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We are proud to share with you our Mission, Vision and Inclusiveness Statements, our Core Values, and some background on Path Retreats.
Path Retreats, now a worldwide, life-changing, personal growth and self-development process, reaches people on five continents and in six languages. Thousands of people’s lives have been deeply enriched and enduringly transformed by their participation in this retreat, and Path Retreats continues to grow, with new countries and languages being added each year.
From our Mission Statement…Loving this Life…to our key values…we integrate this work into every aspect of our lives, both personally and with Path Retreats.
Path Retreats aims to contribute to a significant shift in global consciousness through actively pursuing our commitment to foster global appreciation of our diversity as humans. No matter the age of your body, your physical characteristics, your ethnicity, your indigeneity, what religion or spiritual path you follow, gender you identify as, your sexual orientation, political beliefs you hold, cultural or socioeconomic background you originate from, whether you identify with any of these or none of them, or anything else which makes you the unique and beautiful human being that you are, Path Retreats invites you to join our community and welcomes the contribution your difference makes.
Our venues offer meditative settings in beautiful retreat atmospheres.
We have a dedicated team of skilled facilitators and group leaders trained in a wide range of approaches and modalities. They not only teach this work…but integrate it’s principles into their own lives. They each have a passionate longing to wake up to their own potential and to help others to do the same.
The Path of Love 7-day Retreat is a deep and intensive personal development process that has produced life-changing and breakthrough results for thousands of people all over the world.
Participants often mark their lives by the distinct change in their experience of life before and after they participated in the Path of Love.
This week-long personal growth and development retreat helps a person to recognize and grow out of old and limiting personality structures. Even though these old structures were needed for protection and often for survival in the past, in time they can become hindrances that keep us from a full expression of who we are. When exposed, felt, faced, and brought to awareness we learn to trust ourselves in new ways. This allows us to live the life we long for.
The Path of Love refers to love in the widest sense…the love that promotes growth, peace, and personal and spiritual unfoldment and which leads to the possibility of harmonious relations between all people.
During this week-long personal growth and development process you will do guided meditations, emotional release work, self-enquiry, writing assignments, and sharing with others in what we call a small group (which is usually from 9 to 12 people). There is a very safe and supportive environment for you to work in absolute confidentiality.
Generally speaking, it is a spiritually oriented (not religiously affiliated) group but we also incorporate a number of psychological modalities, mindfulness practices and healing methods, which are integrated into the retreats.
We have quite a large volunteer staff that is generally equal to the number of participants. They have all done the retreat themselves, and are there to support the participants and to create an environment of presence, safety, and respect.
The positive and powerful personal transformation of the Path of Love 7-Day Retreat affects people in such a way that they often volunteer to help staff future workshops to give back some of what they have received. To be a member of our volunteer staff is a profound and valuable experience, and there is often a waiting list for staff.
No, not directly. People can share about sexual issues if they feel the need; but the process itself has nothing to do with sex. We honor the boundaries and safety of all who participate, and there is no place for inappropriate touching or sexual intimacy during the retreat.
The process is 100% confidential. Both a signed and verbal commitment to confidentiality is taken by all participants and staff at the beginning of the process.
No, absolutely not. We welcome people from all religious faiths and spiritual paths. There is no agenda to influence or change anyone’s religious faith.
Since our first retreat in India in 1995, we have welcomed participants from approximately 115 countries ranging in age from 17 to 84, from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds, and have conducted retreats in over 38 countries and in 6 languages.
People choose to do this meditation and personal development process for many reasons. In general, people that do this retreat want to expand their horizons, in the sense that they feel they are not living their lives to their fullest potential. Often people come with some sense of dissatisfaction or unhappiness, relationship or family issues, a feeling of resignation, low energy or low creativity, or loss of passion and meaning and a deep longing for change and inspiration.
People also come to break addictive, compulsive, habits and patterns and to find answers to deep existential questions about their life. Others are in a transitional phase of life; sometimes having experienced a deep loss and with a longing to come to peace with themselves. For some people, their lives are going really well, yet they feel they are missing some deeper inner meaning. This process addresses the whole range of human problems and issues, and our eternal, underlying quest for meaning.
Participants often leave this personal growth workshop with a newfound sense of dignity, self-love, joy, relaxed confidence, and trust. A natural emotional intelligence, a sense of belonging, and connection to a global community, along with compassion for yourself and others is a big part of what you receive in this process. Graduates of Path of Love are able to deal with stress in a healthier way, for both body and mind. They have improved relationships and understandings as parents, children, partners, siblings, friends and co-workers. They have a greater sense of meaning in life, and are able to take responsibility and contribute to significant changes in their lives (relationships, work), communities (giving back, volunteering), and the environment (climate change).
Our Facilitators and Leaders have many traditional and alternative trainings, both in Western psychology and Eastern meditation and mindfulness practices, and experience in various psychological and therapeutic modalities. They are also highly skilled therapists in this particular methodology and an intensive training is required to become a Path of Love Facilitator and Leader.
The normal size of a group is 24 – 44 participants, with 2 Leaders and a dedicated Facilitator and Assistant for every 9 – 12 people. There is also a volunteer staff, generally equal to the number of participants, who come from all over the world to support the participants and the process.
We ask you to devote all your time and attention to the process. During the retreat you will be asked to put all other practices to the side and only follow the meditation exercises that are part of the group. After the retreat, you are encouraged to return to your life-enhancing practices.
During the process we ask participants to refrain from alcohol, tobacco, and any intoxicants. The habitual consumption of these are often ways to avoid our feelings, and by not using them, it will help deepen your process.
During the week of the retreat, we ask that you arrange things so that you can fully focus on the work at hand (as if you were on a silent meditation retreat). Plan not to make or receive calls. Exceptions can be made (for example, if you need to contact your children). In an emergency, you can be reached through a number which will be provided.
In Australia, Croatia, Greece, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, United Kingdom and USA, the group is only held in English, so you must be able to speak and understand English well to participate. In Brazil, Israel, Mexico and Portugal, the local language is offered together with English. In Germany and Italy, we offer Path of Love workshops only in English, and also in German and Italian.
The sleeping arrangements vary from place to place. Often you have one or two roommates of the same gender in a comfortable room. In some instances, it is possible to book a single room and/or in some instances the sleeping is dormitory style.
Yes. You will get enough sleep and rest every night giving you adequate time to integrate the work.
Food is usually vegetarian and of high quality. You get a big breakfast and dinner, and a light lunch. Dietary provisions are provided if possible. It is advisable to bring your own extra snacks with you, for between meals.
It depends on the severity of the handicap or illness. During the application process we will look into whether it is advisable for you to participate.
In general, we don’t accept people that are under psychiatric treatment or on medication for psychiatric reasons, except when they are cleared and recommended for participation by their doctor. If you would like to discuss your readiness with your therapist, and they have questions for us, please direct them to our Therapist Resource Page, where they can request our Guidelines for Professionals manual, or talk directly with one of our Retreat Advisors.
Ideally, it is good to have a few days after the retreat for integration, but many people do return to their work and family lives immediately after the process.
When you apply, you will receive an Application Form, which will ask questions about your health background and your experience in either therapy or meditation. This is usually followed by an on-line interview with one of our staff to determine whether the process is appropriate for you, and if it is the right time for you to participate. It is advisable to have done some inner work, preferably in a group format, but this is not a prerequisite. After you are accepted into the course, you will be asked to complete a medical form and a personal questionnaire, which will help our Facilitators ensure you have the best process possible. There are no other prerequisites or entry requirements to attend the Path of Love.
All course study materials are provided for you as part of your participation. Each evening after the group there is a writing assignment, which can take from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the evening assignment and the depth of your answers. After Path of Love concludes, there is a 5-day integration program of approximately 45 minutes to an hour each day, an 8-week aftercare program which may take from 5 to 30 minutes per week of study, and a suggested reading list to further your inner work. There are also 3-weeks of recommended sessions with a partner of one hour each, and two group sessions of approximately 2 hours each.
Yes, our courses are accredited through S.I.A.F., a board of professional proficiency accreditation based in Florence, Italy. S.I.A.F. is certified UNI EN ISO 9001:2008, a member of Association Professionnel del la Santé Complémentaire, and of Perry Johnson Registrars. Participation in our courses can be used towards accreditation as a Holistic Counsellor or Holistic Operator. The qualifications for this program are in addition to our courses, and more detail can be found by visiting S.I.A.F. at www.siafitalia.it.
Yes, there are follow up groups, retreats, and trainings in the basic principles of this work that will be available to you. Often people go on to do Walking the Path (Step Two to the Path of Love 7-Day Retreat) or stay involved through staffing. In some areas there are local support groups, and meditation evenings. We continue to expand, which allows us to offer more groups, trainings, and events than ever before.
Schedule a call with one of our Retreat Advisors to learn more about the Path of Love 7-Day Retreat.
This link will take you to an external site, where you can share your contact information (such as e-mail and/or Skype Name, etc.) and schedule an informal chat with one of our Retreat Advisors.
Schedule a call with one of our Retreat Advisors to learn more about the Path of Love 7-Day Retreat.
This link will take you to an external site, where you can share your contact information (such as e-mail and/or Skype Name, etc.) and schedule an informal chat with one of our Retreat Advisors.
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November 29 – December 1, 2024
November 24 – December 1, 2024 Tuscany, Italy
July 16 – 21, 2024 Andalusia, Spain
Nov 6 – 13, 2024 Yorkshire, United Kingdom
