Retreat
8 days of yoga, guided self-discovery & meditation
Rest
1 day off mid-retreat for hiking, exploring, being, native cacao ceremony
Reconnect
A time in the stillness and beauty of the surrounding forest, mystical Lake Atitlán and scenic volcanoes
This being human…
This yoga, meditation & self-discovery retreat takes place near the beautiful Lake Atitlán, Guatemala and focuses on emotional intelligence as an essential foundation in approaching meditation.
When the emotional world is no longer in conflict with itself, the heart melts open and the body softens.
The exploration of meditation will focus on three pillars:
- Entering into a living relationship with oneself
- Cultivating mature emotional intelligence
- Discovering a more spacious mind – beyond thoughts
Intention
Arrive with the intention to work sincerely and to pour your heart into discovering and developing an inner stamina and composure that is capable of holding, softly allowing and witnessing the arising and passing energies of what is named as thoughts and emotions.
Retreat Structure
The following questions will serve as a structure for self-discovery and meditation work during a focused time at the enchanting Kawoq Forest Retreat Center at the foothills of Lake Atitlán, San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala. We will inquire into these questions by directly witnessing the answers in the body, without relying on prior knowledge.
Prior to Meditation
- Perspective: Self-Improvement as a form of self-inflicted violence.
- Meditation is not about silencing the mind, on the contrary it is about learning how to listen to thoughts and understand them.
- Spiritual bypassing—a misguided form of spirituality—may deaden emotional access by falsely striving for a “neutral mind.”
- Entering into a living relationship with yourself – relating not to a mental construct of self, but to the actual, living human being.
- Giving accumulated knowledge its proper domain – is knowledge a “middle man” in relationships?
- Cultivating a mind that is free of internal conflict – no emotion possesses an internal split where a virtuous “better half” attempts to correct its inferior counterpart.
- Emotional Freedom: an emotion is able to flow without friction, telling its complete story without internal resistance..
- Recognizing oneself as a continuation of humanity.
- Understanding Self-Esteem / Becoming an independent thinker.
- Meditation – not a mechanical practice nor a technique.
Approaching Thoughts and Emotions
- Maturing the relationship to physical sensations.
- Does the mind look at thoughts the same way that it looks through the physical eyes?
- Does the mind need to project the thought outward (i.e., create a distance from itself) before it can fully examine the mental content?
- Is the distance between the image and the observer imagined?
- Are mental images actually three-dimensional and spatially organized?
- When an image is visualized, does it have width, height, length or depth? Is the space around it also visualized?
Understanding the Mental Construct of “Me”
- Is there a relationship between self-image and the nervous system?
- Observing how the self arises from memories.
- Witnessing the relationship between the thinker (self) and thoughts, emotions, feelings and sensations.
- Sensing how the brain manufactures artificial intelligence that is self-aware (the self).
- Considering the possibility that the nature of even the most intense thoughts and emotion may be more mechanical than living.
- Learning to deescalate the charge and importance of a thought-emotion-feeling-sensation.
- If the self is made of thought, is it actually alive?
- Does thought have a center that says “I”? Does this “I” have a human face / voice?
Troubleshooting / Fine-tuning Meditation
- Short meditation drills with check-ins, feedback and possible suggestions for course correction
- Exploration of inner experiences, witnessing wealth of information in the seemingly insignificant observations
- Partner Work: “Assisted Meditation” in the exploration of muscle tensions
Lodging
August Ambiance
August is the rainy season in Guatemala. It is a lush and beautiful time to visit Lake Atitlán, characterized by vibrant, green landscapes, warm temperatures (highs around 75°F-79°F) and short afternoon tropical rain showers with typically sunny mornings.
Additional Cost
The center has a cafe, a gift store, and wellness offerings such as massages and energy healing available from the local staff. These will be charged directly to your individual account which you can pay for at check-out.
Getting There
Fly in Aug. 28
Please plan on flying into GUA airport the day before the shuttle departure to the retreat center.
A greeting at the airport and an escort to the hotel is available upon request at no additional cost.
Hotel Aug. 28
Best Western Plus Hotel Stofella is a great option which includes breakfast, a restaurant, an outdoor patio and a lovely old town ambiance.
Shuttle Aug. 29
A shuttle to/from the retreat center is provided.
The shuttle will depart from Best Western Plus Hotel Stofella at 10am on Aug 29.
The trip to/from the retreat center is just under 4 hours, depending on traffic.
The Hike
Once we arrive to San Marcos La Laguna, there is a 20 minute hike into the forest and up the mountain upon which the Kawoq Forest Retreat Center awaits.
Luggage
Porters are available to bring your luggage to/from the retreat center for $20 each way.
If you plan to carry the luggage yourself, consider a backpack with comfortable straps and a waste belt for weight distribution.
Fly Out Sep. 6
On the way back, the shuttle will head directly to the GUA airport unless a stop is requested.
Please plan on flight departure no earlier than 1:30pm on September 6.
Arriving to/from the retreat center separately is also an option for $150 USD. Please let us know if you need this option.
Your Guide
Vova Kuperman
Vova aspires to become literate at being human. In early twenties he had a flashback to a childhood memory of being miraculously healed from a chronic illness by a touch of a hand. Years later, his thirst for answers took him out of software engineering and through many books, places, people, countries and experiences, eventually settling down to explore within.
With many years of an in-depth dedication to meditation, introspection, healing arts, and somatic practices, he continues to probe into the depth of existence. The direction of his work is set on maturing the capacity to sense with discernment into the subtle sheath of psycho-energetic imprints that span across mental, emotional, physical and energetic domains.
Further emphasis are attended to the extraordinary psychosomatic relationship between thought and matter.
For over a decade, he has been restoring hearts and sharing his findings via various modalities including developing emotional intelligence, rites of passage work, one-on-one and group self-discovery and meditation classes, retreats in remote wilderness as well as in the comfort of a meditation center. This work is his labor of deep love and the most sincere blueprint of his individuality.
” The health of Self-Esteem depends on the capacity to unbind and individuate the energetic system from the collective/peripheral thought influences. In this difficult task, developed discernment and navigation in the realms of energy are essential. “
Sensing a Connection?
If you have any questions, please call / text 224-300-0499 or send a message here
Payment Options
- Cash / Check
- Zelle / Venmo / PayPal
- Credit Card
Refund Policy
- Fully refundable up to 3 weeks before the retreat
- Less than 3 weeks, %50 refund will be issued or a full refund if someone else can take your spot.