Wellness Retreats 2024

Restore, Restory, Rekindle: An Embodiment Retreat

Currently it feels like we are living in a world turned upside down and navigating a reality marked by relentless demands on our time and energy, unrealistic expectations, crazy pace of work and changes happening so fast that we can hardly keep up. It feels like we have little control over what happens around us, in addition navigating loadshedding as well as an ever-increasing cost of living, all contribute to a sense of feeling frazzled, overwhelmed and disembodied. It is no wonder that we notice an increase in mental health issues as our capacity to manage stress is depleted and anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue sets in.

We need time to restore and heal our bodies that are energetically depleted from anxiety, stress, trauma and grief. It is time to re-story our narratives about our life situations that keep us stuck in negativity and lethargy. It is time to rekindle the creative energies needed to move forward with a sense of hope, joy and connectedness.

During this retreat in the beautiful and nurturing environment of Temenos, we will explore the following themes:

• Neurobiology, stress and trauma: the impact on our bodies
• The Narratives of Life-scripts: how we story our lives to make meaning
• Embodiment: The energy body, embodied existence and the body in relation

The retreat will be structured as follows:

• Early morning walks and/or movement meditations
• Morning and early evening guided meditations
• Workshop-style sessions and practical sessions to honour the themes of the retreat:

• Embodiment practices to restore and rekindle energy, including movement, walking meditations, walking the labyrinth and free-style dancing.
• A practical session to evaluate life-scripts and to re-story problematic and self-limiting life-scripts.
• Painting and collage to rekindle creative energy.

• The evenings after dinner will be dedicated to reflections and sound journeys.

What participants say about this retreat:

“Made me realise that my story is just that – a story. I can find now the gifts and teachings from that story, but can now choose what narrative I want to take forward.”

“I found the ‘Tai Chi’, dancing and art-making very effective and pleasurable. It was important to feel the effects of embodiment and what it meant to you.”

“For the first retreat of this type it was wonderful, very powerful!”

“Just the right balance of teaching, movement, creativity, quiet time, structure and unstructure. Lovely calm and gentle manner about you Johann, well prepared and loved your flexible approach, very fluid.”

“Jy het my gehelp om weer op my pad te kom.”

“Not everyone is born to be a teacher but there are people in whose blood the ability to naturally and effortlessly teach, runs. It is refreshing to learn without feeling you are being taught. Thinking back now, I realize how much I have learnt without realizing it. You are such a teacher, Johann. Thank you!”

“I felt the retreat was really empowering – both reflective and powerfully practical.”

Venue: Temenos Retreat, McGregor
Date: 12–14 April 2024

Investment: R 4 400  shared and R 4 900 single accommodation. Balance payable 5^th April

Reiki Retreat: Inspiration, Rejuvenation, Soul-Care

This retreat, offered in the beautiful and nurturing environment of Temenos, is for Reiki Practitioners and Masters. As energy healers we often find ourselves depleted and in need of support and nurturing. Taking a retreat is an invaluable part of taking care of ourselves, rest and rejuvenate in order to return to our practices of caring for others with renewed and inspired energy. This retreat aims to provide the space for rest and replenishment, as well as receiving healing from others in a group context, connect with other Reiki healers, and refresh our skills-base through group discussions.

The retreat programme will include the following:

1. Morning and evening Reiki Meditations in The Well.
2. Morning movement practices and Walking the Labyrinth
3. Reiki Undo (Movement) and Dancing the Symbols
4. The Reiki Current Practice
5. Group Treatments
6. Group Discussions
7. Evening Sound Journeys
8. Creative Writing and Drawing

Requirement: It is not a requirement to have a Reiki healing practice to attend the retreat but a minimum of Reiki Level 2 qualification is necessary to attend the retreat, as we will be working with the symbols.

Venue: Temenos Retreat, McGregor
Date: 22-24 November 2024

Investment: The retreat fee is R 4,400.00 for shared accommodation and R 4,900.00 for single accommodation. An immediate deposit of R1,000.00 secures your booking. The balance is payable on 8^th November. A payment plan can be discussed.

Wisdom from the Unconscious: A journey with Meditation, Music & Mandalas

On this retreat that I will co-facilitate in my capacity as MARI® Practitioner with Anelle Naudé-Lester, Psychologist and Bonny Method Guided Imagery and Music Practitioner, we will use the powerful methods of Guided Imagery in Music (GIM) and the Mandala Assessment Research Instrument (MARI®) to facilitate connection and integration. This process of working with GIM and MARI® engages inner wisdom, intuition and insight that transcends language in a very powerful way.

This retreat will be structured as follows:

• Early morning movement practices
• Morning and early evening meditations
• Adapted group GIM sessions
• Adapted group MARI® sessions
• Various adapted GIM sessions
• Evening Sound Journeys.

What participants say about this retreat:

“Powerful! Please always combine these modalities. Very much needed.”

“It was a sacred and safe space to explore what needed to be revealed and integrated. Very, very special and life-giving.”

“Amazing work and energy. Both of you are incredibly gifted, equipped and experienced therapists/facilitators who managed the energy with mindful wisdom and empathy.”

“It has been a time of deep nourishment and reflection. A time to reconnect with myself and my unconscious wisdom.”

“Anelle and Johann your patience with and trust of the process is inspiring. Your gentle energy guided me along a very, very difficult inward journey, and got me safely to a renewed state of being. Thank you, deeply and sincerely.”

“Thank you for sharing your passions, which is so evident in your care and support and wisdom.”

Venue: Temenos Retreat, McGregor
Date:TBA

Meditation Retreat: Entering the Threshold of Mystery

Winter is the ideal season to retreat into silence and allow the weary soul to rest. Through the practice of Mindfulness Meditation this retreat aims to provide the nurturing and healing space needed for the necessary journey inward, entering the threshold of mystery through silence that will to allow body and soul to restore. I will offer additional Reiki sessions on this retreat to further enhance the body’s own restorative and balancing properties and support inner healing.

The retreat programme will be designed to accommodate the needs of both beginners and existing practitioners in meditation. An Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation will be given the Friday evening. There will be ample opportunity during the remainder of the retreat to engage with the following Meditation Practices:

• Early morning stretches and Movement Meditation
• Mindfulness Breath Meditation
• Meditation with Sound and the Senses
• Walking Meditation, including walking the labyrinth
• Reclining Meditation and evening Sound Journeys

What participants say about this retreat:

“Would definitely recommend this Mindfulness meditation retreat. It surpasses any other retreat that I have, apart from the self-retreat at Ixopo, been on. This has given me the impetus and energy to make my practice into a daily routine and given me the tools to be mindful.”

“Profound and thought changing.”

“I feel affirmed in my central practice of Centering Prayer and reminded that I can more moments of mindfulness.”

“Johann’s calm and quiet gentleness made me feel safe, and his instructions and guidance were clear and simple.”

Venue: Temenos Retreat, McGregor
Date: TBA

Season of Awakening: Soul Journey into Spring

Spring is the Season of Awakening to new possibilities and new life. For the soul a journey into spring can entail undertaking new projects, giving attention to desires and hopes that stir up after the slumber and sleep associated with winter, or even making some important life changes. A silent space to focus on awakening of the senses and spirit is especially needed as our bodies and souls are often depleted through all the challenges and the relentless demands that our current lives and work environments hold. This silent retreat will create the sacred space for solitude and deep reflection to facilitate this soul journey into spring through the practices of mindfulness, meditation, yoga and movement. I will be co-presenting this retreat with yoga teacher Glenda van den Oever, www.simplyyoga.yoga.

Venue: Temenos Retreat, McGregor
Date: 11–13 October 2024

Investment: R 4 400  shared and R 4 900 single accommodation. Balance payable 4^th October.

The Creative Muse at Play: A Creativity Retreat

Our current world is marked by a frenetic energy that brings with it unreasonable demands on our time, work pressure and obligations, a challenging and sometimes unhappy space to be in. This often results in the experience of “creative blocks” regardless of our occupation, loss of inspiration and chronic fatigue. This retreat aims to help us develop tools that we can use in our daily lives to keep the Creative Muse at play and our inspiration alive. We will engage Mindfulness Practices like Meditation and Movement, the group MARI® (Mandala Assessment Research Instrument) process, Music and spontaneous Creative Activities to assist us with this.

The retreat programme will focus on the following:

• Early morning walks, Stretches and Mindful Movement
• Movement Meditations, including Walking the Labyrinth
• Group MARI® (Mandala Assessment Research Instrument)
• Music and Colour Journeys
• Creative Expression through drawing, painting or collaging
• Creative Writing
• Evening Sound Journeys
• Reflective discussions and processing
• Visualisation, Affirmation and Goal Setting for Returning
• Having Fun!

What participants say about this retreat:

“The creative exercises really unlocked a part of me that was so dormant … My favourite activity was the painting with music.”

“Loved the art and music session. I found a freedom and flow in my art that I haven’t experienced in years.”

“The dark descent was the death of a chapter that needed to end, and the new-found colour and light, although new and unfamiliar has taught me more about who I truly am and what more there is to life.”

“I have new hope, new energy and new awareness of how important I am in all the processes I run, thus time for me remains critical from this point forward.”

“The depth and originality of the retreat is amazing.”

“I loved this retreat! I loved the creativity linked to spirituality. The gentleness of the whole weekend. I learnt to be soft with myself.”

“I enjoyed the safe space to create for creation’s sake, and not for an outcome. The quiet times and meditation also helped me to really turn inwards and feel why I want to create. I am usually focused on how and what to create, so this was a new and welcome experience.”

Date: TBA