What is a Mini-Intensive with Unmani?
Practicalities and Format
A Mini-Intensive is usually a 2-4 day non-residential intensive. It is open to anyone but it is preferable that you have attended one of Unmani’s open meetings prior to attending a mini-intensive, but not compulsory. Some mini-intensives are large groups and some are under 20 people. Some mini-intensives are held in public venues and some in private homes.
The mini-intensives are longer meetings that go on all day with a lunch break and tea-break. Usually lunch is not provided, but please check each specific mini-intensive. They are usually closed groups for the whole mini-intensive but sometimes Unmani will allow attendance for one or two days. Obviously if you attend the whole mini-intensive then there is more opportunity to explore in more depth. Unmani does not allow attendance for half a day or other partial attendance.
Unmani asks that people arrive a few minutes before the scheduled start of the mini-intensive as late arrivals can cause disruptions. Usually the doors will open roughly a half an hour before the start time, so that you can come in and find your seat. In most countries, we can not accept cheques, so please be sure to bring the correct change. During the meeting you are free to leave at any time but please note that comings and goings, will likely disturb the rest of the group.
Intimate Dialogues
Unmani invites people to come up to the front to have an intimate dialogue with her. This dialogue is an opportunity to ask any questions or inquire into a particular area of life that feels unclear. The dialogues with Unmani have also been described as a kind of ‘energetic surgery’, perhaps because although words are exchanged, there is so much more that goes on beyond the words. Whilst other people are having a dialogue, the audience can continue to participate by listening, as often their questions are being answered by the one at the front. When you come up to the front, although you may have a specific question, there is no expectation or pressure to know what you want to ask or say. You never know what may happen . . . In a mini-intensive there is often the possibility to have more than one dialogue with Unmani and to have some group conversation over the few days.
‘In the meetings I am not interested in playing with non-dual words and concepts, but in undermining, and getting to the root of all these beliefs – the belief in ‘me’. The intimate dialogues are an energetic dance that uncovers the nakedness that we all are beyond words. It is a dance of falling in love with myself.’ ~ Unmani
Participating
In a mini-intensive, Unmani invites people to participate as much as possible. Unmani encourages people to question their usual thoughts, beliefs and assumptions, and to ask for clarity about anything that she says that they do not understand. Unmani will always point people back to their true nature, whilst also encouraging them to feel whatever is here. There is never a denial of either personal or impersonal issues or aspects of who you are. Unmani points to the lived paradox of Life itself expressing itself as this individual person in the world. Recognising this and recognising that your whole life, as you thought you knew it, is based on a thought assumption, there is more and more free-fall into not-knowing. Although this can seem frightening at first, it is the freedom that we truly long for.
What People Have Said About Intensives With Unmani
‘Dear Unmani – I just wanted to write a few words about the retreat in Portugal. This was such a brilliant week a kind of mixture of deep and important sessions with you and a lovely holiday in the sun. I really liked the fact that we had sessions in the morning, then the afternoon free and then activities again in the evening. That was a good mixture of socialising and solitude.
The meetings in not knowing changed something inside of me, I clearly saw that there was no “me” at times. There is something very special about coming and sitting with you and just feeling absolute simplicity and not knowing. Of course doubts come back, but something has changed. I loved what you said about being one’s own authority, that is so important.
Also lovely was meeting everyone and spending time with people. It is something that I have always found a double edged sword, I want it, I am uneasy. The good thing about the retreat was that people voiced how they felt and were vulnerable, that somehow helped.
I would love to come on the retreat again next year. I would recommend a retreat with you to anyone, absolutely
with much love’
‘Thank you so so much for such a wonderful weekend! ! ! It was a great bunch of people to be on a retreat with, the setting was absolutely perfect for the event and your pointing/message was so clear and loud! “I” have come away with so much in so many different ways – I’m not sure things will be the same again after it. Already my wife has noticed a real difference in me and is taken a keen interest to find out more about it all. I can now see that the books were OK for an intellectual appreciation of what non-duality etc was about but, for me, a retreat and the experience was absolutely necessary for recognition to arise.’