Are you searching for an experience to shake up your life, realign you with what feels important and allow you to discover a new way of being?

Join us on a Wilderness immersion like no other, delving deep into the art of authentic connection.

Checkout this video captured on our 2023 journey:

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Come join us and rediscover yourself

During our Morning Wellness Sessions, tapping into ancient techniques for body-mind-soul alignment
While also being supported to process big emotions and actively reflect on your life, your longings, the stories you carry and the strategies you use to meet your needs
And by nurturing your body with delicious, fresh, local, organic food

Rediscover your sense of Community

Through daily Nonviolent Communication practice to deepen connection
Immersed in the joys and challenges of communal living, as we travel downstream as a tribe carrying everything we need to survive and thrive and live a simple nomadic co-existence
3 sessions post-trip and a buddy practice to support reintegration into your home life and all the complexities that involves
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Your connection to Nature

Plenty of rivers, rapids and remoteness - we'll take you places you can only get to by canoe
Wilderness campsites with more than 5 stars 
Fresh air to breathe, fresh water to drink, trees to hug and creatures to admire
Opportunities for growth, some planned and others emerging from the unpredictable nature of travelling through the wilderness

Trip Details

Compassionate Communication (NVC) Canoe Journey Oct 30-Nov 7th 2024

Our holistic paddling adventures for adults are designed to rejuvenate your mind, body and soul.

9 days, 8 nights of compassionate connection including….

Daily sessions to facilitate and deepen our Nonviolent Communication with qualified NVC facilitator Kate Raffin

Qualified & experienced Whitewater Instructors & Guides to keep you safe on the water

The brief:

Being in canoes creates a platform for a much more intimate understanding of self and the water. It is not like the gun-ho, guided experience of a rafting adventure. Instead boats are paddled in pairs, facilitating an opportunity for participants to develop trust, communication and understanding with their canoeing partners, as well as experiencing first hand the outcome of their paddling decisions.

The Nymboida & Clarence Rivers have a safe drop-pool style, so capsizes and mistakes are harmless fun, and there is ample room to collect our wits and process our experiences in the calm pools below.

The excitement of the rapids is well complemented by the peaceful, pristine, natural gorges that engulf us as we venture further downstream. Wilderness campsites, far from civilisation, provide the backdrop for impressive stargazing opportunities as we commune around the campfire by night.

The retreat will be facilitated by Kate Raffin & the JOIN Team .

Kate’s first language is colour. She comes with over 12 years experience mediator, facilitator and trainer and has been a practicing artist since she could hold a crayon. She is a certified trainer with the Centre for Nonviolent Communication www.cnvc.org and is an animator with Play in the Wild – initiations into Nonviolence for youth, educators and families www.playinthewild.org . Kate’s work and passion highlights the power we have to represent our true longings in ways that inspire connection through engagement with life and each other. Kate brings an appreciation for the human challenges of ‘being nonviolence’ as well as inspiration and courage for real change in our lives –CREATIVELY. To see more about Kate go towww.hearttalkmatters.com
The investment - $3300 pp, Early bird price of $100 off ends Aug 16th

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Prior experience

The prerequisite for this retreat

The prerequisite for these journeys is a familiarity with NVC : by attending a NVC 2-day foundation training or equivalent. This might include (but is not limited to) completing the Ongo book – doing at least 90% of the practices, joining us on the NVC canoe adventures in Jan 2019 or 2021 or Bushwalking Retreats in either 2018 or 2019 or running and participating in practice groups with an sincere effort.

Arriving with some understanding of NVC helps people to benefit from each moment of the retreat (not just the sessions). Kate will offer us all an experiential style of integrated practices that support learning NVC in ways that are lively, relevant, engaging and deeply enriching.  

To qualify, come join one of Kate Raffin's upcoming intro courses:

http://hearttalkmatters.com/

Kate is also running an online ONGO group this year.

NVC trainers Bridget O'Donnell from Restore Connect and Alistair Mckinnon from Conscious Directions both also offer training and have joined us on our previous Compassionate Canoe Journeys, so they will have extra insights to offer you directly related to their experience.

For a list of other trainings, go to www.nvcaustralia.com

Alternatively Mukti runs a great Connection essentials online course, a good option for if you are trying to squeeze in some experience before January! 

Nonviolent Communication (NVC), was founded by Marshall Rosenberg in the 1960s. It is grounded in consciousness, language, communication skills, and uses of power that enable us to remain connected to everyone’s humanity, even under trying conditions. Nonviolent Communication contains nothing new: all that has been integrated into NVC has been known for centuries. The intent is to remind us about what we already know – about how we humans are meant to relate to one another – and to assist us in living in a way that concretely manifests this knowledge.

If your canoe experience is limited, don’t stress: no paddling experience is required and beginners are welcome! We will teach everyone the skills, features and safety tips needed to give whitewater canoeing ago. An open-mind, positive outlook and sense of adventure, will be all you need to bring. This section of river is perfect for developing canoeing skills, as there are easier grade 1 and 2 rapids for the first few days, allowing time for solid skill development, and little consequence for mistakes. As the journey continues and your skills improve we will approach  some more challenging grade 3 elements to paddle and grade 4 rapids to portage (walk around). A great progression in physical challenge will be equally matched by a journey deeper into our understanding of ourselves and the way we can effectively communicate with others. To get the most out of the adventure, it's great if you have a reasonable level of aerobic fitness and upper body/core strength (able to sit and paddle for 3-6hrs) as well as a willingness/preparedness that you may fall out of your canoe and float down a rapid or two. It's helpful if you are able to walk on uneven, sllppery surfaces at times, sometimes dragging or floating a canoe with other team members if a portage (walking around a rapid) is required. A great attitude and open-mind will set you up for success

Do I need to be super fit?

To get the most out of the adventure, it's great if you have a reasonable level of aerobic fitness and upper body/core strength (able to sit and paddle for 3-6hrs) as well as a willingness/preparedness that you may fall out of your canoe and float down a rapid or two. It's helpful if you are able to walk on uneven, slippery surfaces at times, sometimes dragging or floating a canoe with other team members if a portage (walking around a rapid) is required. In saying this, we are able to modify and support additional needs, so contact us if you have any questions on adaptation.

A great attitude and open-mind will set you up for success

What others who joined us had to say to those thinking about taking the leap:
"Do it!  It’s a fantastic way to connect yourself through the magic wonder medicine in the outdoors. The journey is challenging but momentously beneficial to growth and understanding.A gentle unwinding into natural flow." Bronte Glasby

"Be open, prepared to examine your inner landscape, and allow yourself to be challenged to grow."  Paul

"I’m taking away presence, connection, friendships, inspiration, direction forward, better understanding of rapids and group voyages. Also awesome ideas for food options and for travels.Definitely do it. If you want to meet great people, enjoy restaurant quality food, whilst enjoying the simplicity of nature and the fun of white water canoeing in a team learning to deepen relationships and connection." Sonia
"I came back feeling a little bit more in love with life" Sayaka