Holding Space on a Gathering Groups Retreat
Two months had passed since the directors had completed the Gathering Groups Community of Practice. The integration process was well underway, the energy flowing. The next step in the journey was to experience the process from the other side—to hold space for a group who had just completed the eight weeks of online preparation. Two Karuna directors would join the eight participants, two facilitators, and three representatives from Gathering Groups in The Netherlands to continue the journey together.
Below is one of the director’s account of this next step of the journey.
Two weeks before I make the journey back to the Netherlands, I join the group online. After introductions from the facilitators, the conversation quickly settles into a comfortable rhythm. I listen deeply to everyone's responses, sensing the embodied presence of the group. Even through a screen, the warmth is tangible. It all feels right.
Soon it is time to make the now familiar journey. Filled with excitement and anticipation, I step away from my everyday life and travel towards a place that has become deeply special to me. I find myself wondering whether this group will experience the same warmth, connection, and sense of belonging that we did. How will it feel for a group of people who, until now, have only ever met online?
We arrive several hours before the participants, giving us time to settle into the house and prepare. There is food to organise, sleeping spaces to arrange, roles to discuss and plans to make, both for the sharing circles and the ceremony. The structure is familiar, echoing the retreat I completed only two months before as a participant. Stepping into the role of space holder feels surprisingly natural, as though I already belong.
The participants arrive one by one, the house slowly filling with greetings, laughter and hugs. It is difficult to believe that many of these people are meeting in person for the first time. The warmth between them radiates through the house. Sharing food, making tea and wandering through the beautiful surroundings creates space for connection long before the formal opening circle begins.
As we gather for the first sharing circle, the other director and I introduce ourselves properly. Although we have already crossed paths with many of the participants throughout the afternoon, this is our first opportunity to join them within the container of the group. Any lingering sense of being an outsider quickly disappears. Once again, I find myself held within that familiar feeling of cosy connection—speaking, being heard and feeling deeply listened to.
Morning arrives quickly, and we gather again in the circle to share and strengthen intentions before the ceremony. The connections already feel quietly solid; I can see communitas unfolding in front of me. Everyone is deeply supportive of one another, attentive and emotionally attuned.
We write our intentions onto small cards before preparing the lemon tek tea together. The participants gently break apart the blessed truffles and leave them to steep before everyone settles into the ceremony space.
As the familiar soundtrack begins, I look around the room at the eight people resting in the circle, witnessing the process through a different lens. As the hours pass by, I witness the room moving through waves of stillness and expression. Some remain quietly beneath blankets and headphones for the entire journey. Others occasionally sit upright to observe the room. Some laugh, some cry, and some softly share parts of their experience with those nearby. Every expression is met with warmth, acceptance and love.
Several participants choose to spend time outside, accompanied by a space holder, connecting with nature, dancing barefoot in the sunshine, or simply sitting quietly among the trees. There is no sense of urgency—only trust in each person's unfolding process.
As the final track plays, some participants are already talking quietly together while others remain immersed beneath blankets, eyes covered and continuing their inward journey. Although the formal ceremony has ended, there is no pressure to return until ready. Fresh fruit is being passed around while others quietly prepare soup for later, allowing the transition back into ordinary awareness to happen gently.
Following the integration sharing circle and a nourishing meal, the evening becomes one of simple togetherness. We gather around the campfire, singing songs, telling stories, making music and laughing together. The nourishment comes not only from the food, but from the communitas itself. Connection no longer feels like something we are creating—it simply exists between us. Being together feels effortless. It feels natural. It feels right.
I wake on the final morning with a quiet sadness, knowing it is time to leave. We gather once more in the safety of the closing circle to say goodbye to people who, only days before, were strangers. While my own journey with the retreat is ending, theirs continues over the coming month as they support one another through integration.
As I leave the retreat, it is difficult to comprehend that an entirely different world exists beyond the boundaries of this house. Yet within a few hours I am back in the movement and noise of Amsterdam and soon after, on a flight home. Returning to everyday life, I carry with me the love, connection and quiet magic of the experience. Witnessing the process as a space holder deepens my understanding of communitas even further. I realise that healing is found not only through my own experience, but also through the privilege of holding space for the journeys of others.
The next step - facilitation.