Join Prasanna, Vishwam and friends for the sixth annual Harmony & Balance Retreat & Pilgrimage in the Spittal of Glenshee (Glen of the Fairies) where four glens meet. Together we will visit sacred sites in the area and enjoy heart expanding practices that help restore natural harmony and balance to our world.
Leaving behind the crumbling pyramid structure of patriarchy, we will explore together how to live in circles of equals prioritising compassion, critical thinking, creativity and autonomy as practical skills for our bright new tomorrow! The retreat takes inspiration from the divine feminine wisdom of Mary Magdalene and 12th century Rhineland Christian mystic St Hildegard of Bingen, Scottish mystic & writer Nan Shepherd, and the heart teachings of Heart Of Living Yoga and Rev. Padma Devi. Through deep heart connection and contemplation, we will practice listening to the land itself to learn more about how our beloved Mother Earth would like to help us to live in greater harmony both within ourselves and with all of her other children.
Happy Heart Pilgrims
Harmony & Balance 2024
visiting Rumbling Bridge Gorge
Programme Highlights include
Daily Heart Yoga & Meditation
Sacred Pilgrimage & Heart Blessing of the Waters with the sacred stone and waters at Glenshee Kirk
Land Blessing at Scone Palace in Perth
Nature Connection & Meditative Writing
Fire Ceremony
Storytelling, poetry, heart song & sacred chanting
Quiet time to journal, contemplate, explore, connect and/or rest
Fifty percent of proceeds will go directly
to support programmes for underprivileged children and their families
in Sri Lanka, Brasil, India & the U.K. supported by the Heart Of Living Yoga Foundation.
Retreat Venue
Gulabin House
Gulabin House enjoys wonderful mountain views in the Spittal of Glenshee (Glen of the Fairies). Located 45 minutes drive northeast of Pitlochry or an 70 minutes northeast of Dundee, the venue is also accessible by public transport. Simply look for options to the Spittal of Glenshee, Blairgowrie. We also may be able to help arrange lift shares - just let us know if we can assist you.
Set within the Cairngorms National Park, Gulabin House is truly an exceptional place for heartfelt retreat. The house has stunning views overlooking Glenshee and the surrounding mountains. It's comfortable, stylish and spacious, with all mod cons.
The house itself has five bedrooms with 11 beds, four bathrooms, a lovely kitchen and beautiful lounge. There’s a beautiful south-facing patio, a fire pit outdoors and a fireplace indoors, a mezzanine floor accessed by spiral staircase, and various cosy nooks for reading, writing and contemplation.
Sacred Pilgrimage
Spittal of Glenshee Standing Stone
(photo from Megalithic.co.uk)
The house is very near the Shee Water (shee from sidhe meaning the fey folk or fairies), a kirk (church) built near an ancient standing stone. We will also visit other local standing stones (weather permitting) and on the final day of the retreat visit the Scone Palace where the queens & kings of Scotland were once crowned.
Scone Palace, Perth (photo by Peter Hodge)
Rooms & Rates
Enjoy four days and nights of heavenly retreat in the Scottish countryside.
Downstairs there is one twin bedroom with a shower room and toilet just across the hall, ideal for anyone needing an accessible room.
Upstairs there is a master double bedroom with ensuite shower, two twin rooms that can be made up as doubles, a family room with a bunk and twin beds that can made up as a double – this room has an ensuite shower/toilet. There is also a family bathroom.
Twin Room: £595/person
Shared Room: £500/person
A £100 non-refundable deposit secures your place with the remainder to be paid by 1st August. If you’d like to discuss other payment options, please get in touch.Fifty percent of proceeds go directly to support the life changing work of the Heart Of Living Yoga Foundation.
Spaces are limited and early booking is highly advised. Previous year’s retreats have been magical beyond words.
To help keep costs down and enjoy the feeling of contributing together, each guest is asked to bring either a veggie pasta dish or a mild veggie curry dish to share. All the rest of the meals we will take turns cooking in teams with food provided. Alternatively, we are currently looking for an experienced kitchen mama/papa who can oversee the kitchen and meal preparations with the help of volunteer assistance in exchange for a free place. If you know someone who might be interested, please let us know. If you have particular dietary needs, please let us know in advance and be sure to bring anything special you might need.
Karma Yoga (selfless service). We ask all retreat participants to help keep the areas we are using tidy and well organised, including taking turns to wash dishes after meals. Loving mindfulness towards our environment is a beautiful practice for coming into our natural state of harmony & balance.
Any questions, just ask!
Booking/Queries Form
Retreat Hosts
Hildegard Von Bingen (1098–1179) was a Benedictine nun, abbess, composer of heavenly music, medical herbalist and physician, poet, visionary, and heart-centred revolutionary living in the Rhine Valley. She is known for her dedication to honouring the sacredness of nature, including human life, and speaking out for justice and for joy. Her life and wisdom teachings are a central inspiration on this retreat.
Rev. Prasanna (Maggie McKeen) is a heart minister, an experienced yoga teacher and heart meditation facilitator based in the beautiful Falkland Estate in Fife. She has been practising yoga since the 1970s and has been teaching yoga for 24 years. A former nurse and doula, Prasanna has a keen interest in health and healing, particularly in supporting women recovering from birth trauma. You can find out more about Prasanna here.
Brother Vishwam Gurudas is a heart minister, yoga teacher & teacher trainer with Heart Of Living Yoga. He is also a wellbeing coach and writer inspired by the mystic poets and wisdom teachers of all traditions. Vishwam been practising yoga for over a quarter century and teaching for 15 years. He loves to listen, to laugh and to spend time in the healing presence of nature. He lives with his partner, Paul Stevens, in Shetland where they are currently fixing up an old croft house and establishing permaculture gardens in a former paddock.