European holiday retreats with mindfulness in nature.
Our weekend, or week-long “Mindfulness Vacations & Retreats” are designed with abundant activities for the mind, the body and the spirit. The core of what we offer includes mindfulness training, meditation in nature and forest therapy, with fun vacation time mixed in.
Included excursions surrounded by natural and architectural beauty in amazing places throughout Europe, provide a balanced experience.
The main component in all retreats is Shinrin Yoku (Forest Bathing). Our training and practice on these techniques, provide a long-lasting takeaway for all participants to apply this proven Japanese preventative medicine practice in their everyday lives.
Check out the magazine article we were featured in:
Freunde von Freunden interview
♦ What you will enjoy with us:
- Nature abundant, secluded locations where you can go on long walks, taking in the fresh air and the mystique of the local history and culture.
- Small groups, family atmosphere with plenty of bonding exercises and activities that may inspire lifelong friendships among our participants.
- Daily guided meditation sessions, yoga, Shinrin-Yoku or Forest Bathing, mindfulness through art and expressive writing, among other activities.
- Training sessions on using nature and mindfulness as stress management tools
- For the longer retreats, enjoy homemade, Mediterranean style meals, prepared daily with fresh, mostly local and organic ingredients. (“Mostly” as it is tough to find good local olive oil in Scotland…)
- Fun, and thought-provoking daily activities. Day trips to nearby points of interest to satisfy the vacation component and the tourist in you.
♦ Mindfulness Tools and Techniques
Our proposed mindful escape, is the type of holidays that you won’t need more holidays to recover from. We include training on Mindfulness Tools and Techniques for long-lasting stress management exercises that you can do on your own.
With our Mindfulness in Nature practice tools we can strengthen your own inner resources for managing stress, growing more resilient and performing effective self-compassionate healing. These exercises will eventually become second nature and valuable tools to enhance your everyday life.
A major addition to our program content is the practice of Shinrin Yoku or Forest Bathing. A type of preventative medicine as it is considered in Japan, brings us back to our evolutionary origins and provides spiritual and physiological healing effects on us.
♦ Vacation component
Fun in nature among kindred spirits
Our venues are selected specifically by their natural surroundings, without the crowds and the aspects that make holidays more stressful than having stayed at home.
Exotic and intriguing places where our participants can explore nature, culture and history, enjoy the scenery through Europe. (Canada and Japan are in our future plans)
We offer small group retreat experiences. Half and full day trips to memorable places with wow effects, either by their stunning natural characteristics or by their history and cultural significance.
As most of our clients come from far, we encourage to add some time on your own to spend in the area after our retreat to please the “tourist” in you.
This time is specifically recommended to be taken right after our retreat, for example, visit Rome or Florence after our Tuscany retreat. This would serve as a “test drive” of your new and improved “self” as you spend time in a more stressful holiday environment before returning to your reality back home.