BECOMING WHOLE, ZEN AND MENTAL HEALTH RETREAT, 17 – 22 MAY 2025
“BECOMING WHOLE” ZEN AND MENTAL HEALTH RETREAT
17 – 22 MAY 2025, KAISANJI SERIFOS
“Becoming Whole” invites you to explore, accept and embrace different parts of yourself with compassion and non-attachment. At the heart of our Zen and Mental Health Retreat is the commitment to holistic healing. We believe that growth and wellness emerge from understanding the interplay of mind, body and ‘spirit’ – elements essential in fulfilling a purposeful life.
In today’s fast-paced world, the constant overload of stimuli often leads to a profound sense of disconnection—from ourselves, others, and the world around us. This relentless pace makes it difficult to slow down, turn inward, and acknowledge how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours affect us on a day-to-day basis. Through experiential tools and practices, we aim to cultivate awareness of your values, needs, and defences. Our wish is that these insights will continue to inspire you beyond our time together, empowering you to transform unhelpful patterns into more intentional and mindful ways of living.
RETREAT HIGHLIGHTS
Expert-Led Workshops
Our workshops invite you to connect with your inner self, explore your body’s wisdom, and cultivate emotional well-being through integrative therapeutic tools. Sessions are tailored to provide you with actionable insights and strategies to sustain your growth long after the retreat ends.
If you are seeking to deepen your Zen meditation practice and explore your mental health in a supportive environment, the Zen and Mental Health Retreat offers a truly unique experience.
THE LAND
A Fusion of Traditions
Kaisanji—”the monastery (ji) of the mountain (san) and the sea (kai)”—is Greece’s first and only Zen monastery, nestled on the beautiful Cycladic island of Serifos. Blending Japanese philosophy and Greek island aesthetics, it offers a space where meditation, breathwork, and yoga flow with the rhythms of nature and local culture. Serifos, with its untouched beaches and raw landscapes, invites you to turn inward, embrace stillness, and attune to the whisper of the wind, the ebb of the waves and the quiet pulse of the earth.
OUR TEAM
We are Sabrina, Anastasia and Alexandra, your navigators to “Becoming Whole”.
Sabrina, a Registered Dietitian specialising in mental health and eating disorders therapy, invites you to re-explore your relationship with food and your body through compassionate curiosity. Her deep interest in the human experience led her to complete a 200-hour yoga teacher training in India, integrating a mind-body perspective into her practice. Driven by a passion for understanding the human psyche and supporting others, she is also training in Integrative Psychotherapy. Drawing from these experiences, Sabrina’s well-rounded approach meets each person where they are, honouring their whole self and empowering their journey of self-unfolding.
Anastasia, a Registered Counseling Psychologist 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, our Yoga Teacher, has been dedicated to Yoga since 1996 and teaching since 2003. Alexandra is trained in the Satyananda system of Yoga and specialises in Scaravelli-inspired Yoga, a transformative practice emphasising gravity, breath, and spinal awakening. Her intuitive teaching fosters meditative awareness, helping students connect deeply with their bodies and minds. Through mindful breathing and movement, Alexandra will guide you to explore the profound beauty of yoga, cultivating inner peace and balance.
Together, we aim to create a nurturing environment for your self-discovery and holistic well-being.
DAILY PROGRAM
05:30 | Rise Up
06:00 | Pranayama & Yoga
07:20–08:00 | Zazen Meditation
08:30–09:30 | Breakfast
09:30–10:00 | Break
10:00–12:30 | Samu (Meditation in action)
12:30–13:00 | Snacks/Lunch
13:00–16:00 | Free Time/One-on-One Sessions
16:00–18:00 | Workshops
18:20–19:00 | Zazen Meditation
19:00–19:30 | Self-Care Break
19:30–20:30 | Dinner
20:30–21:00 | Closing Circle
21:30 | Lights Out
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- 6 days / 5 nights accommodation at Kaisanji Zen Monastery
- 6 days of practice with daily workshops and activities
- Daily psychotherapy, zazen and yoga sessions
- All vegan and vegetarian meals of the day
- Golden sandy beach within a walking distance
- Group transport from Serifos Port
- Yoga equipment and Retreat essentials
For further information and registration please visit the following page:
