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Advent Retreat : Living Takes Time

Laurence Freeman

Leader

Laurence Freeman

Laurence Freeman is a monk of the Benedictine Congregation of Monte Oliveto. He is the Director of Bonnevaux and of The World Community for Christian Meditation.

Other Leaders

Giovanni Felicioni
Giovanni Felicioni

Giovanni Felicioni is the Associate Director of Bonnevaux Centre for Peace, the international home of the WCCM. He has been involved with the WCCM since its inception, serves on its Guiding Board and is a Benedictine Oblate. Before his role at Bonnevaux, Giovanni’s professional career spanned 30 years as a bodyworker, movement instructor and therapist in London and Europe. He studied yoga with visionary and pioneer Mary Stewart (Vanda Scaravelli) and regularly taught on her London-based Yoga Teacher Training. He is a certified Advanced RolferR, a Rolf Movement™ practitioner and has served on the faculty of the Rolf Institute since 2000. Giovanni taught for Independent Dance, founded in London by Siobhan Davies, Gill Clarke and Fiona Milward. He taught the Masters in Creative Practice at Trinity Laban, run by Independent Dance and Siobhan Davies Dance. He was also a contributor at the PAL, Movement and Meaning laboratories, founded by Gill Clark and Susan Benn. In 2012 He founded the British Academy of Rolfing in London. Most importantly, these 30 years of personal research into the relationship between touch, movement, awareness and contemplation led him to over two decades of study with movement scientist Hubert Godard during Hubert's development of Tonic Function Theory.

This spiritual season reminds us that living takes time.

Date

Dec 06 - 11 2022

Location

Bonnevaux - On the Ground

International meditation and retreat centre of The World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM).

This spiritual season reminds us that living takes time.  The speed and stress of today’s world can arrest our human development and block the stages of growth.  Preparing for Christmas in a contemplative spirit allows us to see how the conception, birth and growth of Jesus are inner personal realities to become conscious of.  In this retreat Laurence Freeman will reflect on how Christ is formed in us and suggest ways to make meditation, reading and daily incarnational practices sources of nourishment for this emerging self.

The retreat integrates into a peaceful daily rhythm the essential elements: morning, midday and evening meditation within a simple form of the Liturgy of the Hours, guided lectio divina (sacred reading), contemplative Eucharist, talks by Laurence Freeman, yoga led by Giovanni Felicioni, time for solitude in a beautiful natural setting, building spiritual friendship and opportunity for personal guidance.

All our events taking place at Bonnevaux offer an opportunity to discover the rich cultural and historical French and European heritage of the 12th-century Abbaye de Bonnevaux, as well as to explore the varied and natural beauty of the land which we cultivate as a model of ecological responsibility.

Arrival and Departure

ARRIVAL: 06 December, check-in : 14:00 – 17:00

DEPARTURE: 11 December, 14:00

Contribution for the Retreat

CONTRIBUTION FOR THE RETREAT WITH FULL ROOM AND BOARD – 775

5 days with room, board and instruction

Registration Opens Soon

The prices reflect the need to achieve self sufficiency. Therefore if you’re able to give a little more we would be very grateful. If you need a concession please let us know. We do not turn anybody away for lack of resource. 

MEMBERSHIP FEE ** – 10€

Membership fee is paid once per year, valid strictly from Jan – Dec.

** by French law you must be a ‘member‘ of the charity (association ABP) Abbaye de Bonnevaux – Centre Pour la Paix in order to participate at an on-the-ground event at Bonnevaux – 86370 Marçay, France. 

Membership is non-binding. It simply means that you are invited to attend the annual general meeting if you wish and that you may receive information about our events during the year.

The Abbey of Bonnevaux is the spiritual home of the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) which includes a Conference and Retreat Centre dedicated to peace. The on-the-ground activities of the Abbey are organized under the responsibility of l’Association Abbaye de Bonnevaux – Centre pour le Paix (ABP).  The Association, which is governed by the French law of 1st July 1901, is registered in Poitiers under the reference RNA: W863007299. 
Address : Bonnevaux, 86370 Marçay, France.
Phone number : 06 33 43 71 71 / 06 61 96 57 74.
José Pype (President of the Association); Giovanni Felicioni (Associate Director and Programme Manager).                                     Site host:   Flywheel

Laurence Freeman

Leader

Laurence Freeman

Laurence Freeman is a monk of the Benedictine Congregation of Monte Oliveto. He is the Director of Bonnevaux and of The World Community for Christian Meditation.

Other Leaders

Giovanni Felicioni
Giovanni Felicioni

Giovanni Felicioni is the Associate Director of Bonnevaux Centre for Peace, the international home of the WCCM. He has been involved with the WCCM since its inception, serves on its Guiding Board and is a Benedictine Oblate. Before his role at Bonnevaux, Giovanni’s professional career spanned 30 years as a bodyworker, movement instructor and therapist in London and Europe. He studied yoga with visionary and pioneer Mary Stewart (Vanda Scaravelli) and regularly taught on her London-based Yoga Teacher Training. He is a certified Advanced RolferR, a Rolf Movement™ practitioner and has served on the faculty of the Rolf Institute since 2000. Giovanni taught for Independent Dance, founded in London by Siobhan Davies, Gill Clarke and Fiona Milward. He taught the Masters in Creative Practice at Trinity Laban, run by Independent Dance and Siobhan Davies Dance. He was also a contributor at the PAL, Movement and Meaning laboratories, founded by Gill Clark and Susan Benn. In 2012 He founded the British Academy of Rolfing in London. Most importantly, these 30 years of personal research into the relationship between touch, movement, awareness and contemplation led him to over two decades of study with movement scientist Hubert Godard during Hubert's development of Tonic Function Theory.

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