Join us on an 8-day adventure to Bali (November 1-8, 2024), where we will integrate Somatic IFS and Breathwork to facilitate a transformative healing journey for mental health professionals.
Guided by LaDonna Silva and Pablo Castro.
7 Reasons to join this journey
8-day adventure in Bali
Bali's stunning beauty will fill you with awe and inspiration. Bali is on a bucket list of many and for a reason - it's a special, powerful and diverse land. You will experience Balinese culture, connect with openhearted people and witness their rich community and spiritual life. You will also experience the richness of the natural world in Bali which is like reconnecting to a source of life.
Inner journey
This retreat is a process of insight and inner transformation. Our program is a unique combination of guided experiential processes (morning and evening circles), somatic embodiment practices (movement, dance, breathwork, Qi-gong, Balinese massage), and local excursions and experiences: Waterfall & Rice Terrace Trek, Water Ceremony in a Balinese Temple, Kecak Trance Dance and more.
Unique venue
Villa Gaia is a fabulous retreat centre set among rice paddies. During our time the centre will be dedicated exclusively to our group. Accommodations include double bedrooms (one quad) with air conditioning, plus a spacious, open-air workshop area with comfortable sofas and a view of palm trees and rice terraces. Last but not least, the swimming pool, jacuzzi and sauna are available 24 hours a day.
Small group
In a small group retreat of 20 people, the intimacy fosters deep, meaningful connections, enabling more personalized and resonant interactions. This setting ensures every voice is heard, promoting a sense of belonging and mutual support, ideal for personal growth and fostering empathy among participants.
2 Teachers
This retreat will be guided by two facilitators: LaDonna Silva (she/her), LMFT, who is a Process Therapist, an IFS Approved Clinical Consultant, a Level 3 Certified IFS Therapist and a member of the Somatic IFS Staff with Susan McConnell, and Pablo Castro, a Breathwork Practitioner and Trainer. Two different perspectives, skillsets and energies.
A culinary experience
You will be provided with three delicious, healthy and carefully prepared meals a day and 24-hour access to coffee, tea, lemonade and snacks, including traditional Balinese sweets and desserts. During the retreat, you will try the best dishes of Asian cuisine, especially those characteristic to Bali. We will also visit some of the best traditional Balinese restaurants in Ubud.
A balanced program
This retreat is a time for deep insight and inner work, as well as a time for rest, restoration and healing. You will take a deep break from your busy life - this will be time only for YOU. You will try traditional Balinese massage, enjoy a relaxing walk in the rice paddies, and unwind by the pool or in the jacuzzi.
Breathing, healing
Breathing is a remarkable bodily function that seamlessly blends the realms of voluntary and involuntary control.
While we can consciously influence our breath, such as taking deep breaths or holding it, the fundamental rhythm and regulation of breathing are governed by the autonomic nervous system, ensuring our survival without conscious effort. This dual nature of breathing showcases the intricate harmony between conscious intent and subconscious mechanisms within our bodies.
Our breath is also intimately connected to our emotions, serving as a somatic bridge to access and regulate them on a deeper level. By consciously working with our breath, we can bring our emotions to the surface so that we are able to witness and work through them.
Breathing can be a powerful healing tool, both if we use it as a primary healing modality through methods like Conscious Connected Breathwork or if we integrate breath into somatic psychotherapy. We have found that sometimes our bodies are so rigid and stuck that something else is needed to open up to altered states of consciousness.
An ideal fit for this is Internal Family Systems (IFS), which allows us to soften the protective parts of ourselves, making space for a deep healing process.
The integration of IFS therapy and breathwork offers a potent synergy for self-exploration and trauma healing. Breathwork can help individuals access and engage with inner parts more deeply, facilitating access to Self-energy and releasing emotional burdens. IFS, in turn, can release inner obstacles and protective mechanisms, which allows us to truly surrender and follow inner guidance and bodily wisdom.
This 8-day retreat will be an inner journey - an experience of going deep with breathing (Conscious Connected Breathwork) and parts work practices (Somatic IFS by Susan McConnell).
You will be able to create space for whatever is happening within you and attend to it with trusted guidance. It will be like coming home to yourself - a spacious welcome to all that needs attention.
The guided group work we will do will allow you to embody a more compassionate presence in your therapy room and give you a set of cutting-edge tools, inviting your practice to the next level.
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