Campfire in the Heart

28/07/2025

Thanks to Jorge who brought the topic for last week's Campfire Reflection. Inspired by a book written by a friend of his, Tanya Stevenson "The Belonging Effect".

🔥 Share a memory when you felt you were seen, valued and included - where you truly felt a deep sense of belonging.

**Campfire Reflection is a free weekly event held in Alice Springs on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. A pot-luck dinner, followed by a time of reflection and sharing around the campfire. Open to the local community, as well as travellers

Read more: https://www.amazon.com.au/Belonging-Effect-Spaces-We-Seek-ebook/dp/B0FBKWPKJM

22/07/2025

At Campfire Reflection last week we farewelled Nicola's parents who had been visiting from the Blue Mountains! 🥰

We reflected on the notion from Eastern philosophy of 'samskaras,' or trapped energy patterns built from past experiences that you either liked and tried to keep, or could not handle and pushed away.

🔥 What is a past experience that left an impression on you, and is still now running your life?

**Campfire Reflection is a free weekly event held in Alice Springs on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. A pot-luck dinner, followed by a time of reflection and sharing around the campfire. Open to the local community, as well as travellers

22/07/2025

15/07/2025

The topic around the fire last Wednesday was inspired by NAIDOC Week's theme for 2025 "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy".

🔥 What generational changes have you seen that give you hope for the future?

**Campfire Reflection is a free weekly event held in Alice Springs on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. A pot-luck dinner, followed by a time of reflection and sharing around the campfire. Open to the local community, as well as travellers passing through.

09/07/2025

Rod Marsh was meditator-in-residence at Campfire last month. Read about the journey that led him here, in this article he wrote for 'The Living Water'.

"My desire for solitude and silence has deep roots. As a teenager I would sometimes ride a farm motorbike into the foothills south of Perth. There, I would spread my sleeping bag on the ground and sleep under the stunning summer evening stars. In later life, in the midst of grief and trauma, I retreated (literally) to a retreat centre near Margaret River for one week of silence.

John Main’s teaching gave me the path I was seeking. I began to meditate twice daily for 20 minutes. I had found my contemplative practice and I practised it! Since I have retired, I have upped this to 30 minutes meditation twice daily, a leap which I have found to be more difficult than establishing the practice in the first place[1].

I have discovered that being present to and in the present moment is a transferable skill. I can now, more frequently anyway, be present where I am and with whom I am. At least now I know when I am absenting myself, and renew my attention. Meditation has taught me to pay attention..."

Read the full story
https://www.thelivingwater.com.au/blog/the-miracle-of-being

08/07/2025

Last Wednesday's topic was inspired by Michael Singer's 8-week course 'Living from a Place of Surrender'.

🔥 What helps bring you back to the present moment?

**Campfire Reflection is a free weekly event held in Alice Springs on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. A pot-luck dinner, followed by a time of reflection and sharing around the campfire. Open to the local community, as well as travellers

07/07/2025

Last weekend was the Alice Springs Show, a wonderful event that brings all sections of the community together. Congratulations to Campfire's friends and regulars who received prizes in the competitions! (Happily, we're following in the footsteps of Sue and David Woods, who always used to submit entries each year in the Show 🥰)

🏆 Betty Davies - 1st place (Grapefruits)
🏅 Penelope McDonald - 1 & 2nd place (Marmalade) + 1st place (Flower Arrangement)
🏆 Jorge Basave - 2nd place (Black & White Photography)
🏅 Margaret Bower - 2nd place (Quilting, handworked)
🏆 Nicola Pitt - 3rd place (Bread)

Next year (with diligent watering) perhaps we'll be able to submit your maidenhair fern again, Sue! 🌿😄

06/07/2025

06/07/2025

Campfire Reflection catch-up! It was lovely to see Sue Woods around the fire a couple of weeks ago, visiting for Gemma Hayes' wedding, which inspired the topic that week:

🔥 When have you been moved by a ceremonial occasion, and how do you cultivate ceremony in your life?

The next week Dom Fay's "Private Speaking" conversation cards provided the topic for us:

🔥 Have you ever had the sense that something was going to happen? Were you right or wrong?

**Campfire Reflection is a free weekly event held in Alice Springs on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. A pot-luck dinner, followed by a time of reflection and sharing around the campfire. Open to the local community, as well as travellers passing through.**

25/06/2025

Always a delight to see our regular visitors returning - like Pippa, who first visited last year for the Beanie Festival and then decided to move to Central Australia! Alice Springs is that kind of place...🥰

Send a message to learn more

24/06/2025

Thanks to those who recently attended the Deep Silent 'I Love it Tree' retreat, facilitated by our meditator-in-residence, Rod Marsh.

A weekend spent surrounded by the beauty of nature, while experiencing the joy of companiable silence.

“…I Love it Tree…” by Bill Neidjie (c1912 -2002)

"Listen carefully this, you can hear me.
I'm telling you because earth just like mother
and father or brother of you.
That tree same thing.
Your body, my body I suppose,
I'm same as you … anyone .
Tree working when you sleeping and dream.
This story e can listen carefully, e can listen slow..."

19/06/2025

Our meditation room has a new look! 🤩 Thanks to volunteers Keesha and Jane for re-painting the room, and to Paul Taylor for bringing some of his beautiful artworks for our blank wall 👌