EVERY JOURNEY STARTS WITH A SINGLE STEP
Mission life tends to be all consuming. As time passes, for many there is a build-up of unprocessed experiences, as well as an increasing backlog in personal development.
The Paradiso Perduto approach to this double predicament is non-invasive and unforced.
Instead of attempting to directly address trauma, we aim to provide a supportive and nurturing environment.
Our retreat programme essentially consists of a gentle but potent recipe:
- Rooting - connection with place and nature
- Belonging - participation in a healthy community
- Nurturing - proper nourishment of body and soul
LAY DOWN YOUR ARMOR
Paradiso Perduto aims to offer a place of refuge.
To safeguard this space, we operate on the basis of fundamental respect, integrity and wholehearted inclusiveness.
Individual responsibility is understood as each of us having an obligation to play a meaningful part in the interdependent web of life.
Recognizing that all healing processes are like spirals - circling around and around, each cycle a little deeper - our approach is respectful of every individual’s current depth and (s)pace, without pressure or interference.
We respect people’s essential sovereignty. We do not determine the right path for them. We do not suppress symptoms nor do we manipulate a behavioral change.
Instead, we aim to create just the right circumstances that invite a spontaneous adjustment, an instinctive movement towards balance.
This does require a certain measure of trust and surrendering. We must let go – if only temporarily – of our preconceived ideas and expectations.
HEALING THROUGH RECONNECTION
An important obstacle to healing is the lack of rooting and overmuch intellectualisation.
Connecting with place and nature – while planting our feet firmly on the ground – is an important ingredient of our method.
Retreatants will be spending a lot of time outdoors, growing plants, caring for the resident animals and generally soaking up the energy of Earth.
In addition to daily grounding activities, various classes and workshops will be organised providing participants with techniques that, over time, form an effective toolbox full of healthy coping mechanisms.
Practicing these techniques will make it easier to break with destructive habits that keep people trapped in vicious cycles. They will also assist in maintaining balance after leaving the retreat and returning to ‘normal’ life.
FOR CIVILIAN VETERANS, BY CIVILIAN VETERANS
A second important ingredient in our formula is belonging.
For many of us, the lack of a tangible community feels like a big hole in our lives. After a while, home just doesn’t feel like home anymore. We seem to just drift from place to place. We have all but given up on the idea, but in our hearts, we deeply long to belong.
The ability to reach out and touch a friend, to feel welcome, to be truly seen and recognized amongst peers, it puts us at ease and allows us to breathe. We can be who we are without pressure or explanations.
At Paradiso Perduto, all those present have had similar experiences, got stuck for generally the same reasons, and share the same desire to feel whole again. It is a collective journey, as well as an individual one.
There will be no domestic staff and all house chores are simply divvied up amongst the participants. We will be pulling weeds together, doing dishes, folding laundry and sweeping floors.
Working simple chores with our hands, side by side, it provides us with the opportunity to comfortably share stories - and silences.
To allow for a stable and supportive community to thrive, there will be a mentor system where new arrivals are paired up with more advanced participants.
FEEDING THE SOUL
Last but not least, the third pillar of our method is about nurturing. Food for the body, food for the soul.
All meals are home-cooked and free from pesticides or other harmful substances.
Preparing food and eating together forms an important part of the daily programme. For as long as our species has existed, the sharing of food has been key to maintaining our social fabric.
There is something magical that happens when humans enter a house that smells of freshly baked bread, or when they gather around a crackling fire.
Food can take many forms. Besides our daily meals, our nutrition includes the stories we tell each other, the books we read, the sounds and smells we surround ourselves with.
For the duration of the retreat, we strive to limit toxic influences as much as possible. There will be limited internet access, and no mobile phones or television.
Additional nourishment for the soul will be offered by guest teachers. For example, there may be classes in writing or storytelling, mushroom gathering, herbal lore. There may be workshops in martial arts and breathwork, forest bathing techniques and meditation.
Classes are always optional and will be tailored to the needs and wishes of the group.
DURATION OF RETREATS
Most of us need to literally remove ourselves from our usual environment if we wish to bring about a meaningful change. In addition to a certain distancing, it takes time and practice to form new habits, develop new coping skills.
Regular retreats, as envisaged at the to-be-built international retreat centre, will generally have a duration of three months. They consist of a comprehensive programme, aimed at fostering long-term and fundamental change.
Pilot Retreats - an experimental, prototype version of the real deal - will consist of one week at a temporary venue. The programme will just be a taste of what is to come. More information on this will be made available in the autumn of 2024.
Groups will always be small, with a maximum of 15-20 participants at any given time. The location – be it temporary or permanent - will be carefully selected for its energetic properties.
WEAVING THE WEB
The return to the conventional world after a retreat of three months can be challenging. We wish to lend support during that transition.
After-care will be provided in the form of a private community platform, where members can keep in touch with each other - and with the organisation - in a safe digital environment.
We have not yet worked out the details of this arrangement, because we aim for this to be a joined community effort. Please contact us with your suggestions and ideas.