What emerges when we soften beyond our habitual ways of relating and let the silence suffuse our minds, bodies and actions?

Could silence speak through us?

Could silence move us?

Could we we stay in touch with the essence of silence when entering the words?

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We will share most of the retreat time in complete silence.

The invitation is not to only let go of words, but also

… to soften around our social patterns of interaction and offer ourselves to the rawness and immediacy of a felt experience.

… to invoke a quality of silence that nurtures our receptivity and witnessing capacity both in relationship to our inner space and in relationship to the space shared with others.

… to allow a possibility of relating through lot subtler forms of communication and notice what is taking place between us when we let go of conceptual language

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PRACTICAL NOTES ABOUT SILENCE:

• We will observe silence every day from midnight until 4pm of the next day
• In the afternoons, we will transition from silence into spoken words in a form of embodied group exploration and reflection.
• The New Year transition will be marked with a long period of silence, started on the 30th midnight, continued throughout the whole day on the 31st and closed on the 1st afternoon.
• During the silent periods, we all agree to let go of spoken words, gestures substituting words as well as written notes.
• Body sounds – are welcome, however, we invite you to observe where the need to make sounds is coming from. If a natural impulse to make a sound arises within you, we encourage you to be sensitive to how you bring it into the space that you share with others.
• Hugs, smiles, eye contact, playfulness – are welcome if they naturally unfold as part of a felt interaction with others, whether this be on or off the dance floor. However, please be mindful that each person has their own process and their own needs. It is okay not to return smiles and eye contacts or not to make yourself available to the contacts that are offered by others.
• At the start of the retreat, there will be space to clarify how we navigate the silence as a group.

Requirements:

• To take part in this retreat, it is necessary that you have experience with Contact Improvisation: you have been to CI classes / workshops and jams and have a good understanding of what Contact Improvisation and jams entail.
• You are able to let go of spoken words, non-verbal gestures substituting words, and written communication during the Silent periods
• You agree to avoid use of digital devices for the duration of this retreat
• You are able to commit to attending the whole event, from the beginning to the end
• To nurture safety, transparency and healthy CI culture, we created a document with CI GUIDELINES. You have read the document and feel happy to follow these guidelines.

Cost:

Concessional Rate: 11 400 CZK (475 Euro) – 8 spots available ONLY

Standard Rate: 12 900 CZK / 535 Euro (or more)

Contributor’s Rate: 14 400 CZK / 600 Euro (or more)

Your payment is covering accommodation in cosy bedrooms of 2-4 beds, 3 nourishing meals a day, large heated dance hall with ballet floor, and all essential running costs of the retreat.

The group size is maximum 37 people, including the team.

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Registration:

To register please use this REGISTRATION FORM

Your registration is completed once you transfer a deposit of 6000 CZK / 250 Euros.

The remaining cost is paid in cash at the start of the retreat. The payment instructions will be shared via email.

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Cancellation Policy:

If you cancel before 1st December you will be refunded the amount you paid minus a non-refundable deposit of 3000 Kč / 120 €

After 1st December the whole payment is non-refundable.

However, if another dancer is able to replace you, you will receive your payment back. In such case, we will retain a manipulation fee of 750 CZK / 30 Euro to honour our time and energy. It is your responsibility to find a suitable person who comes instead of you, but of course, if we have a waiting list, we will assist in the process and offer your place to those waiting first.

Address: Skalka 22, Skalka u Doks, Czech Republic

The Venue:

A former homestead re-purposed as a retreat venue, beautifully renovated with natural materials. The venue is located at the edge of a small quiet village north of Prague, surrounded by fields, gentle hills and forests. Enclosed by a large garden, it provides complete privacy and plenty of space.

There is a large mixed woodland that can be reached by foot in about 15 minutes and a big natural lake in the village of Doksy, about 3km away.

The dance hall is situated in a detached building and offers 130m2 for dancing.

Both houses and the dance hall have a central heating, plus there are three wood burning stoves – in the dining hall, dance hall and meditation room to keep us extra cosy.

Accommodation:

Sleeping arrangements: 2-4 people in each bedroom. There are 11 toilets and 11 showers available.

To view the pictures of the venue, click HERE

How to get there: 

From Prague, it is about a 2-hour train journey to Doksy (you will need to change once). From Doksy it is a short bus journey or a 3km walk to the venue. We will be sending out a detailed information about the transport, including carpooling spreadsheet.

For connections by local public transport please see IDOS. 

Meals:

All food is prepared with loving care by our cook Tudor. Tudor prepares the meals from whole foods, using local and organic produce wherever possible. Most meals are presented in a form of bufet with multiple choices. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options will be available.

Shared Retreat Spaces

Meditation Room is dedicated to morning group meditation sessions and will be available all day for personal practice in silence and stillness (sitting or lying). Please enter and depart mindfully and observe Silence in this room at all times.

Dance Hall will host the morning silent jams, afternoon scores and evening music jams. Outside of these times, you are welcome to use it for any personal practice that involves movement, stretching, resting, bodywork exchanges etc.

Dining Hall is a space for mealtimes, socialising or a cup of tea and book on a platform by the fire.

All three rooms have wood burning stoves.

Organisers:

Len Sabolčáková – somatic facilitator, bodyworker, body-based coach, eco-therapist, CI and nature lover

Lada Kopřivová – body-oriented therapist, somatic movement educator & group facilitator, CI dancer, wilderness lovER

The Care Team: 

Filip Knazek – lecturer, facilitator, personal development guide, nature and movement enthusiast

Ines Ingerle – dance & movement educator, integrative bodywork practitioner, holistic process facilitator, active mobility coach, trainer for authentic communication. Wildly in love with the art of simply being.

Musicans:

Petra Klementova – musican, dancer, mum of 2 children, improvisation lover

Master Chef: 

Tudor – traveler, artist, musician. And a chef of course, who will serve you very tasty, vegetarian/vegan food

Photographer:

Maysara Volf – traveler, massage therapist, dancer & photographer on land and underwater

ENQUIRIES: space.for.contact@gmail.com

FB: Space for Contact

REGISTRATION: HERE

Click on the picture TO VIEW IN FULL SIZE