaged in social transformation and healing, to alleviate stress, increase resilience and cultivate wise, compassionate action. She runs workshops and retreats around Southern Africa. As a practitioner with the Karma Kagyu School of Buddhism, she attends regular meditation retreats to deepen her own practice. Nothing gives her more joy than supporting others to develop their own, life-enhancing, contemplative practices.

Accommodation and Bookings

Price varies depending on accommodation choice and are quoted per person.

Camping: R3200

Dormitory: R3500

Twin/Double (shared bathroom): R3800

Twin/Double (en suite): R4150

Single room: R4400

You are also welcome to stay an extra night. See prices here: https://tararokpacentre.co.za/event/courage-care/

Bookings via the Tara Rokpa Centre booking form: Click here