Heartbeat
Winter Gathering
Overview
Heartbeat is like a fireside chat during winter in the hearth of good men.
Leaves fall, birds migrate, ice arrives, fire burns, men gather. We push up our cold heads and look around for nourishment and connection. Time for a loving Thump in the Heart!
The men of Get Off The Concrete (GOTC - our Summer gathering) realised years ago that a year was a long time the wait between gatherings, and established the tradition of a mid-winter indoor gathering as a “beat of the GOTC heart” to stay connected. It’s a men’s gathering that takes place over one long weekend in winter in a retreat centre on the outskirts of the Waitakere Ranges.
Winter, traditionally being the season of hibernation, naturally leads us to spend more time ‘inside’. This is often mirrored in our emotional world, a time when we become more introspective and can feel cut-off from the rest of the world, perhaps even isolated.
Here’s a poem a man wrote spontaneously during one of our recent ‘gatherings’ that perhaps expresses one of the purposes of this event:
“I cannot live without You,
At least not in the way that I would want to live.
And it’s not because I am lacking in any way
In who I am alone.
It’s because we are all lacking in some way
That which we can only receive from one another.”
Come and join a hearth of good men for a weekend of rich companionship and inspiring dialogue fired by the embrace of Winter and the warmth of our hearts.
What's covered
Heartbeat is like a large Men’s Group meeting in a soulful way to foster connections, deepen community, share dreams and visions; and reflect together on how we are learning to gather as men. The programme will embody spirited dialogue, inspired conversation, deep sharing, and no doubt good food.
Who's it for?
All men who are part of the EM network or who have experienced personal growth in men’s groups are welcome at this event.
Outcomes
Come along for a weekend at a beautiful retreat centre nestled amongst bush and fields where we gather in a hall around a fireplace to warm our spirits and bones. We develop our capacity to meet as groups of men, deepening connections, sharing our hearts, and learning from each other. When the sun comes out we can also enjoy outdoor activities on the surrounding grounds.
Men from previous Heartbeat gatherings shared:
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Sunlight streaming through the circular window. A king in his throne being honoured. A father and son in a shared heart space. Men asking for what they needed. Music by the fire.
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Take your EM experience to the next level of self-knowledge and freedom. Come and have fun!
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It's an opportunity to take time out from the constant business of life and to share a heart space with an amazing group of men. It's a place where men being real are made to feel welcome and where we can connect with others and feel more grounded and accepting of ourselves.
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Heartbeat is an opportunity to be supported and support men in the beauty of their truth. The residential aspect and continued absorption allows a deeper experience of a shared connection from the heart. It was practice of being in the heart where the thinking mind had the space to drop away. A deep experience of beauty, truth and exploration of our true heart felt selves.
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This is an opportunity to affirm both to and about yourself that as part of the brotherhood of men your worth is valued, your presence vital, and here is a real place for proving that.
Dates
Dates for 2023 : Afternoon of Thursday 10 August - afternoon of Sunday 13 August.
Arrive from 6.30pm on Thursday and help prepare a dinner from the contributions we all bring and we'll eat around 7.30pm, before settling in to an opening circle around the fire. Join us for a genuine, deep and loving thump in the heart.
Drug and alcohol free please.
Details
We have booked a warm spacious residential venue in South Auckland with a fireplace and sunny veranda.
Venue: Sharda Centre, 15 Percy Graham Drive, Tuakau, Franklin
This is a co-created event and we ask you to bring with you a generous dish of food enough to feed about 8 men for a lunch or dinner. Meat dishes are fine and vegetarian dishes even better so we can include everyone.
Pricing
We recognise men have differing financial circumstances. If money is a problem contact us as there are a number of financial support and sponsorship opportunities available.