Making a Summer out of Winter
Dates : Not yet run
Location: Elphin by Ullapool
Course Places : n/a
Price :n/a
Mindfulness and the Art of Living - Elphin
This weekend is designed to encourage participants to find time in their lives for small practices that will lead to an increase their personal well-being. Jan and Hazel will introduce participants to a series of mindfulness exercises, creating a breathing space within which we can develop our awareness, explore our senses and be encouraged towards curiosity and compassion in all our actions. These exercises will be linked to some simple art and writing activities which will help us to connect with our creative selves, allowing us to express and reflect upon the experience. It is hoped that these sessions will be of particular use to those of us who find the long winter a challenging time of the year.
The workshop is an introduction to possible ways in which these small activities can be built into our everyday lives, increasing our awareness of the potential for pleasure, no matter how busy or difficult life seems. These steps towards a changing approach to life will be explored in a gentle and supportive atmosphere, with all contributions to group discussions being voluntary. And we hope that this opportunity to meet and talk informally to others who are also interested in these practices will be a pleasure in itself.
Activities include making a personal journal or hand-made book, decorating a lantern and, if the weather is kind, gathering around a bonfire. And at the end of the day, there will be an optional meditation session. To take part, you do not need to have any previous experience of mindfulness, nor have any creative background: we welcome everyone from any walk of life who can join us in the ultimate aim of integrating mind, body and spirit in the art of living a contented life and finding light within the darkness of winter.
Each day runs from 10.00 am until 5.00 pm, with an hour for lunch between 1.00 and 2.00 pm. All materials are included in the price, along with morning and afternoon refreshments and a simple but warming lunch.
The Tutors
Jan Kilpatrick lives in Elphin, Assynt, a few miles north of Ullapool. She is a teacher and group leader with more than twenty years of experience in teaching a broad range of creative arts to groups across the community. Time has taught her that creative expression is fundamental in the development and maintenance of well-being in the individual. To find out more about her work, visit www.jankilpatrick.co.uk .
Hazel Pepper is a bodywork therapist based in Ullapool, working primarily with myofascial techniques to help realign postural imbalances and improve function throughout the body. In recent years she has become interested in meditation and mindfulness practices , seeing and experiencing the value of working with the mind and body together to help ease the pressures that are put upon ourselves in our everyday lives. She has recently started training in mindfulness teaching. To find out more about Hazel, visit https://www.facebook.com/hazel.pepper.56
Much of the attraction of this area of the country is the wildness it has retained as a result of the limited impact of human habitation. Of course, this means that there are fewer choices of accommodation for the intrepid visitor, but there are still a wide number of options, many of which can be found on the Accommodation page.
The following accommodation is worth noting. Within walking distance of Jan's studio, there are two self-catering cottages each sleeping 4. Further details can be found at Nutfield Cottage and View Hill Cottage
You might also consider Ardmair Campsite and Holiday Chalets, which lie in a beautiful bay overlooking the Summer Isles, just 15 minute drive south of the studio. See ardmair.com for details. Also try www.discoverassynt.co.uk, (Self Catering cottages north of Jan's studio).
Finally, Ullapool is a large village and ferry port, with accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets. This lies 20 minutes of spectacular commuting drive south of the studio.
To read about an innovative community partnership approach to preserving and improving this landscape for the benefit of all, have a look at Coigach and Assynt Living Landscapes. To find out about the fascinating geology of this area go to North West Highland Geopark.
