Conscious Relating: The Alchemy of Love
A 3-day retreat for couples
October 6-8, 2023
Forci Retreat Centre, Italy
PROGRAM
Join us this Autumn for a nourishing couples retreat in the mesmerising hills of Tuscany. Where we’ll unwind into nature and explore how to bring deeper love, flow and understanding into our romantic relationships.
The fact of the matter is this: the quality of our relationships defines the quality of our lives. And for most of us (after the relationship we have with ourselves), the most important relationship is the one we have with our romantic partner.
This relationship is a very potent vehicle into personal growth and deeper connection. Why? Because our hidden triggers, shadows and demons inevitably come up. Everyone in a committed relationship knows the diabolical dance: one moment you’re happily vibing together, the next you’re bored, numbed out or in Trigger Town, quite ready to leave each other.
This is where The Alchemy of Love comes in, allowing us to turn our relational pain into gold. Here we have our central exploration of this weekend: how can we use the s*** that surfaces in our romantic relationship to awaken together into deeper aliveness, healthy attachment and awareness?
In this 3-day weekend retreat, life partners Kim and Nils will share powerful tools that have turned their romantic relationship into an upward spiral of play, connection and love.
The three foundational pillars will be Truth, Love and Presence; all of these ‘entry-points’ are gateways into transformation.
Day 1: The entry point for Truth is the mind: remembering and understanding who you are (also in relation to others), exploring your thoughts and beliefs with (self-)inquiry and other experiential exercises.
Day 2: Love comes in through the body, particularly the heart. The path of love leads to deep connection with fellow beings through modalities like breathwork, yoga, dance, tantric exercises, music and art.
Day 3: Presence is related to Spirit. As we surrender deeper into the present moment, we learn to expand our awareness to include all parts of ourselves and the people around us. Meditation is central here, Vipassana and the relational meditation known as Circling.
Would you like join or learn more? Drop Kim or Nils an email on kimlottehelmus@gmail.com or nils.elzenga@gmail.com, or book a call here.
YOUR GUIDES
Kim Lotte Helmus is a clinical psychologist, psychedelic guide, and intuitive being. She loves to create space for people to connect with themselves and remember their own truth. She helps people transform using science-based techniques and her own creativity and intuition. After 15 years of academic therapeutic service in mental healthcare and hospitals, and over a decade of meditative practices, she’s come to realize that all of us have our own struggles and difficulties in life. Kim meets herself and the people around her from a place of understanding, acceptance and love. She teaches and lectures for university programs and builds much needed bridges between the seemingly different worlds of science and spirituality.
Nils Elzenga is a breathworker, life coach and psychedelic guide. He also teaches Circling, a powerful meditation-in-relation that fosters deep presence, showing up as and in truth, and the courage to fully feel what is alive in you and in others. It creates self-awareness, helps heal (relational) trauma and transforms through the simple yet profound act of human connection. In his work, Nils focuses on embodiment (feeling it is healing it), compassion and presence. Nils is an avid meditator, yogi and surfer with a passion for the outdoors.
In March 2022, the love between Kim and Nils entered a whole new dimension with the arrival of their daughter Djuna Fenna Helena Elzenga.
THE VENUE
Tenuta di Forci is located in one of Tuscany’s most unspoiled provinces – a land that has captured the hearts of artists, healers, dreamers and adventurers for millennia. Tenuta di Forci is an ancient agricultural estate – dating back to the 14th century – with 350 hectares of forest, vineyards, fruit trees, vegetable garden and vast olive groves. Here we mindfully evolve our understanding of how we live in harmony with nature, curating sustainable farming practices and healing experiences for generations to come. Today, the heart of Forci’s regenerative farm lies in our commitment to inspire visitors and guests who come to learn from the land, to cultivate more conscious, sustainable and healthful lives.
PRICING
There are limited spots available for seven couples: the investment for this retreat is €1199,- ex VAT per couple (invoices can be provided in order to be deducted as business expense for growth and leadership coaching).
TRAVEL
You can fly to Pisa or Florence.
At the moment of writing (28 August), there are tickets available from Eindhoven to Pisa on Thursday evening for €124 (return Sunday evening). Flying from Amsterdam is slightly more expensive.
The venue is located 45 kilometres away from Pisa airport, renting a car costs about €60 per day.
Transfers are also available by minibus taxis (6 persons) from Pisa (€130 per bus one way) or Florence (€170 per bus one way) airport. Trains also run from the airports to Lucca, from there you can take a taxi to Forci.