Crete has a powerful archaic landscape of mountains and sea, olive groves and ancient caves inhabited by goats, and still has the atmosphere of the Minoans, the last goddess worshipping civilisation in Europe, while the spirit of Pan seems to stalk from one weirdly shaped rocky outcrop to the next. Our seminar centre is in Azogires, at 500 metres and surrounded by mountain crags, looking down the valley to the sea at Paleohora.
We will do a morning session and an evening ritual, and a transformational yoga session each day. Afternoons are free to go to the beach or otherwise relax. Simple meals are prepared together with the food bought by the team. We will swim in an ancient Roman harbour, and visit the Aesklepion temple in Lissos, where dreams and practices with sacred sexual energy were used for healing in ancient times. We will also descend into the holy cave above the village to sit in the darkness of the womb of the Great Mother and connect to the wisdom of the goddess.
Just being in this powerful landscape creates a process inside us which will be supported by morning sharings where we particularly pay attention to our dreams, and enjoy structures from tantra and shamanism that help us open to our inner journey and the receptivity of our energy bodies.
Tuition, food, accommodation and car hire from the airport at Chania are included in the price. This holiday is suitable for singes and couples, and child care can be available.
The group is limited to 18 people so book early to avoid disappointment.
About us
John Hawken took a first at Cambridge, studied experimental theatre with Grotowski at the Theatre Laboratory, and taught drama before training as a humanistic psychotherapist specialising in energy and bodywork, with a private practice in Germany for ten years. Tantra John trained with Margot Anand as a licensed teacher of SkyDancing Tantra, has taught tantra full time for 20 years, founding SkyDancing UK in 1992, and has taught over 30 year-long singles and couples trainings in Germany, UK and the Czech Republic. He specialises in working with couples on strengthening and deepening their relationship, and in very grounded existential tantra which integrates the light and the dark, the heaven and the earth, the spirit and the body. He teaches both couples and singles how to find one´s power, how to take more pleasure out of life and the key for all of this: how to open one´s heart. John is one of the most experienced teachers of tantric energy work in Europe. Shamanism For 5 years John Hawken was a member of the the shamanic lodge led by Arwyn Dreamwalker, where he studied the twisted hair shamanic path, which weaves together Celtic and Native American tribal traditions. He specialises in creating shamanic earth rituals in sacred sites such as stone circles in Magical Cornwall, Tantric temples on his India pilgrimage, Goddess sites on his Mary Magdalene pilgrimage or power places in Magical Bohemia. He has a passion for the ritual of shamanic healing circles and currently runs shamanic lodges in both the UK and Czech Republic.
Judith has been dancing with energy and consciousness for a couple of years. Tantric practice opens her to more joy in her relationships, her parenting, her writing and her life. Not bad for breathing in and out and noticing what happens.
Judith works with John on all six paths of transformation. They are also weaving together the underlying principles of energy and consciousness from all traditions in Realisations, a media project supported by seminars.
Katy is a yogini and tantrika. She has been practicing yoga since 1999, leading her to deeper studies with different forms of yoga over the years including Transformational, Scaravelli-inspired, Sivananda and Yoga for Anxiety and Depression. She has trained with John Hawken in his year long professional Tantra Massage training, and assists on his paths of transformation, which complement the yoga beautifully. She takes an integral approach to teaching – incorporating physical postures (asanas), breathing practices (pranayama) and dhyana (mantra meditation), as well as meditation and deep relaxation (yoga nidra). “Connecting body, breath, heart, mind and soul has brought an awareness and inner stillness I didn’t believe was possible before. I love being in this space of teacher and eternal student, and hope we can share the magic of yoga and tantra too.”To get there:
The nearest arriving airport is Chania, the second nearest is Heraklion. The cheapest fare we have found so far is Easyjet flying to Chania from London Gatwick and to Heraklion from London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Berlin Schoenefeld and Hamburg.
Accommodation:
Hotel Alfa in Azogires, near Paleochoras, in 2 and 3 bed rooms with Ac, balcony facing the fantastic sea views, all ensuite with separate toilet and shower. Located 15 minutes by car from wonderful beaches.
Food:
The participants will prepare and cook food together. Menu and the ingredients from local market will be provided.
Price:
£580 / €740. (Couples discount £1,090 / €1,390.) The price includes accommodation, food, car hire (from Chania or Heraklion) and program. Entrance fees and flight ticket is not included, you will need to arrange these individually (we can help).
Application and payment:
Apply by completing this sign up form, register by deposit payment.