Welcome to Anam Cara
'A Retreat Centre in the Scottish Highlands'
Training courses and workshops in
BUDDHISM, HEALING ARTS, MEDITATION,
SHAMANISM, WORKING RETREATS & YOGA
In the old Celtic tradition, the Anam Cara is someone with whom you could share your innermost self, mind and heart. This soul friendship is an act of recognition and belonging, helping us return to the hearth of our Spirit.
We have chosen this name as a symbol for the 'circle of belonging', that inner friendship which embraces nature, divinity, spirit and human world as one.
Location
Anam Cara lies 600 feet above sea level and overlooks the city of Inverness with stunning southerly views towards the Monadhliath Mountains. We are only three miles from the city centre yet surrounded by farm and woodland. The scope for walking is endless. The centre is set in seven acres of land which offers a delightful network of paths through a rich and varied landscape with extensive wooded areas and a sheltered fruit and vegetable garden.
Living arrangements
Workshops and retreats are fully residential with nutritious, wholesome, vegetarian meals provided with special diets catered for on request. We use organic produce as availability allows - an ever-growing proportion of which is produced in our own garden. All meals are prepared by our experienced cooks, with participants assisting in the 'Helping Hands' wash up rota. During working retreats, meals will be prepared as a community exercise.
Accommodation
The guest living space is comprised of three large wooden clad cabins, which are set into the hillside, with south facing views. Rowan and Willow can each accommodate up to 5 people with three single rooms and one twin room with shared toilet & shower room. The Bothy can accommodate up to 5 people with one single room and two twin rooms with shared toilet/shower room.
The turf roofed Pavilion offers a comfortable communal space for eating and relaxing.
Workshop facilities
The main venue, affectionately known as the 'Tufty', is an octagonal building constructed from local timber with large patio windows that offer views south over Inverness and beyond. The log burning stove, oak floor, spiritual library and turf roof create a unique and lovely space.
Anam Cara has a range of additional buildings tucked away in various nooks and crannies around the croft.
We have a wood fired Sauna with shower & changing area and a spacious relaxation room. Nearby is the Healing Barrel, formerly a whisky mash barrel. This delightful turf roofed conversion serves as a therapy room. Both buildings are situated in the Healing Well Garden, a quiet retreat space with shady decking overlooking a natural spring and its aquatic abundance. Water may be drawn from the well by those seeking the benefits and blessings of a water ablution.
Our Shrine Room is a quiet and secluded venue used for daily meditation, which retreatants are welcome to attend or use at other times of the day.
The Earthlodge is buried into hillside with thick stone walls and turf roof and is most often used for shamanic ritual and ceremony.
Community policy at Anam Cara
We strive to create a safe, respectful and harmonious space for people to visit, relax, grow and deepen. We have a no drink or drug policy and ask smokers to use our designated smoking spot. Mobile phone use is limited to certain outdoor spaces and Wi-Fi is only available in the office. We ask that people are mindful of others' sensitivities and request that people refrain from using strong perfumes or deodorants.
Price structure
We endeavour to keep the costs of our courses as low as possible, which we hope you will find reflected in our prices. A number of concessionary places are also available on request.
Please note that course fees should be paid separately from accommodation and meals. Details of payment will be sent on receipt of your booking form.
Shamanism workshops and shamanic training
Shamanism is the most time tested mind/body healing method that we know of today dating back at least 40,000 years. It was practised in all five continents including the Celtic and Pictish peoples of ancient Britain. The shamanic methods and practices the world over are strikingly similar and not bound by race, culture, belief, or lifestyle.
Training is provided by Twobirds, a qualified shamanic practitioner with eighteen years of experience. She is the co-founder of the Anam Cara Retreat Centre where she works full time as a shamanic practitioner and as a teacher of cross-cultural and Toltec shamanism and Plant Spirit Medicine.
For further information see our Shamanic Workshops and Training page.
