Tak for en vældig fin festival med kompetente og inspirerende oplægsholdere og undervisere. Alt hvad jeg deltog i, var både inspirerende og væsentligt.
Hanne
NÆR Festival 2023
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This retreat is a deepdive into the art of embodied relating through the practices of Circling and Tai Chi. We want to invite you into an exploration of body and mind, moving toward effortless being and action.
The retreat is an intimate experience for max 12 participants and takes place in the beautiful archipelago of Southern Norway from August 28th – September 1st 2024.
Dates: August 28th – September 1st 2024
Price: €650 + food/accommodation
Early bird price: €550 (until April 1st)
The practices of Circling & Tai Chi teach us about a transcendent principle of how to move harmoniously though life.
In Tai Chi the name for that principle would be the Daoist concept of Wu Wei which translates into something like non-action or effortless action. Wu Wei points to an elegant way of relating (and by extension living life), based on a sense-and-respond approach to change.
This aligns well with the practice of Surrendered Leadership in circling. Tai Chi and Surrendered Leadership can both be seen as the art of balancing yin and yang internally in perfect response to the arising moment. Wuwei and the surrender aspect of SL both points to a deep sensitivity to what is, as well as a deep connection to oneself, as the basis for movement and action.
In Tai Chi you never guess or assume you opponents’ intention, but rather stay centered, soft and responsive to what is there, so you can respond according to the reality of the situation. This responsiveness (yang) aspect of the practice corresponds well to the leadership quality of SL. Both practices thus teach us about a transcendent principle of how to move harmoniously though life.
I can’t talk about the retreat without mentioning the absolutely gorgeous location, at the bottom of a beautiful fjord, lending a energy of calm and a vacation feel to the immersion, accentuated by the spacious programme that allowed plenty of time to bask in the sun, paddle paddle board or row in the beautiful fjord, go fishing, hiking or take a trip to the nearby town.
Circling and Taiji elegantly intermeshed and reinforced each other, one lending framework to the understanding of the other, theoretically, but probably also on an embodied level. Peter leads with an evident deep knowledge of and skill in both practices and an uncanny knack for spotting the underlying layers of what people are bringing helping them to bring deeper layers of their experience in a way that continues to impress me, while Ronja brings her own extensive experience with circling along with a wonderful eye for and care for where people – and the space – are at, also making delicious food in the process.
Also the food deserves mention, local specialities made with vegetables from the garden and seafood freshly caught by our hosts… Along with a lot of love. I actually get hungry just sitting her writing about it.
There weren’t saved on details to make the immersion a full experience, including cosy evenings in front of the fireplace, forest meditation and even homemade icecream.
Morten Skovgaard Andersen
Participant 2023
The effortless being and action found in both Circling and Tai Chi (as described above) is a common thread throughout the retreat. The week will be structured with Tai Chi practice every morning followed by Circling & Surrendered Leadership. The programme will be weather dependent as we want to give time for exploring the beautiful surroundings and relaxing by the water. You can expect 7 hours of organized programme every day.
Some of the themes we will explore are:
The Yin and Yang in Circling and Surrendered Leadership
Deeply listening for the innocence of the other
Allowing impact while setting boundaries Embodiment as a way of showing up
During the unstructured time, there will be organized fishing trips, oyster safaris, island explorations, mushroom picking and expeditions to the local bronze age settlement. Swimming, sun bathing, forest walks and bike trips to local, scenic villages are among the other possible options.
You will be introduced to the fundamental principles of Tai Chi and Qigong through daily morning practice. The practice in Tai Chi concerns body alignment/posture, rooting/grounding and relaxation/emptying at the physical level and conversely relaxation of the mind. Tai Chi practice shows us our core patterns at an embodied level and allows us to move towards a more effortless state of being.
For most of the programme we will be in Circling & Surrendered Leadership, going deeply into the practice. In Circling and Surrendered Leadership we practice relating to ourselves and others based on the principles of “commitment to connection”, “owning experience”, “trusting experience”, “staying at the level of sensation” and “being with the other in their world”.
We will facilitate various embodiment practices that bring you back into connection with your body.
Explore the archipelago of Southern Norway by land or sea. Visit the local forests or go island hopping by boat.
We grow most of the produce ourselves in the garden and will go fishing to bring you the freshest seafood imaginable.
After being home for a while I realized that the retreat has changed a lot for me. I have started to be more aware of balance in many ways. The Tai chi – movements in my body and I have noticed that I am checking with my self now and then. Ask myself how it is to be me right now. So I am really grateful.
The retreat is a great opportunity to discover how much Tai chi and circling have in common. And a great way to get to know both.
I was a beginner and got so much support so that was no problem. The food, the place and the beauty of it all at so many levels, inner and outer, made it an amazing week! I am really deeply grateful.
Eva Söder-Karlsson
Participant 2023
The price is €650 + food/accommodation.
Early bird price: €550 (until April 1st).
We have various options for accommodation available depending on your budget and your need for comfort and privacy.
Double room: €80/day
4 person room: €60/day
Tent: €40/day
All prices are in addition to the retreat cost and include a full vegetarian/pescetarian meal plan based on the vegetables of the season and the catches of the day.
Comfortable room with a double-bed on the 1st floor of the main building. Good for couples or people who like privacy.
Comfortable room with a double-bed on the 1st floor of the main building. Good for couples or people who like privacy.
Private room in a separate building with two large single beds, bathroom/shower and tea kitchen.
Bedroom with 2 single beds on the ground floor of the house.
Large and light dorm on the 1st floor of the house with 4 single beds.
Bring your own tent + sleeping gear and put it up anywhere in the garden.
The venue is “Kaasestua” which has been in Peters family for a few generations now. It is a 300+ m2 house in a rural area located in the archipelago of Southern Norway, half an hour outside of Kristiansand. The house is close to the forest and 50m from the ocean. It comes with a large garden, private bathing bridge, boat and our own developing vegetable garden.
Peter is the most experienced Circling facilitator in Scandinavia and has 18 years of experience with Tai Chi and Qigong. He is a professional body therapist and a proficient meditator and space holder.
Ronja Lofstad discovered circling in 2014 and it has been an active part of her life since. She has facilitated circling evenings, weekends, retreats and courses in Copenhagen for years and is currently assisting on Circling Europe’s six-month circling leadership training.
Peter has trained with me for 15 years now and has developed to become a very qualified practitioner and teacher in Taiji and Qigong as well as other disciplines under the name of Internal Martial Arts. He belongs to a small exclusive group of instructors who are the only qualified instructors in Europe to teach the system of Master Sam Tam.
He has put in a lot of effort and thousands of hours of learning and practice to become the skillful practitioner and teacher he is today. I can only give him my highest recommendation.
Torben Bremann
www.taichiandqigong.com
Tak for en vældig fin festival med kompetente og inspirerende oplægsholdere og undervisere. Alt hvad jeg deltog i, var både inspirerende og væsentligt.
Hanne
NÆR Festival 2023
Jeg ser circling som en virkelig effektfuld og lærerig praksis til bl.a. at opdage hvordan vi fungerer i relationelle dynamikker, og til at træne evnen til at italesætte og ændre disse dynamikker til det bedre. Jeg oplever at Peter i sin måde at facilitere circling på er et levende udtryk som er i stand til at demonstrere den praksis han guider.
Bjørn
Circling for virksomheder
Jeg er vildt positiv over festivalen! Workshopsne var virkelig vel-skabte og programmet super. Det var bare så godt skabt, og jeg glæder mig allerede til flere af jeres festivaler!! Gerne flere gange om året.
Emilie
NÆR festival 2023
Jeg har været til kropsterapi med Peter siden Juni 2020 og kan varmt anbefale det! Jeg har fået jævnlige Manuvision behandlinger de sidste 5 år, men er aldrig blevet set så hurtigt, holdt og følt mig velkommen med alt hvad der kom op i mig.
Viola
Kropsterapi
Jeg havde en virkelig god og lærerig dag med mange indtryk og positive udfordringer af egne grænser. Jeg endte med at gå fra festivalen med en følelse af, at være blevet klogere på mig selv – og mere modig.
Nikkie
NÆR festival 2023
I came to Copenhagen for the weekend Circling immersion. What a deep trip and process it was! Grateful for every experience. I feel Peter created a safe place for me to open up and connect with myself and others in the group.
Juha
Circling Weekend
Kontakt NÆR v. Peter Munthe-Kaas hvis du har spørgsmål til arrangementer eller ønsker at samarbejde om et projekt.
+45 51501738
peter@munthe-kaas.dk
Hvis du er interesseret i nyheder og updates om workshops indenfor det relationelle felt i Danmark kan du melde dig til NÆR nyhedsbrevet herunder.
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