Retreat Titles

  1. Singing My Soul with a Celtic Heart (Four – day retreat)
  2. A Mystic Soul Sings inspired by Medieval Women Mystics (Mechtilde of Magdaburg, Catherine of Sienne, Hildegard of Bingen and Therese of Liseaux ) (Four-day retreat)
  3. Listen My Heart (Two Day Retreat)
  4. A Song of Woman’s Spirit (Four- day retreat)
  5. Seven Songs of Waiting (Two Day Advent Retreat)
  6. Filled with a Song of Joy (Christmas Reflections on the O Antiphons) Seven One Hour sessions

Carmel Boyle is an experienced retreat facilitator whose key modality is her gift of song and her retreat themes are inspired by her own spiritual journey and her love for Celtic Christian Spirituality. Carmel who is a native of the Boyne Valley in Ireland is co-founder of An Croí Wisdom Institute and An Croí Beguines, a contemporary spiritual organisation inspired by the Medival Beguines. She has been composing inspirational songs and presenting them in retreat and concert settings in a unique ministry that spans four decades. She has recorded more than a hundred songs with at least a dozen albums to her credit. Her songs are influenced by her Celtic Christian heritage, Christian Mystics and themes of spiritual unfolding. Carmel, who is also a spiritual director and supervisor, offers this invitation to contemplative prayer and Divine encounter.

Carmel’s retreats are creative expressions of Spirit through song, poetry, story and simple ritual, in an atmosphere that facilitates contemplation of Divine Presence that is active in our life stories, the stories of those who have gone before us and the story that is  unfolding today.

Participants who attend Carmel’s retreats describe ‘being moved, inspired, encouraged, blessed, healed and experiencing the touch of the Divine’. These online retreats with Carmel are a new venture but there is no doubt that the format of these retreats will no less touch the soul and provide nourishment and inspiration in challenging times.

In the above retreat ‘A Mystic Soul Sings’ Carmel offers inspiration from some of her favourite mystics through the lens of prophets preaching.

1.Mechtilde of Magdaburg

2. Catherine of Sienne,

3. Hildegard of Bingen

4. Therese of Liseaux.

In above retreat ‘Singing my Soul’ Carmel invites participants to develop a Celtic Heart.

The key themes for this retreat include

  1. A Pilgrim Soul
  2. Thin Places and Thin Times
  3. Divine Feminine & Earth’s Call
  4. Blessing, Healing and Protection

The retreat ‘Listen my Heart’ is a retreat that brings participants on a journey with prayer. Carmel offers some insight into prayer, explores some ways of praying and offers prayer experiences.

singing my soul retreat

Click below for registration from which you can fill in and return by email to                   

carmelboylecroi@gmail.com or ancroiwisdominstitute@gmail.com

Retreat in your own time, in your own space! 

Online Retreats include:-

  • A Four-day retreat experience that can be followed in your own time and own space.
  • Video presentations of Carmel as she shares her sacred songs and reflections
  • Guided contemplative practices
  • Guided learning and reading to be followed in your own time.
  • Spiritually focused zoom session with Carmel.
  • Certificate for CPD or CEU can be provided to professional participants.

This may require an additional written piece of reflection on the experience.

Process of Participation

  1. Sign up by emailing Carmel at carmelboylecroi@gmail.com or contacting through website www.ancroi.ie
  2.  Retreat Investment is €180. – payable with paypal donation button on website or credit card.
  3. Material will be shared on learning platform plus video conferencing sessions.

Register by emailing  ancroiwisdominstitute@gmail.com  or carmelboylecroi@gmail.com

Singing My Soul outline

Cancellation policy

Full refund ten days prior to retreat commencement
Transfer to another retreat offering seven days prior to commencement
Less than seven days no refund
If for any unforeseen circumstance the retreat facilitator has to cancel the retreat then those registered are entitled to a full refund.

Some information for retreat participants

Limited to a maximum of 12 participants   

The online retreats offered by Carmel are a contemplative experience that includes video presentations, guided reading, contemplative practices and four optional live group zoom session with Carmel during the retreat.

  • It is hoped that as a retreatant you will engage with the presentation on the theme each day and the online resources posted on the learning platform.
  • The focus of the live online group session will be on the daily theme, with reflection and questions based upon your experience of engaging with the theme of the day. Although you are encouraged to share from your own personal spiritual experience, it is up to you to decide to share.
  • This retreat will be facilitated largely in a contemplative and experiential way, which means that you will be personally responsible for creating space for yourself to reflect, to engage in contemplative and creative practices and to help foster contemplative reflection.
  • You are strongly encouraged to keep a creative prayer journal in which you capture your own experiences and learning during the retreat. Such a journal will be invaluable in tracking interior movements, the touches of the Divine and also as a way of noting changes in your ways of being and praying which you may like to follow up on at a later stage with an ‘Anamchara’ / Spiritual Guide.
  • Enrolling in the retreat carries with it a commitment to create a sacred space for yourself and due to the sacred nature of the retreat process, confidentiality, pertaining to sharing, is of the utmost importance.

In your own time, in your own space

  • This retreat is flexible and you can engage with the materials in your own time and pace.
  • Create your own schedule each day
  • Materials will remain available for one week after the finish of the retreat
  • The only fixed time is the optional group spiritual guidance /integrations session at 8pm GMT/ 3pmEST
  • Material is posted early each morning by 9am GMT

Retreat Covenant

Having a clear agreement is an important aspect of our retreat. It is necessary to clarify as best we can the agreement we are making with one another so as to avoid disappointment. Sometimes we can have ‘psychological contracts’ and so to outline the key aspects of our agreement for the retreat I have placed them under the following three headings and hopefully this will help the smooth running of the retreat.

Commitment

Your application to participate in the retreat indicates a commitment to your own spiritual unfolding. Taking on to do this retreat is an expression of that bigger commitment and involves a commitment to taking time to pray, spiritual practices, study and how it all might overflow into your daily life. A commitment for this retreat involves your committing to fully participate in the retreat through prayer, spiritual practices, study and to finding ways to let the themes of each day overflow into your daily life. I also ask that you give a commitment to your self-care for the duration of the retreat.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is extremely important to create a sense of safety for those participating in any retreat. Cyberspace sets us even further challenges around confidentiality and protecting personal, professional and ethical boundaries. Below are some guiding principles for our retreat journey.

  1. When using Zoom try to ensure that you are in a private space where no one else can listen in and preferably use headphones.
  2. What is shared by the retreat facilitator or other participants is held in confidentiality within the group and the sharing by any participant is not spoken of outside of the group.
  3. To have respectful boundaries and respectful communication with other participants.
  4. Be attentive to your own level of participation and making space for others

Content

The material shared on the An Croí Wisdom Institute learning platform is copyrighted to me (Carmel Boyle) and may not be shared with others beyond the group that has registered for the retreat. Much of the content is not available to the public and so any YouTube url content shared is either unlisted or has a private listing and therefore is not to be made available to a third party.

The retreat will be hosted by me over a four-day period and resources will be available for access on the platform for one month after the commencement of the retreat. 

Preparing the Space

Contemplative Space

Prepare a contemplative space by attending to having a private and quiet space for yourself, a place where you can retreat to. It may mean letting go of other chores for the day so that you can be as attentive as possible to the retreat resources and to the inner guidance of the Spirit in your day. Make sure your space is comfortable and relaxed.

Prayer Space

Prepare your prayer space by arranging an altar or prayer space (you may already have such a space in your house or room). Place on your altar some meaningful symbols and maybe a candle if it is safe to do so.

Creative Space

Prepare your creative space by gathering some art materials to have at the ready for any guided creative work or to respond to any personal creative movements. A Journal, pens, colouring pencils, paint, collage materials (images / glue), plain white paper or cardboard – a selection of what is appropriate for you and your ability and preference.

Technological Space

Prepare your technological space by giving attention to what is needed to make the most of an online retreat experience.

  1. Good connection – it is important to have good internet connection and the ability to access the internet.
  2. We use the An Croí Wisdom Institute learning platform PATHWRIGHT and you will need to have access to your emails and internet to set that up. A link will be sent to you by email. It is simple but it is necessary in order to be able to access the resource materials.
  3. We will use Zoom. There will be a live ‘Anamchara’ or group spiritual guidance session with Carmel for those participating in the retreat on any given day. The duration of this session will be one and a half – to two hours for each day of the four-day retreat. This will be conducted over Zoom so you will need to be able to access Zoom. These challenging times have stretched many of us to use Zoom for the first time but it is turning out to have opened up wonderful opportunities for the continuation of ministry. An email link will be sent to you with the scheduled time for meetings with the retreat participants. After the initial four days June 23rd– 26th the retreat continues to be available for others to do the retreat at a later stage at their own pace. However, after the initial four days zoom though zoom sessions can be scheduled with Carmel there will be an additional cost involved. These Anamchara / spiritual guidance sessions are already included for participating in the first four days of the retreat at no extra cost.

It is best to download Zoom onto your computer/tablet.

  1. Good quality headphones or speakers on your computer, tablet or ipad. This is important especially for this ‘singing my soul’ retreat because it involves listening to songs on videos and audio. The quality of the sound will enhance the experience.

Self-Care Space

Self-care is also important and is supportive of the retreat so I suggest planning ahead around your needs regarding nourishment, rest and support. During a retreat you may uncover some places within you needing further healing so it is important to be kind and gentle with yourself.

Components of the Retreat

  • The Learning platform content will include:
  1. An introduction to each theme
  2. Suggested contemplative practices
  3. Guided prayer
  4. Video presentations
  • The Video content will include:
  • An orientation video to help you prepare for the retreat
  • An introduction to the theme of the day
  • A second reflection on the theme of the day
  • A video recording of chosen song/s for the theme of the day recorded in a retreat setting
  • A recorded video of song/s prepared with visuals

Total video recording content for a day is approximately two hours in duration.

  • Video Conference Session

The live video conference session with myself as retreat facilitator will take place over zoom and its purpose is to help integrate the themes of the day. It will take place and  takes place at 8pm GMT/ 3pm EST – 9.30pm Ireland (that is 3pm – 4.30pm USA) on each day of the four-day retreat. It is a spiritual guidance or Anamchara session with you as participants on any given day of retreat. This is an optional session and will be facilitated by me. It is a session of integration and sharing on the experience of the retreat on that day.

  • Your own time your own space. As a participants may access the variety of resources for the retreat at a different pace in the day or over the following week, depending on the demands of each participants living circumstances. Therefore, it is not necessary to have completed all the suggested material of the day to be able to participate in the Zoom Anamchara sessions with Carmel.