4 – 12 Jan 2020: Compassionate Communication (NVC) Canoe Journey

JOIN us from the 4th – 12th of January 2020 and bring in the New Year in a new way.

A holistic adventure for adults 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

Delicious Nutritious Food for your entire stay – Featuring: Local, Organic, Sustainable produce

Wilderness Camping under more than 5 stars, with nights spent relaxing by the fire

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 river has 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.

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.

The prerequisite for this retreat is prior attendance at a NVC 2 day foundation training or equivalent. 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. For a list of trainings, go to www.nvcaustralia.com Talk to us if you can’t make one of these, there may be other options.

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.

The retreat will be facilitated by Caitlin Clare, Kate Raffin, Tegan Cork & Laura Stampa.

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 to www.hearttalkmatters.com

Caitlin is a Zenthai Shiatsu and Biodynamic Craniosacral therapist, NVC mediator and adventurer into the nature of all things. In 2018 she immersed into both a white water canoeing journey with Tegan and Laura, and also the NVC expedition into Kakadu with Kate and Cassie Newnes. And from the profound experience of these journeys grew a vision to merge the two. This was achieved with our first collaboration in January this year. Living out her dream to combine the support and connection of NVC with the thrill and challenge of white water canoeing and the peace and simplicity of life on the river. It was so magic we all want to do it again.

Head over to BOOK YOUR JOURNEY to secure your spot or contact us below if you have any questions

This experience is a beautiful opportunity for individuals, couples, family members, and friends to deepen and nourish relationship. Deep growth and connection is available by immersing together into nature whilst developing supportive communication practices.

"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