Bookings for this retreat are now closed. If you'd like to hear when new dates open, register your interest here.
Zen, Yoga & Mental Wellbeing Retreat
This is our second year running this retreat. Last year’s group moved us deeply..
This retreat takes place at Kaisanji, a Zen monastery on the island of Serifos, Greece. Rooted in traditional Zen rituals passed down from Buddhist monasteries in Japan, the retreat combines meditation practice with yoga and psychological group work.
Over the course of six days, you will move between stillness and movement, silence and dialogue, sea and land. The retreat’s carefully designed rhythm allows you to gradually step out of everyday busyness, settle into the calm of the island and fully immerse yourself in practices that cultivate spiritual growth, presence and self-understanding.
By reconnecting with yourself and sharing this experience within a safe, intimate community, we hope you will leave feeling grounded, inspired and clearer about your needs.
Why This Retreat
This is a non-commercial retreat grounded in traditional Zen Buddhist practice, enriched by restorative yoga and psychological group sessions. We believe that slowing down and turning inward allows you to meet yourself more clearly, just as you are.
The retreat lasts six days intentionally, giving you the time and space to settle into the rhythm of the land, deepen your practice and grow.
The structure and practices of the retreat invite you to:
reconnect with your true self, often obscured by everyday busyness and overstimulation
understand the emotional patterns that shape how you respond to life and relate to others
cultivate openness and curiosity toward yourself, others and the world
reset your nervous system and restore balance through movement, breath work, stillness and silence
We appreciate that this is not a typical retreat and that some aspects of the schedule might feel unfamiliar and or challenging. The expectation is to follow the schedule in the best way you can, with compassion towards the self.
Yoga
Yoga supports the body to soften and open. It is a way of returning to yourself through the body, listening to the stories it holds, noticing what feels tight, what wants to soften and what you have been holding and need to release.
Zazen
In Zazen, we return to the essence of simply sitting, not striving, not fixing, but allowing the truth of the self to come forward in its own time. “Sitting itself is the practice of the Buddha. Sitting itself is non-doing. It is nothing but the true form of the self. Apart from sitting, there is nothing to seek.” — Eihei Dōgen Zenji
Psychological Process Group
Slowing down, turning inward, or trying something new can bring up unexpected thoughts and feelings. A space to reflect on what’s coming up for you during the retreat. Together, we explore thoughts, emotions and patterns as they unfold, both within yourself and in relation to others. Being in the group can gently reveal how you show up, the roles you take, and the assumptions you carry. With awareness and support, this becomes an opportunity to relate more openly, honestly, and authentically.
Facilitatators
Sabrina — Dietitian & Trainee Psychotherapist
Sabrina specialises in eating disorders. She understands symptoms as meaningful, with the body often holding what has not yet found words. She is interested in how our earliest experiences shape the way we relate to ourselves and others, often in patterns we carry without knowing. The retreat group offers a rare space to slow down, to be present with what emerges between people and to explore it together. She holds this as an opportunity for unfolding, turning toward what it means to be fully human, with all its difficulty, courage and possibility..
Anastasia — Counselling Psychologist
Anastasia specialising in addictions, trauma, and anxiety, adopts an integrative approach to therapy, with a particular focus on schema therapy. This allows her to tailor therapeutic sessions to meet the unique needs of her clients. Her compassionate, empathetic, yet direct stance empowers individuals to heal deep-rooted wounds, reconnect with different parts of themselves, and break free from unhelpful patterns, fostering meaningful change.
Alexandra — Yoga Teacher
Alexandra, our Yoga Teacher, has been dedicated to yoga since 1996 and teaching since 2003. She offers a gentle yet profound style of yoga that encourages slow, mindful movement and deep connection with the breath. Her approach is based on deep listening to the body and the cultivation of intuition, inviting participants to move with curiosity, kindness, and presence. Through her classes, you are supported in softening, slowing down, and returning to a quieter, more attuned rhythm within.
The Land as Co-Facilitator
Arriving in Kalo Ampeli in Serifos, there is an immediate sense of calm, a quiet that settles both the body and the mind. It feels as if the place itself invites you to slow your pace, to listen to the wind and the sea and to allow your breathing to soften. The Kaisanji monastery sits in complete harmony with the landscape, creating a natural holding space where your system can gently unwind. It is difficult to capture this feeling in words, yet most people recognise it the moment they arrive: a grounding, regulating presence that makes it easier to reconnect with the self and be present.
The Power of Community
In Japanese Zen monasteries, samu, often translated as “work practice” or aligned with the yogic principle of karma yoga, is an integral part of daily life. It is not simply a task to complete, but a form of meditation-in-action: offering one’s effort to the community, tending to the land and meeting each moment with presence. Through samu, the boundary between self and community softens and work becomes a shared expression of care.
Who we are is shaped in relationships, and change often happens in relationships too. Moments like taking care of the garden, harvesting seasonal vegetables, cooking together, cleaning the beach, feeding the animals who live on the land or floating next to each other on the Aegean Sea, become a sense of oneness.
The Daily Flow
06:00 | Yoga & Pranayama
08:20–09:00 | Zazen
09:00–09:30 | Breakfast
11:00–12:00 | Samu
12:30–13:00 | Snacks/Lunch
13:00–16:00 | Free Time/One-on-One Sessions
16:00–18:00 | Psychological Process Group
18:20–19:00 | Zazen
19:30–20:30 | Dinner
21:30 | Lights Out
Reserve Your Place
Spaces are intentionally limited to protect the intimacy and depth of the work. If it feels right for you, you can secure your place below or schedule a call with us.
Zen, Yoga & Mental Wellbeing Retreat
Room Options & Pricing (per person):
Single Private Room – Sea View + Private Pool — £1,450
A tranquil private room featuring a stunning sea view and your own private pool.Shared Room — £950
Ideal for friends or solo travellers open to sharing a beautiful large room with sea view.
A conversation about the retreat was published in Travelstaytion Inspire Edition, you can read it here.
Bookings for this retreat are now closed. If you'd like to hear when new dates open, register your interest here.