We have had an AYP group meeting every week in Dublin for the past year and a half and now it seems natural for us to have a retreat.
We are very privileged to have Katrine coming over from Norway for the retreat and to spend a few days. So it looks like it will be fun.
It will be a small retreat, probably around ten people.
The venue is a small retreat centre in a place called Glendalough in Co Wicklow. This is a very spiritual place and should give a nice setting for the event.
The retreat will start on Tuesday 29th July and finish on Friday afternoon 1st August.
If anyone, who has been practicing AYP for a while, is interested in attending, their are a couple of places left.
Blessings and peace 
Louis
I’m coming too! Count me in! I’ve met the Dublin AYP group, and it’s a beautiful composition of kindness and humour! It’ll be lovely to see you all again! And it’ll be fun to meet you as well, Katrine!
Hi Sparkle and emc
I am very grateful that I am able to come
It will be great to meet 
And the sound of Glendalough…I feel a smile stir inside 
[quote]
I’m coming too! Count me in! I’ve met the Dublin AYP group, and it’s a beautiful composition of kindness and humour! It’ll be lovely to see you all again! And it’ll be fun to meet you as well, Katrine!
[/quote]Yipppeee!!! that’s great emc
Between Katrine and emc, Ireland won’t know what’s hit it
look out Glendalough, here we come 
I will post a proposed schedule soon and hopefully people will make constructive comment.
Is it ok if I bring the flute?
What an excellent idea, I wish I could attend in my physical body. Hey, if you hear something flying around do not assume it’s not me in my spiritual body paying a visit! 
[quote=“Katrine”]
Is it ok if I bring the flute?
[/quote]Oh lovely Katrine, the sound of Krishna’s flute will be perfect
[quote]
What an excellent idea, I wish I could attend in my physical body. Hey, if you hear something flying around do not assume it’s not me in my spiritual body paying a visit!
[/quote]Hopefully you won’t be the only one
Well it’s almost time for the retreat/gathering in Glendalough.
We are hoping that other AYP’ers will join in with the meditations from afar.
If you put your name in below we will include you at each meditation.
Not sure about the 5.00 wake up, may make this a little later
Any comments would be welcome
AYP Retreat at Glendalough 29th July to 1st August 2008
The retreat will have about six people who are familiar with the practices. Not all of them practice every day, in fact some only practice during our weekly sit.
For this reason I am not sure about incorporating three meditation sessions per day, although I would like to. We might leave an optional space for people if they wish to incorporate it.
We plan to incorporate meditation into all our activities, such as, cooking, walking, jogging, cleaning or work meditation etc.
In my experience this practice generates a lovely peace within the group, where everything is done slowly and in the moment.
Each activity will be started and finished with use of a meditation bell. The bell will also be used on occasions when there is too much heady conversation. When the bell is sounded it is a sign for people to stop, breath and come back to themselves.
It is suggested that an atmosphere of lightness and relaxation be fostered.
Silence will be observed from after dinner in the evening until after breakfast the following morning.
Meals: Suggesting stew type vegetarian dinners that can be pre-prepared and heated at the appropriate time. It is suggested that we split into groups and each group will be responsible for cooking and preparing the meals for that day.
One person wants to go on a grape fast for the duration of the retreat, she has done this before for three days – any thoughts?
Logging onto the AYP forum: Not sure yet if we will have this possibility.
Jobs, such as washing up and cleaning will be allocated on a rota basis.
1st Day:
The retreat will start in the afternoon of Tuesday 29th July.
15.00 Meditation and rest
16.00 Walking meditation in the countryside.
17.30 Dinner
19.00 Orientation ( Instruction on how the various procedures, such as, work rotas, cooking, use of the meditation bell, general conduct such as silence at certain times etc.)
20.00 Short meditation and rest.
Silence until morning.
2nd and 3rd Days
6.00 Wake up bell
6.30 Stretching/Yoga asanas
6.45 Meditation routine, 10 mins of Spinal Breathing, 20 mins of Deep Meditation and Samyama and rest.
7.45 – 8.30 Walking or jogging meditation in the countryside
8.45 Breakfast
10.15 – 12.00 Study time – this may include a talk or discussion and might follow a theme, yet to be decided.
12.15 – 12.45 Journal entry
13.00 Lunch
14.30 Study time. This may include some time in the countryside, discussion, a local walk in the monastic ruins, directed by Michael Roger, an authority on Celtic Spirituality or massage (several therapists in the group).
(if exercise has not been included we can do a walking or jogging meditation)
18.00 Meditation
19.30 Dinner
Silence until morning.
20.30 Journal entry
4th Day
6.00 Wake up bell
6.30 Stretching/Yoga asanas
6.45 Meditation routine, 10 mins of Spinal Breathing, 20 mins of Deep Meditation and Samyama and rest.
7.45 – 8.30 Walking or jogging meditation in the countryside
8.45 Breakfast
10.15 – 12.00 Study time – this may include a talk or discussion and might follow a theme, yet to be decided.
12.15 – 12.45 Journal entry
13.00 Lunch
14.30 Social time i.e. singing, playing musical instruments etc. and closing ceremony.
What is journal entry?
And can we erase that 5.00? [:P]
Hi emc
The following is taken from Trip1’S retreat information as follows:
Journal
It is recommended that you keep a retreat journal in order to document your thoughts and experiences, as well as a daily recap at the end of each day. You may be surprised by the wonderful ideas and realizations which often arise while experiencing higher states of consciousness during a retreat, and documenting these experiences allows the practitioner to revisit these moments at a later time. Many of history’s greatest ideas arose during these moments of expanded awareness, and many more were forgotten soon after.
Of course, keeping a retreat journal is not mandatory, and if you decide against it, simply fill in the allotted time with an activity listed under the “Study” section of this document.
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1416#1416
Others in the group might also be in favour of a later start.
My feeling is that we will not do the second meditation in the morning and this would mean we could wake people at 6am instead of 5.
How is that?
Absolutely fantastic!
Oki. This forum usually works as my journal entry then! And during the retreat we won’t have access to internet, so I’d better keep it up so that I can report here later…
See ya!
How I wish my daughter and I could be there. Please share your experiences with us!
light and love,
Kathy
Hi All
This is good, Louis.
No second meditation in the morning for me anyway…there is enough “hum” coming off as it is
Kathy - we share the same space . That will bring you deeper into it. Will you meditate with us ?
Will report back after retreat. I’m off to Estonia (singing at a Nordic/Baltic cultural festival in Tartu) the week after I get back, so it might take a few days.
Emc and Louis - see you tomorrow
Ok I’ve altered the times in the schedule above.
The meditation times are 6.45 am and 6 pm Dublin/UK time.
The following is a time zone converter for anyone who wants to join in from afar.
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
Kathy, we will verbally include you and your daughter during the meditation practice, thanks for your support
If anyone else wishes to have their name read out to be part of the retreat please let us know, your support would be appreciated.
Emc and Katrine - see you soon
Hi
Just to say the retreat was a major success.
Personally I am still reeling after it and will not say much.
What I can say is that if I did that amount of practice and experienced that much silence on my own I would be blown out of it. The group energy, opportunities to express ourselves honestly and lots of beautiful walks in the country seemed to balance us all out.
Love to all
Louis
Hi Louis:
Bravo! Have been very interested to hear when someone came up for air.
I hope more of these will be occurring around the world. From your few words, it sounds like you have the essence of it. Well run balanced retreats are not only good for the participants – they are good for everyone everywhere. The more who attend a retreat, the more penetrating the effects. It is the awesome power of human spiritual transformation in your hands.
The guru is in you.
The retreat was absolutely beautiful
The inner fullfilment coming from being able to share and commune - both silently and verbally - with fellow meditators and lovers of truth…is truly priceless.
The ripples of this retreat will touch many. I am so grateful that I was able to join it. Everybody there reflected insights I needed to hear and spilled love it was a blessing to receive - and the silence was profund for all. I have learned so much - from everyone there, from the earth, the rain, the mountains, the holly, the boardwalks, the goats, the rainbows, the monastic city, the hill and the share joy of being free to express.
Though this was a silence retreat, it never overdosed into seriousness. Which is a great blessing. I haven’t laughed this much in years, and I simply loved the spirit of Ireland.
Louis - the depth of what you have provided by facilitating this retreat will keep easily revealing itself and continue a life of its own. You provided physical space in a sacred location, proper light noursihment…and though cloudy outside the sun of meditation shines bright. The inner seeds grow…enriched with spirit they tend to selfsustain and flourish way beyond what we could ever imagine. Bless you for Baktha-Karma-AYPYogying-Mindfulnessing yourself into the point of Now . Some 2 cents you’ve got going over there/here
I am leaving for Estonia tomorrow and will chime in with more when coming back.
Yogani - none of this would have happened were it not for you. Bless you for everything.
Flying in peace (chukling)
Katrine
Thanks Katrine. yes my 2 cents was to provide the venue and the schedule yours was to facilitate the group with your profound silence and deeply penetrating insights which were always portrayed with gentleness, even if the gentleness contained a Samurai sword of truth
Bless you for being so wise and gentle and silent.
emc was brilliant also and provided me with an opportunity to work through a major block of mine, for which I am very grateful.
And thanks Yogani for making all this possible
I would encourage anyone to get together with other forumites like we did and experience whatever comes.
Will post more of the detail later.
I can just agree with the posts above. The group energy was fantastic. The days were filled with possibilities to explore Truth and Love in a lovely setting.
I am so grateful for all who enabled this retreat, and all who participated. The sharing taught me many things, and I bring with me invaluable insights for the rest of my journey!
Louis, I’m honored if my presence served you in any way! Thank you for calling me over to Ireland. As I said above: Ireland AYP-group is a beautiful composition of kindness and humour!
We were sitting at the table after dinner, all six of us and it suddenly hit me that this could go on and on. We could live like this in community. There would be a very deep silence, there would be issues coming up, triggered by each other, there would be honest dialogue and resolution.
This enforced the idea I have had for some time of starting a small community. I can’t think of a more beautiful way to live.
Whilst ordinary family life could be like this, often it is not, often the will or interest is not there by all concerned.
It is my intention to start a community like this and release this notion to the Presence, the Silence, God, the Shine