„Awakening to Life Intensive“ with Robert Gonzales and Robert Krzisnik is a 6 1/2 – day intensive experiential retreat, taking place from  Febuary 1st – Febuary 8th, 2019 at Sampurna in Schlangenbad-Bärstadt (near Frankfurt and Wiesbaden, Germany). Former retreats attracted participants from over a dozen countries, including Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Canada, UK, USA, Belgium, Czech Republik, Hong Kong and Slovenia

The retreat offers the opportunity to
direct experiencing, sensing and being;
embodying our deepest authenticity;
venturing beyond head-centered thinking;
reclaim wholeness and
witnessing the Mystery of existence unfold.

You can register HERE

Impressions of the retreat held 2016 at Sampurna: Photos

Hear and see what the Roberts have to say about it: VIDEO

THE PASSION OF ROBERT & ROBERT:

We, the Roberts ;-), are not only connected by our first names, but also by our core yearnings to let Life flow fully; by the work we do to support and enhance evolutionary processes; and by our spiritual histories that in both cases started off with Enlightenment Intensives, continued through various meditation practices and ultimately embraced the spiritual core of Nonviolent Communication. We are both very excited and passionate about having created these intensive retreats, in which we, as a community, witness and support the embodiment of our deepest authenticity. We fully agree with participants of the pilot Awakening to Life Intensive in 2014, who said that it was a retreat to „live and die for“.

 

THE FORMAT OF THE RETREAT

Fully experiential nature of retreat

The main focus of the retreat will be on direct experiencing primarily through dyad work but also through individual and group processes, including body-work and integration time in the nature. Facilitators will be there not to teach, but to offer guidance and support.

 

Intensity and dedication

This retreat will be held as a sacred time for our deepest Self. By „intensive retreat“ we mean that:
– we will be working from around 7:00 in the morning to around 22:00 in the evening;
– we ask you to refrain from using internet – including e-mail – and telephones, unless absolutely urgent, for the duration of the entire retreat;
– we will be inviting you to, during breaks and free time, keep your intention and focus on conscious inquiry into the deepest authenticity (rather than engaging in casual socializing).

 

Embracing what is

This is not a self-improvement workshop, in which certain aspects of ourselves would be perceived as needing change, fixing, healing. The participants will be continuously encouraged to experience and embrace the Whole, rather than move from an „imperfect“ state to a „better“ one.

 

Pre-requirements

While this is not a classical Nonviolent Communication training, basic Nonviolent Communication skills of honest self-expression, empathic listening and self-empathy are required.

Therefore we would like the participants to have had at least four (4) full days of training in Nonviolent Communication with a CNVC certified trainer.

 

Language: The working language of the retreat will be English.

 

Number of Participants

The number of participants for this seminar is limited to 40.

Registration

Since there are some specificities with this training, the registration form is more extensive than usual.
You can find the registration form HERE.

Once the registration is submitted, you will receive an invoice. Once you received the invoice, please transfer the deposit of €150 after which your seat in the retreat is reserved. The deposit will not be refunded if you cancel your attendance later.
The full payment can be done anytime, but no later than November 4th, 2018.

Cancellation policy:

For cancellations before November 4th, 2018 we will refund your seminar fee minus the 150,-€ deposit.
For cancellations on November 4th  or later there will only be a refund of the fee (minus the 150,-€ deposit) if another participant takes your place.

Seminar Attendee Cancellation Insurance:

We highly recommend to book an insurance which will cover your risk, if you can not attend the retreat
in cases of illness and other serious life events. There are many providers available for these,
please check carefully, which events are covered. Here’s one example: http://bit.ly/2e5gzIn

Venue

Seminarhaus SAMPURNA
Am Tiergarten 1
65388 Schlangenbad-Bärstadt
Tel.: +49 6129 502571
Fax: +49 6129 502572
info@sampurna.de
www.sampurna.de

 

Timing

The retreat starts on Friday, February 1st, 2019 with dinner at 18.00 (6pm)
The retreat ends on Friday, February 8th, 2019 with lunch at 13.00 (1:00pm).

 

Costs

The costs for this event include:
– 980€ training fee
– 616€ accommodation (in two-bed rooms) and meals on full-board basis (starting with dinner on February 1st and ending with lunch on February 8th). A limited number of single rooms are available for 686€, as well as shared rooms with 3-6 persons at 546€. There is also an option to camp onsite or stay in the dormitory at the cost of 448€.
Please book your accommodation immediately at the venue: Tel.: +49 6129 502571 or anmeldung@sampurna.de
(Payment for room & board is due at arrival at the venue)

We warmly invite you to pay more than 980€ if you can, so we can support applicants with fewer financial means. If you would like to participate but cannot afford the complete training fee, please let us know how much support you would need. We will then contact you as soon as we got extra funding from other participants.

 

RETREAT FACILITATORS

Robert Gonzales

Robert Gonzales’ work Living Compassion has emerged from a lifetime of inquiry into the intersection between spirituality and human communication. His influences include Dr. Marshall Rosenberg (founder of Nonviolent Communication), Stephen Schwartz (creator of Compassionate Self-Care), and other spiritual teachers. His first formal spiritual practice was Enlightenment Intensives, which he participated in and led for many years.
Robert received a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1989, and was a practicing therapist for many years, offering individual and couples counselling. He met Marshall Rosenberg in 1985 and began teaching NVC in 1986. He isA a certified trainer with the Center for Nonviolent communication.
Robert’s work Living Compassion has evolved as an integration of embodied spirituality and Nonviolent Communication. His trainings offer ways to cultivate daily practices for living life fully, grounded in compassion for one’s self and others. Robert has contributed to the work of the Center for Nonviolent Communication as a Certified Trainer, serving as a Certification Assessor, and as Board President. He continues to serve as a lead trainer for International Intensive Trainings (IITs). He was one of the Co-founders of the NVC Training Institute and in 2010, he founded the Center for Living Compassion, a nonprofit organization through which he shares his work.

Website: Center for Living Compassion

 

Robert Krzisnik
Robert Krzisnik, MSc. Psych., has been working for 27 years with individuals and groups as psychotherapist, trainer, team coach, complex meeting facilitator and conflict mediator in a wide spectrum of environments: from corporate to educational to personal and spiritual retreats.

Robert is a certified trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication and serves as a trainer at International Intensive Trainings (IIT’s) around the world.

In 1986, Robert experienced his first Enlightenment Intensive (out of 45, which he either attended or facilitated), and his passion for the exploration of the essence of Life has never stopped since.

The most meaningful and transformative processes on his journey have been Enlightenment Intensives, Soto Zen meditation, and Nonviolent Communication.

Website: Humus

 

TESTIMONIALS

This is what participants from the previous Awakening to Life Intensives say about the experience:

The retreat helped me come closer to myself, I feel more connected to what life is “really” about. It is an invaluable help on this path and I will be there soon again!
Marcus Thies from Germany

The retreat helped me to authentically connect with myself, it has broadened  my sense of identity and was a catalyst for significant development in several areas in my life.
Sietse Sterrenburg from The Netherlands

The awakening to life intensive process allows one to flow with life as it is while avoiding obstacles one might encounter with other transformative work.  Feel deeply into my own presence! Wonderful.
Michael G. from the USA

The ongoing dyads with rotating questions offered such a diverse range of experiences, from frustration, anger, self-insight, mourning, beauty, bliss, joy, fear, confusion, etc. The process of going through this day after day led to a shedding of old layers and an opening to new insights and a deeper relationship and understanding of myself. Also the time in nature was very nurturing and felt essential to my integration of what I was experiencing

After the retreat I notice that I bring a greater level of acceptance to my experiences, which feels profound for me. I am allowing myself to open to all feelings and thoughts with more curiosity and compassionate understanding. I feel more trust in myself
Karl Smerecnik from the USA

Now being back home I am experiencing the flow from my essence to everybody and everything. I am experiencing deepest connections with every person I meet; my friends, my children, my partner and hard to admit, even with my mother. And I feel freedom, the grasp of mind being released, no need to think about anything, no need to decide, no need to develop countless scenarios of what can happen in future; and all the fears are gone. Its like sailing on the perfectly still sea, with the perfect wind, being in perfect balance with all the forces of nature, not knowing where I am going and enjoying the journey tremendously.
Rok Praprotnik from Slovenia

The intensity and structure supported me extremely in learning that structure can be very life-servingand helped me to move out of tightening behavioural patterns. It gave me the chance to really pierce through a lot of layers of illusion. I experienced divine love and oneness on such a high level never felt before. Your trust in the processes, the structure and in the group was so immense, that it gave space for me to open up and to restore the qualities of trust, companionship, gentleness, care, love, being seen, being heard, being important within me – that were all pretty „damaged“ before. And the inclusion of the body really opened a door for me to reconnect with my body and to body contact with others, which was quite an issue for me before. I loved how body/ emotions/ and spirituality connected and came to life together. The Concrete connecting with the Abstract.

I seem to have changed a lot, at least according to my husband. I am more open, more authentic, more direct, have less fears, more in my body, more in the flow. I keep the habits of going into nature. I stay in contact with my new companions. I feel happy for no fucking reason. My senses are very sharp, I get touched by small things much easier. I can enjoy with a lot less stimulation, tolerate a lot more disturbance without losing balance.
Sonja Kulkarni from Germany

It was really meaningful for me to (re)connect to my vulnerability and see the beauty of this open, hyper sensitive heart. How alive it is when it’s naked. And also to find the confirmation (within myself) that being one with Life is my life, its core and essence and that’s all I want from this life – with deep, very deeply rooted, fundamental passion and fire. It confirmed that my journey is to keep on opening space within myself in order to create a space where others can just be, heal, transform and open – according to their needs.

After the retreat I feel a lot of inner space, a more open heart, as if I had been fed highly nutritious food (which I have been) and could now relax and have no demands.
Aurelie de Lalande from Switzerland

The retreat was a gift for me to connect with more of my essence and stay connected with most of it afterwards. My intuition is ‚working overtime‘ and my inner power activates me every day with increasing force, resulting in showing myself. The real me.

I ‚look for‘ the yes in my body, my heart, as much as I can. It guides me and keeps me in my flow.

From this point onwards, my life started to move forward… I cannot hide from my truth anymore. I act out of and speak up from my essence more and more and am open and sincere to myself and others.
Mireille van Bremen from the Netherlands