Let’s Go Forward Together
Written by Terence Gilbey, CEO of the Findhorn Foundation
The team and I have just returned from a great week spent working at our retreat location on the small island of Erraid, just off of the Isle of Mull on Scotland’s west coast. Joined by a group of permaculture specialists from the Netherlands and friends from the Findhorn Park Ecovillage, we partnered with our in-residence Erraid community for an intensive effort to make final preparations for the 12th April launch of Experience Week on the island. Twenty-five people in total, we worked together preparing and planting the gardens, harvesting seaweed, building cold frame greenhouses and completing any needed building repairs and improvements. It was a great time of shared chores, purposeful action, and co-creation with nature. The old farmstead and soil joyfully welcomed us and flourished under the care and love everyone gave to it.
We started our garden week with a beautiful gathering to which we invited friends from the neighbouring Isle of Mull and former members of the Erraid community.
As we worked side by side, chatting, sharing, and getting to know one another, I was reminded of the saying, ‘many hands make light work’. Rather than focusing on the traditional interpretation – that several people together accomplish a task sooner – I found myself reflecting on the idea of ‘light’ work as a way to describe the joyful, collaborative, and fun energy that emerged from the group when we came together in community. As the days went by, I actually felt lighter and freer in myself as I joined in to do my part. Although we were busy each day and I was tired by nighttime, being outside in the fresh sea air, moving my body, seeing the fruits of our labor, opening up to others, and having fun with everyone was rejuvenating and nourishing. As they say, ‘sometimes a change is as good as a break!’
Terry and two of the Dutch guests are building a new cold frame to keep Erraid’s seedlings warm and protected.
Now that I have returned from the island and am settling back into my daily routine, I am struck by the realisation that we just completed our own Experience Week. As discussed in my February article, New Experiences Can Change Your Life, the week helped me to feel more present, activated my senses in a new way, opened me to creative possibilities, and encouraged me to deepen my connection to myself, the others in the group, to nature and to spirit. As a result, I find I am feeling more embodied, more grounded, and less reactive. I am seeing the beauty of spring outside my window more clearly and appreciating my family more. I am breathing deeper, facing each day with greater hope, and smiling regularly. It is refreshing and enlivening.
There is no doubt that part of my experience was impacted by the magic of the island itself. Erraid is a very special place. Although only one square mile in size and located just across the channel from the sacred island of Iona – on a clear day you can see the Erraid lighthouse keeper cottages from Iona – Erraid is a quiet, remote, rugged place. Formed of granite estimated to be 420 million years old, the island has ancient energy and a resonant presence. In his article, The Light in the Rock: A Journey to Erraid, our Director of Education, Andrew Powell, describes it this way:
“Erraid demands presence, truth and surrender … [it holds] echoes of those who have come seeking – seeking community, connection, and a return to something deeper than the fleeting grasp of modern life … a place to surrender to the song of trees and rock, moss and sea. ”
The settlement on the Isle of Erraid: a row of former lighthouse keepers’ cottages and food producing gardens. Just as the lighthouse keepers in the olden days, we aspire to hold the light.
On Erraid, the Findhorn Foundation community lives in a stunning collection of eight, historic cottages shaped out of granite quarried from the island, and surrounded by walled gardens and windswept hills. Built as housing for the region’s lighthouse-keepers and their families in the mid 1800s, the cottages already had over a century of history before becoming home to a group from the Findhorn Foundation in the late 1970s. (1)(2)
For decades, community life on the island has been lived simply and sustainably in deep connection with the land and each other. Food is grown in the gardens, houses are warmed with wood stoves, eggs are harvested from the chickens, and laundry is dried on lines fluttering in the breeze. It is the perfect location for the (re)launch of the Findhorn Foundation Experience Week programme, where participants are invited to leave their ‘normal life’ behind for a period and join into the flow of the community to learn the principles and practices of the Findhorn Foundation. Modelling a sort of ‘everyday spirituality’, Experience Week is an immersive programme that weaves community, presence, and sacredness together within the container of day-to-day life on the island. Whether planting seeds in the earth or partaking in group reflections, every moment becomes an opportunity for mindful presence, spiritual alignment, and heartfelt connection. (3)
Before we start our ‘Work as Love in Action’, we hold hands to attune together.
Connection is an essential component of what we teach and practice at the Findhorn Foundation. We believe that deep connection to self, others, nature and spirit are essential components of wellbeing and resilience. In previous articles we have explored the resiliency that comes from connecting to oneself through inner work, meditation, and gratitude, and have shared how enchantment, awe, and attunement, are ways to shift perspective, come into coherence with the rhythm of life, and connect more fully with inner wisdom and spirit. My recent experience on Erraid reminded me of the power of connecting to others.
“Connection is why we’re here. We are hardwired to connect with others, it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.”
Studies on the effects of social interaction show it has numerous benefits for people, including improved mental wellbeing, reduced risk of chronic disease and illness, enhanced cognitive function, lower stress, better moods, and a more positive outlook on life. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with stronger social bonds have a 50% increased likelihood of survival than those who have fewer social connections. (5) Even the smallest interaction can have an impact, as shown in the research of psychologist Nicholas Epley, who found that simply talking with someone on a train or bus resulted in significantly more positive feelings and greater happiness than was felt by those who remained silent. (6) Yet in today’s world, we often choose isolation over connection, even knowing that being lonely or socially isolated is associated with poorer health, depression, and increased risk for early death. As Epley explains:
“A fundamental paradox at the core of human life is that we are highly
social and made better in every way by being around people … And yet over
and over, we have opportunities to connect that we don’t take, or even actively reject, and it is a terrible mistake.”
Tea breaks, meal times, meditations and morning circles on Erraid are some of the spaces where we come together to connect on a daily basis.
In the January 2025 publication of The Atlantic Monthly, the lead story, The Anti-Social Century, offers a riveting exploration of the sociocultural trends leading toward greater isolation. In his article, writer Derek Thompson explains that Americans, across all demographic categories, are spending more time alone and in their homes now (even if on a phone or computer) than in any period for which there is data. As a result, the way people interact with each other is changing and the social institutions and gathering places that flourished in the first half of the twentieth century – such as libraries, social clubs, churches, and community centers – are in dramatic decline. Moreover, technological innovations have allowed us to have more leisure time than ever before, and most are choosing to spend that time on screens. This is especially concerning for the healthy development of children. The Digital Parenthood Initiative reports that global social media use has surged by 20% since 2020 and kids aged 8-18 years are spending an average of 7.5 hours daily on screens. Thompson suggests that as a society we are overdosing on solitude and – as a result – anxiety, depression, divisiveness, disempowerment, and loneliness are rising. To underscore this, he points to the TikTok cancel plans meme showing the faux disappointment/secret celebration of young people when a friend cancels plans and the recipient is left free to luxuriate in the isolation they truly wanted to begin with so they can binge a show, read a book, cuddle with a dog or curl up in bed. Ironically, it seems people are avoiding social interactions in an attempt to counter feelings of overwhelm and fatigue, even while that isolation may be the culprit behind their malaise. According to Thompson, (7)
“The individual preference for solitude, scaled up across society and exercised repeatedly over time, is rewiring America’s civil and psychic identity. And the consequences are far-reaching for our happiness, our communities, our politics, and even our understanding of reality … self-imposed solitude might just be the most important social fact of the 21st century.”
After reading Thompson’s article, I felt a bit humbled. I can certainly see a pattern toward greater isolation in my own life, a pattern I had dismissed after rationalising that it was a result of my introverted personality, workload, and aging. But if I am honest with myself, I can see how, like an insidious blight, I have allowed isolation and screen time to sneak into my life. I recall times when I have told myself that alone-time would help me feel better, avoided a conversation with someone on the train because it felt like too much effort to engage, and secretly celebrated the delay of a social engagement, all the while believing that at some point in the future I would begin to feel energised and ready to re-engage. Yet the research is pretty clear and it says that the opposite is happening – the more I isolate, the less connected I am to others, and the more I will suffer the negative mental and physical outcomes of that.
My time with the team on Erraid was a good wake-up-call for me. Although I could easily find time to be by myself on the island, the very nature of being in community pushed me to be more socially connected, and the more I connected with others, the better I felt.
The bell calls us to come together. Whenever anyone walks along the street with a bell, it is time to meet.
For decades, one of the greatest transformational aspects of Experience Week has been the group itself. Being in a group brings with it both challenges and gifts, and I understand how that might feel intimidating. But at Findhorn we know that by stepping outside of our comfort zone and engaging with diverse individuals, we develop a greater capacity for compassion and understanding, both for others and for ourselves. We are able to see our beliefs, behaviours and impact more clearly when reflected back to us, and having a collective purpose helps one break free from reductive mental loops and focus on what is best for everyone. Being in community teaches tolerance and understanding, encourages empathy, and fosters a sense of wellbeing and belonging; all of which are essential for true resilience. In the World Happiness Report’s article, Connecting with others: How Social Connections Improve the Happiness of Young Adults, they simply say:
Happiness is fundamentally social.
Do a quick survey of your own life right now. How would you score yourself on connection to self? Connection to others? Connection to nature? And connection to spirit?
Meditating in Erraid’s sanctuary with a magnificent view over the sea to Iona offers a wonderful opportunity of connecting to self, others, spirit and nature.
Like me, do you see a pattern toward greater isolation in your life? Are you suffering from resilience fatigue, weariness, and ennui? Do you feel overwhelmed, avoidant, anxious, and/or disconnected? Most importantly, what are you willing to do about it?
If you would like to reset some of the patterns in your life by experiencing a total change of pace, get a new perspective on who you are and what is possible for you, and build connections with people from around the world IRL, I would invite you to join us on the beautiful West Coast of Scotland this summer. Experience Week on the Isle of Erraid and Spirit of Iona on the Isle of Iona are both transformative programmes that emphasise community, connection, and consciousness. They are set in beautiful, rustic locations of rich historical significance which lend themselves to immersion in nature (and the sea), digital detox, pilgrimage, meditation, authentic engagement, and true rest and recovery. (8) Even more, because the locations are quite close to one another, you can easily extend one programme into the next if you would like to spend more than one week living in community and experience the energy of both islands.
Attuning before lunch in Erraid’s gardens, from where you can spot our retreat house ‘Traigh Bhan’ on Iona.
It is said that: (9)
“If you want to go fast, go alone;
If you want to go far, go together.”
At the Findhorn Foundation, we believe in the healing power of going together. Come join us in Scotland this summer and transform your life.
(1) The isle of Erraid, together with its cottages, is owned by the Van der Sluis family from the Netherlands, who have generously partnered with the Findhorn Foundation to support a residential community on the island since 1978.
(2) For an excellent overview of the story of Erraid, see the book, Erraid: The Story of an Island (1999), by Carol Riddell and Julia Apland Hitz (published by Findhorn Press).
(3) To read about the impact of Experience Week, see the article, The Magic of Experience Week by our Director of Communications, Britta Schmitz.
(4) Dr. Brené Brown is an academic researcher and personal-growth teacher around topics of courage, vulnerability, empathy, and shame.
(5) “Social Connection,” U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention; “Five Surprising Health Benefits to Socializing with Others,” Summa Health (Dec 4, 2023);
(6) As quoted in”The Anti-Social Century” (February 2025), The Atlantic, by Derek Thompson; Original research article: Epley, N., & Schroeder, J. (2014, July 14). Mistakenly Seeking Solitude. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0037323.
(7) ”The Anti-Social Century” (February 2025), The Atlantic, by Derek Thompson; Amanpour & Company Interview of Derek Thompson about the “Anti-Social Century” article.
(8) Resilience is not about endurance and ‘pushing through” it is about finding ways to truly recharge. The key to resilience is trying really hard, then stopping and recovering, before trying again. https://hbr.org/2016/06/resilience-is-about-how-you-recharge-not-how-you-endure
(9) The origin of this proverb has been widely contested. It is often generally attributed to ‘an African proverb’ as well as various politicians and speakers. Some believe it is a response to a Rudyard Kipling poem that says, ‘He travels the fastest who travels alone.’ In his analysis of the phrase, data scientist Andrew Whitby finds connections to various African regions as well as a direct quote in the 2004 book, Choose the Life, by Bill Hull.
