Change requires Intention…
We are now very fortunate to have so much more research on Neuroplasticity of the Brain. 95% of what we do, comes from unconscious patterning of relating and behaving, our brains wire to what they know and this becomes a learnt response, leaving only 5% of what we do as conscious living, choosing the outcome that we desire. Anxiety and depression are generally co-morbid, in that both show up, that is because at our true nature our system is always trying to balance itself. When we are low in mood, anxiety will try to provide us with the energy to become more active and engaged in life again, when we are anxious, depression will support us to slow down and process what we are tending to avoid. If we allow this process to work naturally we tend to balance things out. If we don’t anxiety / depression can become chronic. Life also at times is incredibly challenging, and our current lifestyle is not supportive of a balanced nervous system and a quiet mind.
The wonderful thing about neuroplasticityis that w ith intention and willingness, we can change our patterns of behaviour, our ‘neurorigidity’ which comes from living life according to past memory.
We are hard wired to respond to threat and danger. The Limbic brain is responsible for our safety, danger and perception. In order to live a life where our senses and nervous system adaptively alert us and respond to threat when needed.
Therefore in order to change this, we simply need to learn and do new things and ‘unlearn’ our brain’s danger and threat responses, replacing them with new eperiences that relate adaptively to living life in the present moment..
“What you mentally rehearse and physically demonstrate becomes who you are. If we rehearse a new way of being, you install the new neurological hardware ahead of the experience”
What gets in the way of making change?
Understanding why we are stressed or more prone to anxiety and / or depression is of course helpful, but only a small part of what actually works to create change.
In order to make lasting change we focus on what is happening at a system wide level, not just in our thinking mind.
We need to be aware that when stressed we tend to be either prone to hyperarousal or hypoarousal (avoidance / numbing) and for some people we fluctuate between the two. The mind will also create obsessions as a way to avoid pain that is deeply held in our brain and body (OCD symptoms).
What do we need to be aware of?
Increased levels of cortisol make changes to our neurochemistry
Decreased
How do we unlearn our limbic brains danger responses
Firstly, it is important to note, that in a healthy system, our brain is required to react to what it innately knows as danger. We are programmed to respond to angry faces, big, scary objects, loud noises, dangerous smells. In short, by nature we understand safety through our senses.
Research shows that in today’s risk managed lifestyle, the majority of what we sense as danger is in the context of our relationships and how we beleve people perceive of us.
Depending on your unique genetic, situational and childhood attachnment style you may develop anxiety in different ways, for exapmple, perfectionism, phobia’s, generalised anxiety, obsessive compulsive behaviours, social anxiety. These different presentations require an indiviually tailored approach to healing.
In order to unlearn trauma responses of danger, the approach needs to be multi faceted. Anxiety can be very left brain, with excessive thinking and verbalisations requiring significant validation and reassurance. Or, it can be very right brain, terror based with visual images, which can lead to isolation and withdrawal and a reluctance to communicate about it.
Why an Intestive Retreat?
To make lasting change, we need to rewire our brains pattern of responses to known stimulus. Intensive Therapy in an environment where you are looked after and cared for allows you the opportunity to fully immerse yourself into the work, without the daily distractions of your life. Neuroplasticity is greatly enhanced by repetition, duration of time and community, making a retreat the perfect place to a start creating and practicing new habits and ways of being and the beginning of a journey that can be life changing.
Treatment Program:
Individualised treatment approach based on assessment.
Psychoeducation on making sense of who you are as an adaptive human being. How does my anxiety and depression manifest and why is it that way”
Unlearning the bodies responses to distress - having new experiences from a felt sense, re-learning the language of the body - not relying on the overworked mind.
Understanding the bodies energy system, using movement to move stagnant energy of fear, anger, worry and sadness. Developing a practice to do this for yourself when you leave the retreat.
Yoga for anxiety & depression to support new experiences of having nervous system balance, sensing the body when grounded and remembering that the sympathetic / action oriented part of the nervous system is also adaptive and normal by being in it and changing it yourself to regenerate a sense of trust in your system that you can change how you feel and thereby your state of mind.
“The healing of trauma is a natural process that can be accessed through an inner awareness of the body””
Inclusions
7 nights / 8 days
Retreats are held in Ubud, Bali. Transfers to / from Denpasar Airport and the accommodation will be included.
The accommodation provides shuttle transfers to Ubud.
Retreats will include breakfast, lunch afternoon tea and dinner.
We will spend time in nature including a rice field walk and trip to a Water Temple.
The retreat includes one 20 minute zoom session prior to attending the retreat to discuss suitability and therapy focus.
Participants will have a 60 minute daily individual therapy session. Daily morning group yoga therapy practice (60 minutes), and early evening group yoga therapy / Sound Healing / Specialised Workshops (75 minutes) sessions. This will include movement, sound, journalling and breath work and topics related to mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
After the retreat
Your journey does not need to end with the conclusion of tis retreat, there are many ways you can continue to be supported by us, After the retreat, participants will be offered the opportunity to continue the individual and / or group therapy work via zoom (fees apply).
Opportunities to continue therapy 1:1 online
Group yoga therapy livestream or indidual sessions
Join our Soul Immersion retreats to continue your journey of self awareness and growth.
Thera Cocoon – an opportunity to work with a small group of participants to carry on the group work and workshop topics after the retreat has ended.
Become a member of Thera community. A private online community that is for all Thera clients to continue on their Journey, offering yoga classes, workshops, meditations, discussions on important topics.
We are designed to feel anxious and depressed at times. When we are in a healthy balanced state of mind and life is not too stressful, it is normal, functional and adaptive to feel anxious, fearful, even terrified at times as this gives us the energy and activation to survive when we are at risk, and to have the drive to achieve our ifestyle needs and life goals.
When we do not listen to the messaging of our anxiety and depression, either by over focusing or avoiding and distracting, our symptoms can become chronic. This is not normal nor adaptive and our whole physical, emotional, mental and energetic system will suffer. Chronic stress can be come debilitating and can increase to levels where intensive support is much needed.
In life we need to have the courage to change what we can to regain a sense of balance and harmony in our inner and outer environment, or have the wisdom to accept what we cannot change and be willing to seek supprt until the stressor passes, which can take time.
Anxiety and Depression manifest in different ways. This retreat focuses on you as an individual, we design a unique and tailored approach to allow for your transformation.Our work will take into account your genetics, temperament, anxiety, past modelling from childhood, life situations, your current environment and lifestyle, from a perspective of neuroplasticity
“Healing depends on experiential knowledge: You can be fully in charge of your life only if you can acknowledge the reality of your body, in all its visceral dimensions.””
Soothing the bodies alarm system through activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. This is often a critical factor in adrenal fatigue and chronic stress and burnout. Learing to go through the range of the parasympathetic system and between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system by sacial awareness of where the body is in space.
Learning to ground yourself using the body, not the mind, a bottom up approach. when highly anxious our frontal (reason mind) is designed to switch off making mindfulness and meditation very challenging. We learn how to go up to the higher order parts of the brain by soothing the body first.
Practicing making choices and taking effective action - developing agency, the ability to know what you want and to take action
Daily Psychotherapy based on the Internal Family Systems model. Working on the basis that anxiety and depression are protective parts of us, but they are not all that we are, they are not our identity. Becoming unblended from the often highly rigid anxious. depressed parts that struggle to believe you can be in Self Leadership.
Action based mindfulness activities such as walking in nature, sound healing and Qigong.
Re-learning to nurture yourelf with good food, massage and being immersed in nature.
Leaving with a mind based cognitive practice and a body based practice to continue the process of neuroplascticity.
This is more than a retreat:
You will be offered an experiential process, encompassing both individual therapy and group yoga therapy.
Somatic embodiment and healing practices. Martine is an accredited and highly acclaimed teacher and Professional trainer of Yoga for Embodiment and Healing, which offers evidence based and well researched clinical somatic treatments for Anxiety & Depression.
Small Group numbers -This is to allow each participant an optimal amount of time in therapy and to promote a small and safe group experience.
The retreat environment offers a healing space, located within the heart of the rice fields with plenty of space, your own pool, the ability to be served your food at your villa or at the dining area.
An invitation to attend a traditional Balinese blessing.
An invitation to join daily morning walk tours.
Start your Transformation
Retreat Cost per Person: $5,995.00 AUD
Retreat Cost per Couple: $7,495.00AUD
Per Couple includes shared accommodation and joint Therapy Session.
(50% deposit due within 7 days of retreat booking with the remaining due 30 days prior to the retreat starting. 3% discount for Bank Transfer.)
Retreat dates:
Please register your interest by filling out the contact us form below
Contact us to register your interest and start your healing journey. Please fill out the form below and a Thera Foundation team member will contact you about the retreat. Please include any questions you have about the retreat in the message field.