Have You Ever had the Calling from your Soul to Just Listen?
A Deep Call of Listening to your Heart?
Have you ever wanted to release this past trauma and conditioning or understand better why you react to life the way you do?
Have you ever wanted to dive deeper into your Meditation & Yoga practice, to enhance your self love, and connect to your breath and sensations?
If your Answers are Yes, You’re in the Right Space.
This is a special retreat, an opportunity to turn off the outside noise and dive into the inside voices, visions and sensations.
This retreat will be completely offline, and in silence, in order to shut off the outside and give you the space to listen.
You will learn how to meditate if you have never learnt it before, step by step. You will learn some pranayama and some soft asana practices you can take home with you.
There will be free time for extra practice and exploring the beautiful and magical mountain resort offering nourishment for all your senses within a natural setting of waterfalls, food forests, rice fields and towering mountains reaching as far as the eye can see.
A 7 night journey in the spirit of Vipassana Meditation,
To turn off the outside noise and re-discover your true nature.
Connect to Mother Nature and listen to your inner soul’s voices,
On the New Moon Eclipse in Aries.
| Meditation, Soft Asana, Philosophy, Pranayama, Yin Yoga |
Enriched with Cranio-Sacral Therapy and Sound Massage.
How Soul, a Silent Retreat was Born
After a surf injury in 2014, I started experiencing PTSD panic attacks in the water, underwater (diving) and on the land on way to the surf. It took years of understanding what I am experiencing and why, and trying different methods to liberate myself from these symptoms. In retrospective, I could also see how I started feeling lost, and fear was taking over larger parts of my life.
On the first Vipassana course I ever took, my life changed upside down. Everything became crystal clear to me. I understood how my subconscious mind and body work, and what was happening to me when I was experiencing these panic attacks.
Moreover, the meditation work I did on this course along with an outstanding Cranio-Sacral session I received after the course from one of my teachers, freed me from the burden of PTSD and fear. I couldn’t believe it, but from that point on, I was not only able to live more freely, I was also not reacting to life the way I was before.
I no longer experience these panic attacks, the most healing place for me is to be in the water, and if I identify layers of these conditioning and trauma, I have the tools to flow with the situation with ease and take ownership of my life.
As this technique changed my life after practicing it thoroughly, I felt the call to pass it on to others. I curated carefully different modalities I practice and believe to be supportive for Vipassana Mediation, and decided to make it a small, intimate and very nurtured environment.
After the first retreat I hosted in 2022, I saw how powerful this combination is, and I had a deep understanding that this is my calling in this lifetime.
I had a deep knowing of the 3 places I wanted to host these retreats around the world, while creating a special connection with the retreat space owners, staff, culture and country.
I offer a feminine approach to the traditional teachings of the Buddha, combining with a hands on Biodynamic Cranio-Sacral Therapy and Sound Massage, learning to practice in stillness, movement, on a philosophical level but most importantly on an experiential level, in few of the most sacred and breathtaking places on earth.
Your Host & Teacher::
Amber Houbara,
Nice to Meet you
Amber has been practicing yoga and meditation since 2011 and started teaching in 2016. She started hosting Soul, a Silent Retreat in 2022.
She is hosting retreats, workshops, events, classes and private sessions around the world and have supported hundreds of people in her offerings.
Amber participated in a number of Vipassana courses and serving, Teacher trainings/ courses/ workshops of asana /pranayama /philosophy with great teachers such as; Maty Ezraty, Matthew Sweeney, AG & Indra Mohan, Mark Robberds as well as a deep practice with many great teachers from Israel such as Shirley Caspi, Sharon Kanor, Nancy Gardush, Galia Kornfeld, Eden Gershon, and a Yin Yoga TT with Noga Weiss.
Amber is trained in Cranio-Sacral Therapy and Peter Hess Sound Massage, and therefore you will experience some of this therapy throughout the retreat.
What are the Benefits of joining Soul, a Silent Retreat
Learn the Buddha’s powerful techniques, to liberate from patterns of behaviour, conditioning and traumas.
Learn how to calm the mind, observe the reality as it, by learning meditation step by step.
Detox from screens and outside noises, and re-discover your true nature so you can listen to your inner soul’s voices, and connect to mother nature on a deeper level.
Come back and listen to your heart and feel more Self love, worthiness, kindness and compassion. and how to share love kindness and compassion to all living beings.
Understand the law of nature : impermanence.
And how to surrender to change.
Learn how to release your suffering by being resilient to craving and aversions.
Deepen your yoga practice, Learn what exactly is Yoga, and the relation of Asana (poses) to Meditation.
Experience a New Moon Eclipse Ceremony including; a philosophy talk about Astrology, the translation of it to Traditional Chinese Medicine, followed by Yin Yoga Cranio-Sacral Therapy, sound massage and a transformative guided imagery.
Receive Cranio-Sacral Therapy and Sound Massage every evening during Yin Yoga.
Learn tools to utilise in different scenarios in your daily life.
Feel elevated few inches above the ground, liberated, transformed, rested, nurtured, seen and held.
Receive a special surprise retreat kit
Who is this Retreat for?
If you are looking for a transformational experience.
If you are willing to get out of your comfort zone.
If you want to let go of old conditioning, traumas and outdated self beliefs which are holding you back.
If you always wanted to learn Vipassana but wanted a safe intimate and feminine space, where you are being seen held and nurtured before, throughout and after.
If you want to liberate yourself from fear and take ownership of your life.
If you always wanted to learn how to meditate.
If you always wanted to deepen your yoga practice.
Who is this Retreat NOT for?
If you are not willing to get out of your comfort zone
If you are not willing to work diligently in order to let go off your old conditionings and traumas
If you are a person that always complains and never do anything about it.
If you don’t want to connect with your own body mind and soul on a deep level.
If you enjoy living in ignorance.
Location :: Bali Eco Stay
Nestled in its very own luscious green valley, Bali Eco Stay is surrounded by fresh water springs and pure mountain streams that cascade down a twelve-meter waterfall into a rock pool of profound beauty. The resort is surrounded by towering food forests and sculptured rice terraces, and sits 480 metres above sea level, thus creating refreshing temperatures that are at least 5 to 10 degrees cooler than the coasts of Bali.
Bali Eco Stay takes its ethos of treading lightly upon the earth very seriously, without compromising on the comfort of guests. Upon arriving in this mystical setting, you will indulge in all that nature has to offer, with fresh authentic food, breath-taking landscapes and vistas, cooling temperatures with mountain breezes and fresh rock pools.
Come and rediscover your sense of equilibrium and reconnect with nature.
Accommodation
In the heart of Bali, experience first hand the incredible surrounding landscapes from eight open-air Bali overwater bungalows. Immerse yourself in nature for a totally liberating experience.
Surrounded by waterfalls, rice paddies, mountain streams and jungle food forests, each one of the Balinese bungalows at Bali Eco Stay is your own mini sanctuary.
You have total privacy and comfort while being a stone-throw away from all the resort’s facilities.
In keeping with the island’s breathtaking natural beauty, our overwater bungalows Bali have been specially designed using locally sourced materials that naturally blend into the mountain scenery.
Private Bungalow
with Ensuit Bathroom
Have your very own private bungalow,
with ensuit bathroom and balcony.
Private Room
in a Shared Bungalow
Have your very own private room,
with shared ensuit bathroom and balcony.
Shared Room
in a Shared Bungalow
Share a room with only 1 other person
(can be your family or friend on request),
with shared ensuit bathroom and balcony.
The Food & Restaurant
Based on permaculture principles our resort is surrounded by food gardens. With 75% of the food in our restaurant coming from our land, we use no chemical fertilizers or pesticides but choose to work in harmony with nature.
fruits, vegetables and spices are directly picked from our permaculture garden, which you can visit at your leisure. In addition to our vast array of freshly grown produce, we also grow our own vanilla and cacao, which are all chemical free and grown in our rich volcanic soil.
Enjoy your breakfast, lunch or dinner in our beautifully handcrafted Bali Eco Stay restaurant with expansive views overlooking the rice paddies, food forests and even the Indian Ocean in the distance. With open windows all around the restaurant, you can sample our food, sip a drink or simply relax while being basked in a refreshing breeze flowing over the valley, providing comfortable temperatures throughout the day and night.
Schedule
Wednesday, 3 April - Bali
Arrival
14.00-16.30
Bali Eco Stay
Welcome Talk and Meditation
17.30-19.30
Harvest Bungalow Shala
Dinner
19.30
What is Included
7 Nights Accommodation (to choose from)
Full Board Vegetarian/ Vegan Food (Breakfast, lunch, dinner, chai, treats + all day coffee & tea)
All Yoga and Meditation (Roughly 50 Hours)
6 Yin sessions include Cranio-Sacral & Sound Massage which is given to all practitioners
1 Astrology and TCM evening ceremony, to celebrate the new moon eclipse in Aries
A welcome circle with the village women who will teach you how to make Balinese offerings followed by a blessing with the local Manku (which is the local priest) in our family temple.
A two-hour trek through the surrounding villages, abundant food forests and rice paddies.
A Very Special Surprise Retreat Kit
1-1 Pre retreat call to learn about what you are bringing to the retreat (injuries, mind, traumas etc).
...and more surprises
What is not Included
Flight Tickets
Travel insurance
Transport to and from the resort (however the resort can arrange transportation for you with additional cost)
Any extra tretements
Extra food and drinks
Investment
Early Birds
only the first 5 spots!
SOLD OUT
Private Bungalow - AUD $3,500
Private Room - AUD $3,000
Shared Room - AUD $2,500
Full Price
Private Bungalow - AUD $3,800
Private Room - AUD $3,300
Shared Room - AUD $2,900
An investment to liberate yourself from patterns of behaviour, conditioning and traumas, by learning the Buddha’s powerful techniques, in the sacred and magical Mountains of Bali.
On the New Moon Eclipse in Aries.
Payment Plans Available
100$ Deposit fee is non refundable.
Cancellation Policy
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Any cancellations up to 3 month before (3rd of Jan) will be refunded minus AUD$100 deposit fee.
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Any cancellations between 3 to 1 months (3rd of Jan - 3rd of Mar) will be charged 15% + 100$ deposit fee.
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Any cancellations from 1 month - 1 week prior (3rd - 26th of March) will be charged 50%.
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Any cancellations of 1 week prior (from 26th of March) will be charged 100%
Some of the benefits reported by those practicing Vipassana
Taken from Vipassana Research Institute.
Effective tool to deal with fear, anxiety, stress and nervousness
Improved awareness and alertness of the mind
Increasing concentration and focus of the mind
Support stronger memory
Increases self-confidence
Improves decision-making
Increases capacity and mental focus to work
Better the ability to understand and express oneself
Regaining mastery over the ‘monkey-mind’
Mind becomes healthy, wholesome and strong
One becomes full of good wishes for others
Gallery:: Bali Eco Stay, Bali, Indonesia
Testimonials
"I attended my first silent retreat with Amber after attending many silent retreats, mostly Vipassana retreats. My experience with Amber was one that was deeply nurturing and restorative.
I became aware that what Amber offers, in her retreats is the magical feminine essence that creates a safe and sacred place to go deep into the depths of your subconscious Saṅkhāras, while allowing for other ways to move energy, emotions and behaviours with beautiful Hatha style yoga, qi gong and restorative yoga featuring her divine sound healing and intuitive Craniosacral therapy.
One of my favourite parts of Soul - a silent retreat are Amber’s philosophy talks - her insights, her ability to breakdown the Vipassana meditation technique in a way that is through her depth of experience and faith, her passion for exploring the astrological forecast at the time of your retreat is just something very special.
Amber’s wisdom, integrity and ability to hold space is palpable. Her retreats are carefully curated in special places of nature and attending will be one of the most spiritually significant landmarks for your journey inwards, in a way that will feel safe, held and like, OMG can’t wait to attend my next one.
Thank you Amber, you are truly gifted at what you share into the universe and beyond <3"
Katie Green
"Phone detox; delicious healthy food; rising with the sun, to the deep reverberating sound of a gong; meditation classes; yoga classes incorporating sound and cranial sacral therapies; nature immersion; philosophy talks amongst boulders and tall trees; more meditation and yoga and then getting substantial sleep. Days of this, until one morning it just feels natural and nurturing to wake with the sun, to the call of the gong, to sit together,in quiet meditation and comfort.
Silence in a group is uncomfortable....at first
An hour of meditation is uncomfortable....at first
Thankyou Amber for the opportunity to truly realise how much my distractions rob me of seeing my life through quiet, unaffected, childlike clarity. I have found the time again to enjoy what I actually want to be doing and to draw myself to presence. It is a constant work but I have remembered that I can do it and you have offered me the skills to reset.
Thankyou for holding that space for us all."
Lisa Maier
"Amber, my beautiful friend & teacher,
Created the most soul filling, transformational experience for me and 12 other women and 1 man in the most delicious setting in Denmark.
She guided us through a 4 night silence retreat and I came out of it feeling anew. Her knowledge & wisdom is inspiring and learning from her over the past few years has been invaluable. I'm looking forward to participating in another one soon."
Grace Fleming
A Testimonial from Luminate, a Full Moon Event for Women
"Trying to gather some thoughts and feelings about a wonderful yoga journey in which I’ve embarked myself last year with Amber.
I’ll start by mentioning how beautifully harmonious the place and ambience were set up, from the beginning of the journey I felt welcomed, at home and peace with myself and the women practicing next to me.
We started with a Qi Gong practice followed by a nutritious chat about the astrological moment we were living which already helped opening up myself and creating a clear intention for the practice and meditation, we continued by slow movements as we went through the calm summer evening and it all just accompanied perfectly to open up myself into deeper thoughts and questioning old beliefs. As we dived deeper into a meditative state, following the sound healing vibrations, I had one of the biggest awakenings of my life, had a strong connection with my inner guide and always felt loved and supported.
I guess after that practice, I had to go through a couple of weeks of journaling to understand what the practice and meditation were showing me, but always had that evening near my heart, as it was the first awakening moment that was showing me the path for big changes in my life.
Amber thanks for the love, the connection and the support.
Cannot recommend the Luminate journey and the retreats enough. Just a little recommendation, come with an open heart and be ready to surrender, as big movements happen on its own when we allow it to speak through us."
Florencia Moratorio
FAQ
What is Asana?
Asana is translated as a pose. which means - an Asana practice is a movement based practice. In this retreat we are focusing on meditation but a soft gentle movement will help to move the Qi (energy) in the body and also assists with long sits in meditation. Another reason for this movement practice is to learn how to observe sensations while in movement.
You will learn some movements you will be able to take home and practice on your own.
What is Pranayama?
Pranayama or Pranayam is breathing techniques which are ancient and profound, these will help to calm the mind and enrich the experience of meditation. Especially for busy minds. You will learn some techniques you will be able to take home and practice on your own.
Do I need any experience in yoga or meditation or the above?
No. You don’t need any experience with Asana / Meditation / Pranayama / Yin Yoga. You will be guided by Amber the whole time and if you struggle you can always approach Amber for support and help.
What is Nobel Silence?
Noble Silence is the fundamental permissions to dive in.
As sister Chân Diệu Nghiêm says in this beautiful article (highly recommended to read)- “Noble Silence does not mean that we are not allowed to talk. It means that we don’t have to talk, we have no obligation to talk during that period of the day or night.”
At the time of Noble Silence we keep our senses drawn inwards so we can focus on the inner world rather than on the outer world.
Noble Silence means no talking or non communication of any kind, it applies not only to speech but also to any signals, eye contact and written notes etc.
No internet or cellphones communications as well.
Of course you can talk and communicate with Amber, the teacher, for any question, queries and other emergencies.
Practising restraint (or inwards drawing) of the senses in this way provides an essential foundation for the powerful inner work which a meditation retreat facilitates.
How long are we staying in Nobel Silence through the retreat?
Noble silence will start on the first evening (so you can chat as much as you want from your arrival until 5pm) and finish on the last morning. On 7 night retreats we will break noble silence the night before.
Can I ask questions? What if I have a problem?
Yes you can! Amber will be there for you at all times to ask any questions (so you can talk to Amber). You will be able to approach Amber during break times, before or after a session.
Is Amber the only teacher?
Yes, I will teach all classes, and will be your host for any question, query or problem.
Can I drink coffee through the retreat?
Yes you can!
Do I need any of my own props? or a meditation cushion?
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For Bali retreat there is NO NEED to bring your own props - Bali Eco Stay provides all props and mats, but if you want to bring yours you are more than welcome!
If I booked a shared room can I still be on a waiting list for a private room?
Yes, You certainly can! Just add it to your booking form / send me an email.
What if I need a ride?
For Bali retreat there is a transport service through Bali Eco Stay. You can contact them directly and they can arrange you a driver to pick you up from wherever you are traveling from (airport / elsewhere). Their drivers are safe and secure and you can know you are in good hands.
Have a Question? Get in Touch
If you wish to know more or ask any question please contact - IamEndlessTrip@icloud.com