Meet in Silent Truth

Dear Ones,

In this letter you will find:

• Reflections: a lot is going on the world and, I am sure, in each of us. No words would do justice to the heartbreak that we all feel, yet I decided to embrace that failure and write anyway.

• A new month of Sunday MindRest sessions begins in November with this theme of Reflections. As the days are drawing shorter, this is an invitation to crawl back your senses from the world of objects and turn the gaze in for self-reflection. We start on Sunday, Nov 5.

Reflections

Our W H O L E retreat 2023 came and went. I experienced it as a beautiful, heartfelt and nourishing journey and I hope that the participants did too. As the years go by and the core group remains the same, it is beautiful to see how we deepen, change and unfurl together.

Surrender and Autonomy

This year, the words that come to mind to summarise it are surrender and autonomy. Surrender as the recognition that we have no control over anything and the suffering that results from trying to resist that. Surrender as the recognition that we know nothing and the suffering that results from trying to appear otherwise. Surrender as the magic of Being. Untainted. Unpolished. Uncovered. Un-anything.

Autonomy as the responsibility for our own suffering. Autonomy as the recognition that there is no one out there to save us, guide us, do the work for us, redeem us. In the end, it is up to us. Autonomy as our power of saying YES to what we dearly want (ultimately our Self), and NO to what is not serving that.

What surrender and what autonomy?!

As these words are still reverberating in my heart, I cannot help but put them in stark contrast with what is happening in the world and how inapplicable, far away, far fetched, fancy-pants, useless spiritual garbage they are for those suffering in the Middle East. I cannot help but feel the guilt of being a privileged, educated, white woman living in the west and having a safe roof over my head, while people are being displaced from one collapsed building to another barely standing one. I cannot help but feel the helplessness of speaking of healing, while the world’s greatest irreparable trauma is being inflicted at the same time to thousands of children born in war and occupation. I cannot help but cry at night when I open my books to read the scriptures, knowing that millions don’t have light or quietness to do so. I cannot even begin to open my mouth to speak about waking up, when we seem to be falling so deeply asleep as a species.

I cannot help anything. And I am heartbroken.

No comfort

In my head whirl the words of the great Indian sage Sri Ramana Maharshi “Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world”. I see that they are true…and yet, they can’t comfort me right now. There is no comfort.

Either way, this time of the year is not about finding comfort. The ancient traditions and the cycle of Nature are calling us to do just the opposite and I have no desire to escape. As we draw towards the shorter days, we are called to crawl back our senses from the world of external objects and turn the gaze in. The veil of summer of many distractions is pulled aside and the parts of ourselves that have been thoroughly avoided, ignored or silenced begin to emerge to the surface of our psyche. And they are uncomfortable.

You know which ones I mean. Yes, the parts of us that go to war overtly or silently in our heads, the parts of us that attack to preserve our points of view, the parts of us that defend to hide our vulnerabilities, the parts of us that hold hostages the lives of our loved ones, the parts of us that rage, hate, fear, doubt, envy, inflate, deflect responsibility, amass, control, judge…Yes…All these parts we all have (but we all pretend we don’t) that are at war privately within our personal mind. It is these ones that are painfully reflected in the collective war without.

It looks like this is the only place where we can start the peace process. So I invite you for a month of MindRests called Reflections. We will reflect on how we go to war within our own minds and what fuels it, what we ignore within, what we avoid without. We will honour this time of the year as the ancients did, turning our attention towards what has been duly hidden. Great beauty and light is revealed when we behold our own darkness, they say. I welcome you on the mat.

MindRest: Reflections

Every Sunday at 5pm UK starting Nov 5.

We are back. November’s 4 sessions are inspired by the shorter days in Nature and their invitation to crawl back our senses, turn the gaze in and self-reflect. What have we ignored?

1h30 of yoga, meditation, self-reflection & yoga nidra every Sunday at 5pm UK

Drop-in: £12, Monthly Pack (4 sessions and their recordings): £40

You do need to register in advance if you plan on coming.

1:1 MiST Sessions - Meet in Silent Truth

Regular slots are open in November. Welcome!

These sessions are a mix of self-inquiry and trauma-informed therapeutic support, but most importantly, they are rooted in silent loving Presence. This simply (but powerfully) means meeting you with a quiet mind and an open heart - being a mirror without agenda, without opinion, without judgement. I have found time and time again that this open meeting has a deeply healing effect and leaves space for you to see your own beautiful reflection. It is the greatest gift I ever received and I am so honoured to extend the invitation to you.

Upcoming Events

With Love and Gratitude,

Iri