You’re Invited

friday 24 - sunday 26 february 2023

You’re invited to join coach Nicci Cloete on this in-person 2-night retreat in the exquisite gardens of Temenos Retreat in McGregor, Western Cape, South Africa. Pay for 2 nights and stay for 3 - if you choose to take advantage of their generous offer of a free Sunday night.

Details below but please drop me an email with any questions or to book. If you need a payment plan arranged, we can chat.

“In silence there is eloquence. Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves.”― Rumi

Life is messy. Being human is complex. The only constant is change. We all want to be happy, and we may struggle when conditions that make us feel happy, change. We have all experienced and will still experience loss, trauma, illness, fear, frustration, disillusionment, confusion, lost dreams and broken hearts. So much of our dis-ease comes from fighting the unavoidable impermanence that is a guaranteed part of being alive.

What if, instead of fighting, resisting, forcing or white-knuckling until circumstances change, we learned to redirect that energy into developing the super-power of finding our peace right slap-bang in middle of the rainbow of chaos that is life?

The opportunity lies within the space between what happens – to us, in our lives, in the world – and how we choose to react. We may not have control over everything in our lives, but we can strengthen and develop our ability to choose our response to whatever comes our way.

In the words of Viktor Frankl: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

This is our work.

Transformative Practices

Take a deep, experiential dive into the practice of mindfulness to understand how it is an accessible, free, portable and personal superpower that we can develop to help us maintain our equanimity regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. Breath work, meditation and yoga-informed movement made simple and relatable and relevant. Learn tips and tricks to take home to support you post-retreat. All sessions optional. No experience necessary.

Creature Comforts

Let someone else look after you for a change. Temenos is well loved for its warm hospitality. Enjoy vibrant, healing vegetarian meals prepared lovingly by the team using fresh ingredients from local, seasonal suppliers. Take a dip in the sparkling turquoise swimming pool. Sink into the comfiest of beds when it’s time to rest. You have the choice of double or twin beds and bathrooms with a shower or a bath. All our cottages are en-suite and have private patios and a fireplace.

Deep Relaxation

In the relentless pace of everyday life, we often forget our capacity to embrace simplicity and stillness. The beautiful gardens at Temenos have been designed to honour and renew the practice of mindfulness, contemplation and the quiet embrace of the present moment. Safe, comfortable, held by an experienced retreat facilitator, the brilliant venue staff, a supportive silence and the collective energy of our group, here you can slow down and let go.

About The Silence

The world is a noisy place. There’s literal noise—talking, TV, traffic. And then there are the other forms of noise that fill our daily lives with distraction, like the constant bombardment of social media, to-do lists, and nagging thoughts. Silent retreats aim to quiet all this noise, and in turn, allow us to reset, recharge, and channel our attention inward.

Tough as it may sound, the time spent in collective silence can be incredibly transformative.

It allows us to take the time and make space to hear our own thoughts, gain clarity and understanding, and deepen our relationships with ourselves and others. We are then invited to carry the benefits of silent retreats into our everyday lives.

You don’t have to go deep if you don’t want to – you can simply embrace the silence and serenity of the gardens to listen to the birds, watch the sunlight playing on the water of the many ponds, lie on your back on the lawn and reconnect with nature.

Through practicing silence for a period of time (from after dinner on Friday until after breakfast on Sunday) we are able to channel all the energy we usually devote to communication and interactions with others, inwards. This helps us calm the noise in our mind, recharge our batteries and gain clarity. By removing distractions and verbal communication, participants can reach a deep level of solitary contemplation and personal reflection.

A note about maintaining Noble Silence: Nicci will gently guide you into and out of the silence, explaining all about it before we move into that part of the retreat. She has many years of experience facilitating silent retreats and understands that whilst some may relish the idea, for others it can feel extremely challenging and maybe even scary. She is always available for check-ins and is committed to ensuring that you never feel alone or lonely in the silence. Nicci is the only person permitted to talk during the period of silence, and whilst she is easy-going about most things in life, she is strict about all retreatants honouring the collective silence: this is a non-negotiable and integral part of the retreat, and if you feel it may be an issue for you, you are encouraged to attend a different, non-silent retreat. When we break the silence for ourselves, we break it for all, and so it is essential that you are open and willing to commit to your part in co-creating this Noble Silence.

About Your Host

Nicci Cloete is a life coach, corporate mindfulness trainer and yoga instructor. Attending a silent retreat in her 30's transformed her life, allowing her to (eventually – it took a while!) break free from addiction and the patterns and relationships associated with this destructive coping mechanism-turned-degenerative brain disease.

She holds an unwavering belief in our capacity as humans to uplift our life through conscious endeavour, no matter what our past holds. Whilst she is insanely curious about the interplay between neuroscience, psychology, physiology and human behaviour, she also has a strong sense that there is a higher power, a life-force of good out there that we cannot even begin to fully understand or grasp, and is still patiently waiting for that moment of enlightenment where someone or something slips her the answer to Life’s Great Mystery. In the meantime, she is having fun learning and feeling her way towards a continued and increasing sense of ease within the everchanging milieu of life, and is passionate about sharing this journey with other seekers.

Coaching and retreats with Nicci are a judgment-free zone and she is completely committed to creating a friendly retreat experience where everyone feels completely safe, completely welcome, and completely accepted.

Read more about Nicci and metta365 here.

About The Venue

Temenos is a Greek word meaning ‘a sacred space’. When the property was purchased in 1996 by Billy Kennedy the building was in a state of disrepair and there was no garden except for six trees on the current restaurant lawn. Over the next years Billy’s dream unfolded as he turned what was once a barren piece of veld into the into the well-loved garden oasis and Retreat venue that it is today.

Temenos is the ideal place to take time out to retreat. The beautiful gardens offer a contemplative milieu to support your embrace of inner stillness and silence. There are many spaces within the grounds where you can withdraw to for quiet meditation or reflection. Here one may mindfully listen anew to the needs of one’s body, mind and heart. Within the healing gardens are many private spaces for you to discover where you can unwind and restore yourself.

“Without silence, we can neither know ourselves, another, or the depth of anything beautiful. We learn how to take silence into the noise.” ― Donna Goddard, Pittown

"Practice The Pause" Silent Retreat, Temenos McGregor