Partner: Crossing the Threshold, a New Years Celebration in Community

Crossing the Threshold: A New Year Celebration in Song and Dance
28 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, Findhorn
with Barbara Swetina and Jilani Cordelia

About this retreat

Barbara Swetina and Jilani Cordelia, both experienced musicians, welcome you again to Crossing the Threshold, six days of celebration and rest in a community of the heart as one year closes and another begins.

Drawing on the riches of the Findhorn and Sufi traditions, the week weaves together song, dance, story, soul work, creativity and ritual. At its centre are the Dances of Universal Peace, which blend live music with wisdom from world traditions to create a resonant field of beauty, love and transformation that uplifts the soul and nourishes the spirit.

There is also time for a journey of self-reflection: releasing the old, visioning the new, and connecting with the stillness found in nature and at the heart of our being. New Year’s Eve is celebrated in the Universal Hall, in the community’s traditional manner, with pure and delightful fun.

Barbara started this workshop more than 20 years ago. It has run with a series of co-focalisers since, always highlighting the Findhorn spirit and our sacred connection through music. We are delighted to have Jilani with us for the second time.

A typical day

The optional day begins early with Taizé singing and meditation. The programme itself usually runs from around 10am until lunch, and again from 4pm until dinner. In the evenings there are additional sessions on offer, shaped by the interests of the group. Together, the Dances of Universal Peace and the Findhorn song and dance tradition create a light-filled atmosphere of caring, sharing, healing and remembrance of the divine.

Being in the community

While you are here you are welcome to immerse yourself in community life: join the daily early morning Taizé singing, sit in meditation in the newly built Light of Findhorn Sanctuary, walk to the beach, or settle in at the Phoenix Café for coffee and cake.

Your facilitators

Barbara Swetina is a multi-instrumentalist, trained musician, leader of the Dances of Universal Peace and long-time director of music in the Findhorn Ecovillage. She brought devotional Taizé singing into the heart of the community and has created workshops, trainings, songbooks and CDs to nurture a culture of peace in the community and worldwide.

“In my heart I see a singing planet, many people gathering in places all over to sing, dance, pray and celebrate. Together we create sacred spaces, fields of beauty, healing and light, that remind us of the love and harmony which is our birthright.”
www.sacredsongs.net

Jilani Cordelia is a musician, mystic, Sufi guide, and certified Leader and Mentor of the Dances of Universal Peace International. She has played viola for the Peace Dances since 1997 and led them since 2005, becoming a certified Dance Leader in 2008. She works extensively with people growing into their own leadership with the Dances and has run Dance Leader Trainings in the UK since 2017.

A classically trained musician and experienced teacher, Jilani brings together music, movement, voice, meditation and the Universal Sufi path in a way that is both grounded and deeply devotional. She travels widely, leading Dance and Sufi retreats internationally. Her particular gift is creating an atmosphere where people can become more fully themselves: open, joyful, present and connected. She has a special passion for helping people discover and develop their own gifts.
www.jilanicordelia.com

What past participants say

“Thank you, all of you, from the bottom of my heart, for helping me to heal in this spectacular, miraculous and wonder-filled fashion. The workshop has provided me with a treasure-house of precious moments to remember for ever. Thank you, especially Barbara, for giving me better songs to sing, and surrounding us all with the love in your music. I believe this experience unlocked my heart and freed me from the prison of my grief, allowing me to dare to feel love for another again. I am sure I am not the only person you have helped to healing in this way, and I think that what you do is awe-inspiring.”
Mark

Meals

Enjoy nourishing vegetarian meals prepared with care by our chef Antonia, using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients where possible. Eating together is a practice in itself: a moment to arrive, connect and experience community.

The meal package covers 5 lunches (£10 each) and 6 dinners (£14 each), £134 in total, payable in cash on arrival. Most dietary requirements can be accommodated; please let us know in advance.

Accommodation

You will stay in the Guest Lodge, in the heart of the community, with a self-catering kitchen. Most rooms are shared, which supports the sense of togetherness that is central to the experience.

Twin or double room: £240 per person for 6 nights (6 rooms available)
Single room: £390 per person for 6 nights (2 rooms, subject to availability)