Donald and Britta share about what they are looking forward to experiencing during our winter retreats on the sacred island.

Our cosy retreat house Traigh Bhan on the northern shores of Iona, an island of the Inner Hebrides on the west coast of Scotland.

For Donald winter at Traigh Bhan will be a new experience as he only visited the house for the first time this summer, and hasn’t experienced the darkest part of the year on the island yet. Britta has been visiting Traigh Bhan regularly each winter over the past years and deeply loves the peaceful magic and stillness of island life during this quiet time of the year. Many of the pictures in this blog are from her winters on Iona.

This is what we are dreaming into this winter …

Donald

For me going to Iona is one of these special moments in time where everything just seems to slow down enough to experience the really important things in life, like an inner connection with myself and the divine, which allows me to enter a space for deeper contemplation and emotional healing. On Iona I feel my curiosity for the mystery of living a spiritual life in alignment with the divine – which I have had sporadic glimpses of – is easily accessible for me.

The ease with which I feel able to connect to the higher realms on Iona is summed up perfectly by Dorothy Maclean, one of the co-founders of the Findhorn Foundation in her book, To Hear the Angels Sing:

‘These higher emotions or qualities are immediately evident when contacting any level of the angelic world, and to come into the presence of such joy, love, purity, lightness or peace is to feel completely refreshed and new, yet deeply at home,’

– page 59

Britta

I am very much looking forward to wintering on Iona this November; to immersing myself into the mystery and magic of this special isle, where the veils between the worlds are so thin, that it has been a place of deep-rooted spirituality, worship, and pilgrimage from what feels like a time beyond time.

Iona radiates its own unique atmosphere and I am looking forward to sharing this energy field with others. I especially love the quiet magic of wintertime on the island at the end of the world and for the past years I have spent time at Traigh Bhan each winter.

A group of Experience Facilitators at Traigh Bhan this summer: Britta, Donald (holding Anka the mini labradoodle), Ellie, Fi, and Andrew

The wintry rhythms of Traigh Bhan

I love the quiet winter rhythms of Traigh Bhan. Keeping a place of quiet until our morning meditation. Waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked bread, the warmth in the kitchen, where Robbie the Rayburn stove keeps the whole house cosy and warm. Sitting down in the sunroom with the first cup of coffee or tea and watching the sunrise over the garden, the sea and mountains. Watching the cows, sheep, geese just outside the window relaxing into their day.

Morning meditation in the wonderful sanctuary. Sharing with the others how we are doing and how we intend to spend our day. Immersing myself deeper into the silence, the peace, the energies of the island through long walks, visits to the Abbey, the highest point of the island – Dun-I and the Well of Eternal Youth, Columba’s Bay in the south, and other sacred sites of the island. Connecting to people in the local community in the small atmospheric shops. Spending time outside until the nights draw in. Cooking the evening meal, blessing the food, sharing with the others how their day has been and which experiences they cherished the most. Practising Love in Action while doing the dishes and taking care of the house. Finding time for spiritual practice alone and within the small group. Sharing in the cosy darkness lit by candles. Inviting others to join us for our Wednesday’s Network of Light Meditation, followed by tea, cake, and chats. Having a small bonfire in the garden while watching the stars …

How lovely it is to delve in the memories of the many times I have experienced the magical embrace of the island in wintertime, and how much I am looking forward to experiencing it again soon …

A brief moment of winter magic

One of my favourite memories is when, one starlit winter’s night quite late, I took out my little dog, Anka, into the garden, and all of a sudden I heard the angels sing! I was absolutely stunned as I clearly heard the most beautiful singing. For a moment I got slightly worried, because there I was at the end of the world in the garden of a small house in the middle of a field by the sea, and I hear the angels sing … Luckily it dawned on me that what I was hearing was the singing from the Abbey; it must have been just the right weather conditions to carry the sound to me so that it felt that I was closely surrounded by singing. What a breathtaking, unforgettable moment!

Wild winter weather

And of course there were also times when the weather wasn’t still and sunny, when big storms were rattling the house and the rain lashed at the windows, the sea roaring with ‘white horses’ jumping towards the shore, and big waves crashing against the rocks. I remember one time where the whole house was shaking for a few days, while a big storm was blowing. I vividly recall how we were meditating in the sanctuary being gently shaken by the wind each day … What an experience!

There is one thing all of my stays at Traigh Bhan have in common – each time has been amazing, special, and deeply nourishing! So I am very much looking forward to going again this November, and sharing this experience with some of you!

Sending lots of Love,

Donald and Britta xxx

P.S. Anka (my mini labradoodle) is looking forward to the retreat too. She loves running on the beach, but most of all she loves laying on the couch in the conservatory while the sun is warming her coat. I believe she likes the view too.

Britta x

If you would like to suprise yourself with a last minute present to yourself, then come and join us for our winter retreat on Iona. We have one space left. Please find more information here:

Our Experiences

Iona Dreaming