Radical Reality Retreat

Radical Reality Retreat

Radical Reality Retreats support you as you take on the challenge of ridding yourself of the traditional demi-real beliefs about what is real.

Radical Reality is being part of reality from the roots up; transcending the egoic anthropocentric notion that as human beings we are separate from reality.

Through practical embodied engagement with the four states of the Transcendental, (see here for more on the theory and process of Radical Reality), you bring yourself closer into union with nature, developing the pure perception of the ecological embodied self; freeing yourself of the egoic demi-real, that keeps humanity enslaved, and retreat into a personal manifestation of the radical real identity of the transcendentally real non-dual self.

Just as we work out in the gym exercising to build a stronger, leaner, and fitter body, we need to work-in, to build our capacity to develop a stronger, leaner, and fitter pure transcendental self. Radical Reality retreats take the most effective authentic and legitimate practices that sit within the four core modules of Ken Wilber’s Integral Life Practice, Body, Mind, Spirit, Shadow; then through the addition of the Critical Realist metaReality work-in exercise framework suggested by Professor Roy Bhaskar, and further developed by Gary Hawke, creates a deeply rich transformative and liberating work-in practice.

As you retreat further inwards, you will recall that you are not separate from the whole – you are radically real and free – because you are the whole.

A Radical Reality retreat is heartfelt, emotional, playful, creative, fun, challenging, explorative, expressive, wild, and liberating. You will be invited to retreat into the core of your being and dance in the divine pleasure of the non-dual’s pulse of freedom. Retreating with others as they retreat into being part of you and you part of them.

If you would like to know what retreaters have said about retreating with Gary see here.

Yuval Noah Harari has said that in the 21st century the challenge for the individual is to simply know yourself. Harari implies that in a an age where algorithms are increasingly more aware of our intentions and motivations it would be wise to look at our own biological algorithms and work on ways of making them better

In short the 21st century demands that we cultivate our own wisdom, it becomes clearer that knowledge and especially information is no longer the driving force that dictate and governs the flow of power, the ability to make wise choices, know the intentionality behind our choices and actions and learn how we might understand the patterns that govern the flows of knowledge that impact our lives in every moment is now as crucial as ever.

Harari is essentially saying a narrative understanding of the world is still not an understanding of the reality that governs the narrative. Unfortunately Harari does not provide a clear solution to the cultivation of wisdom preferring instead to simply tell us to meditate more. The observation of the narrative does not account for the embodied pattern that might be under labouring for the narrative and so Harari gets it wrong here.

What solutions then might be on offer? What can help us to cultivate this wisdom?

Here we must enter Gary Hawke.

Gary’s therapeutic approach begins with a question, what is real? This question assumes that we can actually work out what is real from what is not real; this question also assumes that we as humans have access to the real. Gary approaches this inquiry with great seriousness and rigour; he cares about what is real for you the client and how together you might uncover that. I’ve noticed that while working with him I have come not only to understand the patterns that prevent growth and change but the change that happens to me just being immersed in this process, it is developmental and shines a light not only on our depth but the emergence of new and possible depths within us. Gary does not stay at the level of the narrative he goes much deeper, he genuinely cares about your growth and sits in what I can only call an embodied compassion while undergoing the therapeutic process.

Gary has been one of the greatest alleys mentors and aides in my life and I feel that the challenges that present themselves in the 21st century for the modern person are met with greater clarity and more understanding through his work.

Wisdom will be the new superpower in the 21st century and believe this process is a way of cultivating wisdom
 
Donald Clark – Perception Engineer

Who is Gary Hawke?

Personal and Group work-in trainer, Retreat Leader, Therapist, Coach, and Supervisor, Gary Hawke works with people from all walks of life, helping them to foster well-being, self-efficacy, and liberation. He has worked within the 3rd sector, schools and prisons. He currently provides psycho-spiritual therapeutic service for private clients, and supervision for corporate clients. His work draws from his dramatherapy training, and since 2004, the Integral Theory philosophy of Ken Wilber, and since 2011, the Critical Realism and metaReality philosophy of Roy Bhaskar.

The Radical Reality process that he has created has been labelled as “brilliant, comprehensive and very well tested multidimensional method to manifest true evolving authenticity.” Gary is the only spiritual scholar-practitioner who has deeply integrated Integral Theory and Critical Realism into a metaReal Integral Practice.

His transformative adventure is an evolving project to build an alethic approach to therapeutic support and personal/leadership coaching. Gary trained as a Health and Care Professions Council licensed Dramatherapist, at the University of Roehamption, studied Drama at The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts, trained as a teacher at Greenwich University, became a Certified Advanced Core Integral Professional, was trained in Spiral Dynamics by its co-creator Don Beck, and is accredited by The Association of Spiritual Integrity. Gary was mentored and supported in his project of integrating Critical Realism into his psycho-spiritual therapeutic work by the Institute of Education’s World Scholar and founder of the Critical Realism movement Professor Roy Bhaskar. In 2014 Gary began editing of one of the last projects that Professor Bhaskar worked on which became The Order of Natural Necessity published in 2016. Since 2014, he has co-run the University College London’s Critical Realism seminars.

Gary sees a human being as inter-connected, as evolving, and as spiritual. His continuing project is an exploration of human flourishing and the creation of a process that supports flourishing in the four domains of life: understanding ourselves, participating more fully in our relationships, creating more effective ways of working, and bringing more presence to our place within the world.

Gary’s unique skill is in applying the right creative tool with the right amount of support and challenge to help you achieve a style of life in which you flourish in success and well-being.

“Quite a few years ago, I decided to engage in psychotherapy on a regular basis to maximise my emotional and mental well-being, in the same way that one goes to the gym regularly to maintain optimum physical health. I sought out the best therapist I could find, and my hunt led to Gary Hawke who lives in London, which is a long way from my home. So we set up Skype sessions, which I’ve been doing, when I feel the need to, for about 7 years now (maybe even longer) it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made. Skype makes the whole thing more affordable, as there is no premises to rent etc. If you are interested in going from a good life, to an excellent life, I recommend contacting Gary.”
Ralph Cree – Musician – Educator – Fitness and Meditation workshop Leader

The fist of Radical Reality, as a metaphor, stands in the place of two ideas. That of the silent universal revolution of self realisation, and that of the solidarity of the self realisation of I as a condition of the self realisation of you.