There are many stories and quotes from astronauts describing their seeing earth from deep space, of seeing a small blue fragile sphere, the earth – our earth. For some this sighting of our earth was a life-changing experience.

For Ed Mitchell, Apollo 14, seeing it surrounded by space, triggered what he describes as an experience of connectedness – of everything from planets to bodies to thoughts. Astronaut Bill Anders from Apollo 8 said “we came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.” And he also said that the Earth is really small. “We’re not the centre of the universe… but it is our home and we need to take care of it.”

What is it is to be human in our world of today and be able to care for and to become guardians of our earth, instead of only users and plunderers of its gifts?

Land, Sea, City & Self is an environmental workshop / retreat for those of you who are involved in or passionate about the environment and the earth that we live on. This is a workshop for anyone involved in environment, whether or not you may be attending the SOA Summit. These two environmentally focused events (SOA and LSC&S) are not either or – these two different ways of approaching issues of environmental sustainability feed into and off each other. The Land, Sea, City & Self weekend workshop will use an experiential way of working with environmental issues.

about the workshop

We live within a network of connections, yet often the information contained within these living groupings or systems is invisible to our everyday senses. In our thinking mode, the art of tapping into the wisdom of living systems, this other way of accessing the knowledge contained in a system, has fallen into disuse.

Over this weekend we will collectively awaken these senses that come before thinking – these often unused sensing abilities. We will also use a technique of mapping out a picture of a particular issue that will show the relationships between the players and elements of the grouping or system that the issue is embedded in.

The Hearth & Soul Eco-farm, in the Overberg, amidst an expanse of fynbos, wetlands and mountains is the venue. It offers a stillness and spaciousness in which to explore the very complex issues and choices that confront us in our world.

Some of what you may take away with you:

Peace and ease and a deep stillness that you can take with you into the work week
Information feedback that will feed into and inform your organisational structures and business frameworks such as ethical structure, policy making and communication processes
Surprising information revealed about the relationships that you and your organisation have with your clients, or with the groups that you enable
Physical experience of a variety of different environments and issues

And a deeper experiential knowing of how we can impact on our environments in the best ways possible for us and for the environments that we inhabit, be they land, sea, city, and of course, ourselves.

the people

Robyn Lewis of The Inner Process has a deep personal connection to place and space. In 2000 she moved provinces to be able to live between mountain and sea, in Cape Town. “Through the years this connection [to space, place] has supported, delighted, enriched, resourced, excited and brought awe into my life”.

Wendy Annecke will open a collective fireside story-telling on Friday evening beginning with her own stories, weaving through many years of working in sustainable energy and conservation in Africa. She describes herself thus: “Woman, mother, dawdler, environmentalist, friend, dawdler, gender activist, african, shell collector, workacholic, dawdler and lover of big spaces.”

Johann Kotze will offer morning yoga sessions before breakfast. He has over 20 years of studying and experience teaching yoga. He stresses the simplicity of yoga, using it as a practical tool to ground the body.

Ginette de Fleuriot will offer movement / dance in the evenings after supper, leading sessions of moving meditation that encourage a centring of mind and body.

Both the above are optional, but both these body-based offerings will be useful tools for keeping us “in our bodies” and literally grounded and calmly energised for the work that we will do.

Together, with Hearth & Soul, they will offer an inspirational and engaging journey toward new ways of experiencing the unknown – most importantly, interwoven with fun, food and movement.

To book a place on the retreat please check out the website. For more information about the Systemic Constellations work or the facilitator contact Robyn 021 788 1101 / 083 260 5567 or visit the Inner Process page on Facebook.