The Sufi Alchemical Retreat

May 5 – 12, 2023 at beautiful Lioba,

Egmond Binnen, Holland (only 8 places available!)

(“I wandered in the pursuit of my own self.  I was the traveller, and I am the destination.”  – Sufi mystic Hazrat Inayat Khan –

Individual retreat is a sacred pilgrimage to reconnect with the presence of the divine within you.   It is time set aside to examine, explore and embrace the power of your soul which is too often covered over by the distractions of outer life’s demands, responsibilities and accelerated pace.  To go on retreat is to offer yourself the gifts of outer silence, solitude,  focused periods of spiritual practice, and a beautiful environment which support the unfurling of your soul’s qualities and that which gives true meaning and joy to your life.

During individual retreat there is also an alchemical process of transformation that takes place.  Often, turning within does not immediately take us to the kind of mystical visioning and heavenly attunement that we think should happen.  But if  we are willing to face all of ourselves – both the light as well as the shadows – we could experience retreat in a similar way that a determined mountaineer trains to climb to the highest summit. This means seeing retreat also as an opportunity to build up discipline, stamina and strength,  and to develop the kinds of inner resources and tools that are reliable that will help you navigate through the outer challenges of life.

My teacher Pir Vilayat referred to retreat as  a “dress rehearsal for daily life,” which, in a sacred and protected environment for a longer period of time gives revitalization, healing, inspiration, and faith in the guidance that comes from within you.

Please note that this is the only seven day retreat being being offered at Lioba monastery in 2023.   It is limited to eight participants, so early registration is advised.  For more information please go to: https://sites.google.com/view/in-person-individualretreats/home

For those who will join the retreat, a pre-retreat questionnaire will be sent to you which you must return a week before the retreat begins.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLINE RETREATS VIA ZOOM ARE AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND!