Make the most of your retreat with us
Spiritual Direction
Q. What is Spiritual Direction?
A. An invitation to speak into the silence; to listen for the quiet voice of the soul amongst the business of everyday life. Witness yourself in this sacred journey of becoming-
Spiritual direction is a contemplative exercise, whereby you sit with your guide (Jane) in silence. There is an invitation to speak ‘your soul into the silence’. Everything is permissible, and all will be witnessed and held in a compassionate, caring manner. Jane has a deep interest in people’s souls and encourages inner work through a non-judgemental and non-violent approach. There is no striving for an outcome, rather making room for one to just ‘be’ and ‘be with’ whatever arises.
The sessions usually last for 50 minutes and are held in the Worship Room at Gembrook Retreat. Jane has a particular interest in helping people connect to their deeper selves, to connect with land, with others, with God/Spirit. This can be especially beneficial during times of crisis or upheaval, when grief or loss are experienced, there is a questioning of one’s faith and/or beliefs, or relationship troubles. Being held in a calm, compassionate manner throughout the trials and tribulations can have a deeply healing effect on one’s resilience in the world.
These sessions can be offered as a once-off during a stay at the Retreat, or, as part of a more regular monthly session.
Jane is a qualified Spiritual Director/Companion through the Wellspring Centre. While Jane herself is a Christian Quaker, she welcomes anyone to her spiritual direction sessions whether you have a particular spiritual practice or not.
The invitation is to come as you are, all are welcome.
Sliding scale fee: $30/$45/$60/$75/$100 per session
Contact us below to find out more.
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“Jane waited and journeyed with me to process some stuckness in me. She was so gentle and such a good listener.” - Irene
“Highly recommend Jane as a spiritual director - she is warm, relaxed, down to earth and non-judgmental. As someone new to spiritual direction and companionship - I found her very supportive in helping me find my own words and language for my experiences and to listen to them more deeply.” - Claire
“As an atheist, spiritual direction isn’t something I ever thought I would participate in. However, when staying at Gembrook Retreat I listened to an instinct to book a session with Jane, and am so glad I did. She is very warm, wise and skilled, and provides a nurturing container in which to explore self and spirit. Her spiritual direction is offered openly and authentically, without alignment to any religion or spiritual orientation. The sessions so far have led to insights and understanding that I still carry with me. Very highly recommended.” - Julia