Self-Compassion Retreat at the Galavilla Spa Resort, Sri Lanka
February 21-28, 2024
At a beautiful, inspired setting in the hills above Kandy in Sri Lanka, this self-compassion retreat is meant to re-connect you with kindness while nourishing your body, mind and spirit. Whether you suffer from anxiety or burnout, low self-esteem, or the idea that you don’t deserve love, the guided self-compassion meditations and retreat environment can help you dismantle these patterns and make a fresh start.
Along with the retreat sessions, you’ll have time to enjoy the tropical gardens, an open-air restaurant terrace, spa treatments, sunrise and sunset vistas over a wide valley, a swimming pool with jacuzzi, and delicious meals cooked with love.
- Awaken your heart with meditations that evoke genuine kindness and compassion
- Receive tools for developing well-being and resilience
- Be kinder with your dear body
- Cultivate appreciation and gratitude
- Learn a nourishing method for “heart-to-heart” communication
See more rooms at the Galavilla Boutique Spa Hotel
To register, write: clearbluesky1@zoho.com
Start & end times:
Wed. Feb 21 9.00am – Wed. Feb 28 12.30pm
Following international travel, everyone is strongly encouraged to arrive Feb. 19th.
Retreat cost: early-bird price $550; after Dec. 1: $ 675. Deposit to register: $300.
Hotel prices, according to desired room:
Double room: $90 per night per person, including full board (3 meals a day, tea and snacks at the breaks), all taxes and surcharges *.
Triple room: $82 per person with full board, inclusive *.
Single room: $130 per night with full board, inclusive *.
Included in the hotel price
Swimming pool & outdoor lounge area
Open-air terrace restaurant with sweeping views
Yoga mats, meditation cushions and use of a spacious outdoor Yoga pavilion
Buffet meals provided according to requirements, e.g. vegetarian, ayurvedic, gluten-free.
A curry cooking lesson with the chef
One free Ayurvedic massage (15 minutes); and a 10% discount on additional Ayurvedic massages.
Exceptional experiences, an amazing atmosphere, and beautifully landscaped gardens. The attentive and caring staff are happy to look after all your needs.
* NOTE – hotel price & retreat costs do not include:
Flight tickets, travel health insurance, a visa for Sri Lanka, or transportation to and from the airport (this can be organized separately by the hotel).
Schedule from Feb. 21 – 27th; ending mid-day Feb. 28th
(subject to change, depending on extracurricular outings)
8 – 9am Breakfast
9 – 10.30 Session
10.30 – 11 Break
11 – 12.30 Session (Feb. 28th, this sessions ends the retreat)
1 – 4pm Lunch & break
4 – 5 Session
5 – 5.30 Break
5.30 – 6.30 Session
7 – 8pm Dinner
Retreat Sessions include:
- Tools for building well-being and resilience
- Cultivating appreciation and gratitude
- Constructive ways of relating with one’s inner critic
- Identifying and dismantling the barriers to having compassion for oneself
- An emergency on-the-spot method of self-compassion
- Research findings on the benefits of meditating on love
- Communication skills for authentic “heart-to-heart” listening
- Guided meditations that evoke kindness and compassion for oneself and others
- Gentle beginner’s movement, including Qi Gong or yoga.
The retreat also includes visits to two special Buddhist temples in the area, which you may opt out of. (Low-cost group transport to be paid separately):
1 Sagama Raja Maha Viharaya, an ancient monastery with images of the Buddha which are 2,000 years old.
2 Dalada Maligawa, also called “The Temple of the Sacred Buddhas Tooth”, is a World Heritage Site in Kandy, and the most important Buddhist shrine in Sri Lanka.
See Rooms at the Galavilla Boutique Spa Hotel
To register, write: clearbluesky1@zoho.com
Coming to this hotel for a two-day stay, I found it so wonderful, beautiful and nourishing that I ended up staying for six weeks! It was the best thing I could do for my dear body in recovering from a dangerous infection and surgery last fall. And, feeling the good heart and love of all the staff, I felt safe and well-cared for. I wish that you might also experience a nourishing retreat at this lovely place in Sri Lanka, a little paradise on earth.
– Christine Longaker
About Christine Longaker
My passion is to support people in re-connecting with their inner essence, the deep kindness and sense of ease with which they were born.
My first book, Facing Death and Finding Hope, was published by Doubleday in 1997, and is translated into 8 languages. I spent forty years training medical professionals in emotional and spiritual care for illness and dying, as well as self-care and preventing burnout.
Ten years ago, after a prolonged period of deep crises, I discovered that the core of our struggles is not feeling worthy of love, and not knowing how to come home to our true essence, which is free of suffering.
Since 2014 I’ve been researching and writing on self-compassion, resilience, forgiveness and easing grief. I offer free online guided meditations every Sunday, and a self-compassion retreat in Sri Lanka in February. My forthcoming book on self-compassion is drawn from years of personal research and teaching.
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Album of guided meditations on Self-Compassion.