Daily guided trail runs through this rugged landscape will be balanced with a program of gentle tai chi-based movement and meditation and plenty of free time to relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
The Trail Running Explained
We've carefully explored the local area to provide an exciting variety of trail runs. Our running adventure will explore moorland trails and a number of the natural landmarks of the area. We will pass over Ramshaw Rocks, Hen Cloud and The Roaches, the famous gritstone ridge which overlooks Tittesworth Reservoir. We will also explore such places as Black Brook Nature Reserve and Lud's Church, a deep mosscovered cavern full of history and myth. As you will see from some of the
images, the trails pass through moorland which can be wet in places as well as following rough, rocky tracks. The running terrain for this retreat will be challenging, with a good amount of climbing and descending, so you will need to be confident running this type of terrain. It will be essential to bring trail shoes.
We don’t want anyone to be anxious about the ability of the group and whether they can keep up. Each run will of course have a guide at the front but also a back marker so that we ensure the group remains together. The pace of the runs will be intentionally relaxed and will include time for breaks. The longest run we have planned is around 14 kilometres in length which we estimate will take at least two and a half hours to complete allowing time for breaks and rest. It is important therefore that all participants are sufficiently fit to be able to run this distance.
Our unique offer is to incorporate mindfulness into running. In simple terms this is about learning and investigating the value of bringing awareness to the activity of running. Throughout the retreat we will explore together how to apply mindfulness skills to support greater enjoyment and focus when we run.
Tai Chi and Mindfulness Meditation
While the central activity of our Run with Heart and Mind retreats is the trail runs, we will be incorporating a complementary program of activities to more broadly
support your health, wellbeing and fitness. The Tai Chi Movements for Wellbeing (TMW) practice will explore how other forms of mindful movement can complement our running. TMW is a simple sequence of movements drawn from both the tai chi and qigong traditions which is particularly effective in helping us to be fully present in our bodies.
Alongside our activities in movement will be sitting meditation practice. The whole program is designed to support you to build your ‘muscle of mindfulness’ –
growing the capacity to bring more clarity and awareness to your moment-to-moment experience.
About
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About The Host
Stuart
Stuart will be guiding you through the retreat’s program of trail running, tai chi movements, and mindfulness practices. Stuart has been a regular runner for nearly 30 years and spent around a decade competing in duathlon (run/bike/run) representing Great Britain as an age group athlete at several international Championships.
He has been practicing meditation in the Chinese Zen tradition for over 25 years, teaching meditation and leading day retreats with the Western Chan Fellowship. He has also participated in a variety of mindfulness programs and is a Trained Teacher in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with Bangor University’s Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice.
He is also a teacher of Tai Chi Movements for Wellbeing (TMW) and a qualified Qigong Instructor with Long White Cloud Qigong. A key focus of Stuart’s personal practice centres upon the application of mindfulness techniques and skills as a means to help us re-inhabit our bodies, and he thinks there is no better way to this than through mindful running.