Scottish Highlands – October 7 to 14 2023
Mindfulness in Nature and Forest Therapy Retreat
Read testimonials about our Forest Therapy program
Venue:
The Old Farm – Invermoriston
This beautiful 50 acre estate right on the shore of mystical Loch Ness near Invermoriston, provides plenty of space and nature, a perfect mindfulness retreat setting. Two historical buildings in this Farm complex will be available to us, The Bothy and The Granary, both very popular vacation rentals on Trip Advisor.
Right on the shores of Loch Ness and its mysterious beauty.
During the weeklong immersion in mindfulness and nature, we will take frequent breaks and visit different sanctuaries in the area, such as the spacious and quiet beach near Dores, a very picturesque village on the north end of Loch Ness.
Of course, there are plenty of castles in Scotland, the tourist in you will enjoy our visit to the nearest one to our venue, the Urqhart Castle on the North-West side of the Loch. It is mostly in ruins but it sparks the imagination of the thousands of visitors year round.
The Loch Ness is quite amazing, the busier North-West side with a handful of small villages offering travelers their picturesque sights and local delicacies, and the more rustique and quiet South-East side of the Loch (lake), chosen by travellers looking for peaceful spots and wilder nature.
A full day outing to visit Isle of Skye, breath-taking views of sea and sky, with tremendous spiritual “nutrients” in the air.
More details below the pricing information
Dates:
October 7th to 14th 2023.
What’s Included
1- Retreat component:
Mindfulness & Shinrin Yoku (Forest Therapy) Program
• Daily mindfulness meditation sessions
• Daily mindfulness in nature and forest bathing sessions
• Mindful-Creative Writing session
• One on one coaching sessions (limited time slots available)
2- Vacation component:
Accommodation, Meals, Excursions & Airport Shuttle Service
• Prosecco and bonfire evenings
• Full day excursion to Isle of Skye featuring the splendour of this natural wonder
• Half day outings to historical Port Augustus, Urquhart Castle & town of Drumnadrochit
• Tea/coffee breaks with snacks
• 6 nights’ accommodation
• Pick up and drop off to and from Inverness airport/train station
• Use of surrounding forest and gardens for solitude walks
• Group activities and outdoor games
- Meals & beverages:
Highland’s inspired recipes, freshly cooked on site, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Snacks provided during morning and afternoon tea and coffee breaks. Selection of tea & coffee. Bottled water. Selection of European wines will be included with dinner at no extra cost. Domestic non-alcoholic beverages are also included.
- Shuttle to Inverness Airport or Main Train Station:
Arriving and departing guests will be provided with transportation services between The Old Farm in Invermoriston and Inverness Airport or main Train Station (one hour each way).
- Half and full day outings to Isle of Skye, and around the Loch Ness.
Excursions to Isle of Skye, Port Augustus, Urquhart Castle & the town of Drumnadrochit.
- Accommodations at the Old Farm in Invermoriston:
Old Farm Cottages on Loch Ness – The Bothy, The Granary and The Farm Cottage are highly rated vacation rentals on Trip-Advisor.
Packages
1- The Bothy: Shared entire vacation rental with 1 other guest: £ 1,799*
2- The Farm Cottage:
a- Queen Room: Queen size bed: £ 1,599*
b- Twin Room: Two twin size beds: £ 1,549
3- The Granary:
a- King size or two twin beds, ensuite individual shower stalls and basins: £ 1,699
b- Queen size bed + single bed: £ 1,649
All prices are per person for the 7 day, 6 night vacation retreat
* Double occupancy prices. Require a minimum of two people signing up for that particular package.
Items NOT included: Airfare to/from Inverness, additional activities at excursion destinations (Boat rides, bicycle rentals, third party guided tours, admission to Museums, food or drinks not part of our package.
If you are interested let us know here
You will not be charged anything at this point
More information…
Retreat Element:
In the midst of a hectic and stressful life, one often feels disconnected from the body, its movements and sensory perceptions. The tendency is to live in our heads and get lost in our thoughts, detached from our senses. Feeling scattered and pulled in opposing directions by daily challenges seems like the new norm.
By practicing mindfulness in nature, in stillness and in motion we can reconquer our inner resources. Learning to anchor ourselves in our body, fully aware of our movements, and sensory perceptions provides us with reliable spaces to rest our exhausted minds. Mindfulness in nature plays a vital part in this process of finding back to our true selves.
We can come back to our natural selves, to our innate sense of ease and peace even in the middle of the strongest life storm.
The seminar element offers training on mindfulness practices, supported by guided meditation practices. We will also include Mindfulness in Nature practice and forest bathing, contemplation and study of topics around mindfulness and mindful self-compassion. This year, we will also have our friend and author Simona Ondrejkova on board, who will lead mindful-creative writing session.
Morning and Afternoon practice sessions to be held outdoors, weather permitting.
Evening activities include your choice of enjoying The Farm House’s grounds; joining informal evening sessions explaining the history of the area; sitting around a bonfire; poetic readings or any other bonding activities the group may be interested in. If you play a musical instrument or have any performing talents you’d like to share, this would be a great opportunity to do so. An alternate option would be to immerse yourself in the immediate surroundings, 50 acres of park and forest, which offer a great space for solitude and contemplation.
Vacation Element:
Full-day and half-day outings are planned to various nearby destinations during the seminar week, as well as an optional 2 day extension, offering full day outings to Inverness and the famous Findhorn Ecovillage.
By the Loch Ness, we will visit the villages along the road from the north end to the south end of Loch Ness. 
These villages offer the Highland’s hospitality with unique food and a very large variety of scotch whiskies. These villages are Drumnadrochit on the North-West side, about half way down the lake, Invermoriston almost at the south end and Fort Augustus at the very south point of the lake, where there is a set of locks allowing navigation of small and medium size vessels from lake to lake all the way from the Atlantic to the North Sea.
Isle of Skye
We will have a whole day trip to Isle of Skye and stopping along the way to visit one of the most complete castles in the area, Eilean Donan Castle on Loch Duich.
Local Highlands’ food (and spirits!)
This week packed with amazing activities will be complemented by freshly made, exquisite locally inspired meals, from regional fresh ingredients. Wines from Italy, Germany, Austria or Spain will be served at no extra cost during the evening meals. And of course, we can’t leave out a little taste of the best whiskey in the planet.
