RETREAT OVERVIEW

Forward From Love retreats follow a highly structured program of personal practices to help participants expand their awareness and self identification beyond physical form and personality, with the aim of recognizing non-dual awareness, fundamental state of potential beyond form, thought or concept.
The retreats are aimed at Self Knowing, and while many of the practices stem from meditative traditions, none are presented with any traditional symbolism, dogma or teachings. There is a non-dual view of existence that is presented and shared here on the website, however there is no trust asked to be placed in it, or in the program guides. The retreat is designed to support self discovery, by eliminating many of the distractions we face in day to day life, that keep us habitually connected to form and identity, and to provide a program that can help lead towards self knowing.
Retreats are 4 or 5 day intensives, with highly structured programs that engage the body and mind in energetic and meditative practices to help loosen identification with body and personality, and to expand awareness and connection with the base of existence and its qualities.
There will be multiple sessions a day of guided body movement and energy movement, including yoga, qi gong, as well as personal movement work including freeform dancing.
There will be hours a day of guided or structured meditative practice, including meditating on an object to focus attention, with visualizations, with sound, and on non-dual awareness. The program will included guided meditations on dream and sleep, including a mid day guided dreamwork meditation.
To support experiences of self knowing, all speech and discussion during the program will be limited to the guidance of practices, and group discussions related to the practices or experiences during the week. Participants will have regular one on one times to check in with facilitators on their experiences and needs during the week. Communication between participants, including gestures is not permitted outside of group discussion on the practices and experiences during them.
Retreats are hosted in a secluded setting on the island of Mallorca.
Meals are prepared based on the philosophy of temple food. Deeply energizing, nourishing and delicious meals, supportive of meditation. No meat, garlic, onion or ginger is used in cooking.
Our menus are created by Forward From Love Chefs, who work with local farmers to cook with the highest energetic food available.
The use of sound, headphones, light, and other supportive methodologies to support in meditation will be used throughout the week. We will also use equipment unique to Forward From Love that support an ideal meditation posture without discomfort, strain or effort.
The retreat location, room accommodations, food and all considerations around environment and hospitality, will be geared towards a blend of isolation for the retreat, solitary space and group space participants, and generally a ‘cozy’/ ‘monastic’ feel for the program, that gives some sense of the seriousness of self knowing associated with monastic living, but a deeply personal and supportive environment that feels familiar and deeply inviting. Food will be supportive of sustained energy, without being overstimulating. Food will be prepared from organic ingredients and to be energetically and emotionally nourishing to support participants in the program.
Many practices will be held outdoors to support naturally relaxing, mind expanding experiences connected with the natural environment.
Retreats are hosted in a secluded setting on the island of Mallorca. Please get in touch through our contact form to learn more!

FAQ’s

What is the course about?

This retreat is a serious, transformative, and experiential “intensive”, focused on one singular aim: guiding participants to a direct experience of “Self Knowing”, non-dual awareness of awareness, beyond subject or object, form, thought, or concept. The program is built around a foundation of traditional and time proven meditative, breathwork and body movement practices. Along with the practices, a view of the nature of existence and of the nature of self will be presented, where the view is that consciousness and free will are fundamental and inseparable properties of existence and of ourselves as parts-whole of the totality of existence. Qualities shared and discussed around the base potentiality of phenomenal existence, is that it has unbounded awareness, unlimited potential, “feels” like unconditional love, light, and warmth. This base is us, and we are it. As individuals in form, time and space, we are parts whole of this base, and in our direct experience of this realization, we are complete, whether remaining in awareness of time, space and form, or through experiencing the base directly without form, which is to ‘know ourselves’ at the deepest level, and the goal of all practices and content presented in the retreat.

Who should apply?

The retreat is for those who have already taken responsibility for their lives and are ready to commit to deeper, transformational practices.

Taking responsibility for one’s own life in the context of the retreat means being willing to explore that we as individuals have free will as fundamental aspects of our own existence. Exploring this means, also exploring that we have ‘always had’ free will, which as a consequence, means taking a level of accountability for where our choices and our actions have affected our lives in the past, and may continue to, especially with held emotions like blame, resentment, guilt, shame, that relate to past experiences from others towards us, or from us towards others. With the concepts of free will and self responsibility, participants will be encouraged and supported in releasing emotional, thought, and behavioral patterns and underlying belief systems that may hold a participant back from experiencing ‘self knowing’. It means taking responsibility for the internal work that will arise during this deep process of exploration. Participants will be asked to write down a ‘sense of self’ before the retreat, that is always available to pick back up afterwards, and is waiting at the retreat exit ready to go home with them, so they don’t have to worry about losing that sense of self. The retreat offers a container, a bubble, a sanctuary, in which something new can be explored, a reevaluation of ‘who I think I am”.

Themes like ‘effort’ compared to ‘effortlessness’, will be explored to help find the balance between ‘doing’ and the ‘non-doing or effortless doing’ that is experienced during ‘non dual awareness’. Until the work is effortless, practices, which can be effortful, are helpful. Another concept is the potential of then getting attached to the practices or view, which then must be let goof, to have the goal experience. All of these nuanced points will be approached sensitively.

Can I apply for this course if I do not have a strong meditation practice?

This retreat is open dedicated meditators, as well as to those who have a limited previous experience with meditation, breathwork, energetic, or movement practices, but it is expected that participants will come with a genuine, strong desire for self-exploration and self-knowing. It is expected that many interested participants will have existing practices that are supportive to them, which is great! The retreat is not about adding more techniques or collecting practices, but diving deeply into the practices that will allow direct insight into the nature of awareness itself.