This summer, we held the first Beyond Retreat. A leadership retreat in one of Sweden’s national parks. I am amazed and grateful for the three days spent together with these amazing leaders from around Sweden. And our mission – to bring people closer to themselves, opening up for an authentic experience of self as a human and leader, shifting and deepening perspectives on life.
Immersed in one of the most beautiful nature reserves in Sweden (authors subjective view), we used Adult Stage Development Theory and the Relational Organization as our scientific base, and meditation, contemplation, dialog, mirroring and nature soloing as our tools. We carefully designed a process for transformative insight. And we made it. Together! Both insight and transformation that is.
Preparing and pre-forming the group using virtual workshops, we all felt that we knew each other right from the start, when we gathered for “a last supper” in the valley before hiking up the mountain.
During the course of three days mother Earth showed herself in all her beautiful shapes. High wind and rain, sunny, light breeze, overwhelming colors of the high mountain terrain, star spangled skies, moonlight strong as daylight, ice cold baths and fresh cloudberries. These outer oscillations added to the experience with all its magnificence, and I feel they also accelerated the inner process. As did the immersion in nature for a longer period of time. She does something to us, our dear earth. Opening us up. Slowing us down. Enabling us to start listening to the feather soft whispers of our heart. Connecting us to our selves, and our longing. All we had to add was a process for true, unmasked meetings. With self and other.
The self organizing frame we set made everything just happen. Dinner emerged as out of nowhere. Breakfasts, dishes, packing, hikes, fires, caring for each other. It all just happened, in a co-creative symphony. A beautiful, joyful dance of life with people meeting with open hearts. And the experience and the insight it gave will have shifted some of us forever. For the good of ourselves, others and the planet.
Love to you all!
And don’t forget to enjoy the precious abundance of live, as you live it, in every single moment.
Comments