River of Life TestimonialsThe River of life was an adventure, one of admiration for the beauty externally and one of change within. With really great tour guides and a safe place to express ourselves, growth was inevitable. Along with all of that I learned a lot, had tons of fun and experienced a lot of inner change afterward. River of life is a golden opportunity to experience what it’s like to be in real touch. In touch with yourself, you higher self, in touch with other "high-selves", and in touch with Nature. The love, the joy, the fun, and the opening I experienced there and took home with me are wonderful gifts. Everything you are working on in yourself appears clearly there, and you learn some tips to live nearer, more in admiration and more conscious of life.
I consider the River of Life trip to have been the greatest adventure I've been blessed enough to experience in my life so far. It was not just an adventure in the sense that we were exploring a remote area I'd never been to before, but it was a journey of incredible sorts internally. The atmosphere of our group was so completely open and filled with love, and because of this it seems everyone was able to travel deep within themselves and become beautifully at home there. I am so grateful to have been a part of this trip and to have bonded so deeply everyone who shared it with me; a very real sense of peace has come home with me and is continuing to spread happiness and light through my life and the world around me. I feel so healed and transformed through my participation in this AWAKE retreat. Photos from the River of Life 2010
When asked what they gained from the Awakening Souls Retreat,
the 2009 participants said:
“I have learned so much. I’ve learned it’s ok to share your emotions. It’s part of being human. I’ve learned about different energies and how I can use them. Also that I have resources to use when life sucks. Most of all I’ve leaned to open my heart and let it shine brighter than ever before because this community let me be who I really am.”
“I learned to fully believe in myself and respect myself. That no matter what obstacles life gives me I can keep moving forward and be successful. I can do anything and everything I put my mind to, I have no limitations and I know who I truly am and exactly how to keep moving forward and learning and experiencing.”
“I feel like in these two weeks I’ve been able to push through so many of the blocks that have kept me from really connecting with people. I finally feel like I can play and sing and dance without being judged or disrespected. I am so amazed by the potential I have discovered in me and the love I see in the eyes of everyone in the program.”
“I feel more alive and awake . I feel like I can talk louder and sing louder and feel deeper. I learned how to dance and hug and think. I’m so thankful. My God.”
‘Thank you for introducing me to myself.”
“I have never been with people so open and loving. Every single person here has had an effect on me. Thank you to all of staff and participants you have all taught me that it is within my power to create my own happiness.”
“This retreat has been life-altering. I have really gone within and found a new self-knowingness, a new strength, and a new passion for life. The best part is… it was effortless. All I had to do is show up. Being in this environment proves that change is happening. I have a new love for humanity and I am STOKED. Thank you. I am infinitely grateful that I had this experience.”
“Awakening Souls helped me discover and step into my own power. I am going home stronger more grounded and supported. The community here is amazing. Have never felt so loved and supported. That was pivotal in my transformation and growth. I feel like the family I have here is one I will be in touch with for a long time. I am looking forward to next year and seeing everyone in between. I am so glad I came.”
“I developed a relationship with myself. I love and respect myself and I’ve created healthy relationships with the people around me.”
“A deeper connection with myself and others. Inspiration and empowerment.”
“Deep realization/remembrance of how important my spiritual practice is to me. My higher self is thanking me. I gained the time, space, and support I needed to recognize and begin investigating a lot of issues I want to work through. A sense of community.”
“I learned to fully express myself with all the parts of my being discover and improve those I was not use to. Empowered myself as a future teacher by observing others (staff/participants). Acknowledge fully my power of creations and limitless impact. And more and more!!!!”
“The women’s day helped me realize what it means to be in a feminine body. I loved experiencing myself. Also the dancing allowed me to open up and free myself and just be me. The small groups allowed me to open up. Especially the creations phase. I realized I have the power to create whatever I want in my life. Interacting with nature was so wonderful. I can see how important all of life is. Overall it was great and a great way to realize and express my freedom as a youth in this new generation. Thank you guys!”
“I learned a great deal of things. The most important was my heart. I fully opened it and can truly express love for the first time. I learned that I can truly express myself without caring. Why should I care about what people think of me? Oh wait… I DON’T. I am me. I am proud. I will walk through life with integrity and grace. THANK YOU.”
“I have learned different techniques to control and understand my emotions. I can realize the emotion is there and then let it go. Also, I have learned to be more open with myself and to love myself more. I don’t have to let other people affect my feelings of happiness. No one can bring me down.”
“Authentically, I’m not writing an essay. But I learned most of importance, I’m a teacher. Loved. And a spiritual person doesn’t have to meditate five times a day and wear sheets. She can say ‘shit balls’ and smoke as long as it’s what I want and what I chose fully with joy.”
“I have learned how to connect with my heart and live there. That has given me a profoundly adept sense of communication. And sensitivity in ways I thought were just paranormal. It really helped a lot. Then I learned how to integrate this heart seeing with my life and it brought me closer than I have ever been with everything and everyone. It radically changed my perspective and perception.”
“I have learned so much about myself at this retreat. I have learned to be more understanding light hearted and less defensive, stubborn and sensitive. I have learned so much more about myself and my relationships than I have time to put into words. AWAKE will always be with me and will keep teaching me forever. I give my deepest gratitude to everyone involved in this program.”
“Mainly I learned lots about myself. (negative and positive) I was surprised that everyone was heart full and kind. That feeling of love made me strong and gave me joyful time. “
“I am aware of reaching a state of being in myself where my universal resource is my internal resource. I can already feel that as I move more deeply into this orientation towards life, my experience is being profoundly changed. I have sought this change for many years and I am so grateful for the countless opportunities at ASR that cultivated this transformation in me. I also discovered an aspect of myself that I had withheld for my whole life. Upon opening this aspect in loving witness, I experience great stuff and upliftment in myself.”
“I understand that I deserve to express myself and manifest my dreams. It is an endless journey towards the real me in unity oneness. Play is an important piece of my lifetime and I deserve to be less serious.”
“To not sacrifice myself for others happiness. To be an active listener. To love even deeper. ”
“Through my experience at the Awakening Souls Retreat 2009 I have learned new ways to express myself and how to go deeper into my mind and body. I am now more aware of how I affect my life and how I have the power through my decisions and actions to create whatever I want.”
Photos from ASR 2009
Testimonials from past retreats:
“The change in myself which occurred on this retreat felt nothing short of miraculous. I discovered community in a way I had never dreamed was possible…I completely belonged for the first time. This sensation of belonging opened a space of personal freedom that fostered miracles at every turn.”
“It was a safe place for me to be the real me. I had an exquisite time, a precious time, connecting with other young people on that deep and enriching level that I always looked for and yet never could find.”
“I have never gotten so much out of one thing in my life!”
“There are so many opportunities in life to develop ourselves fully, to become or to simply be the best we can be. Every moment of the Awakening Souls Retreat I felt aware of the endless opportunities that presented themselves and best of all, I was not alone. And today also, I am not alone. I am richer and fuller for having attended and I feel so fortunate and grateful for the experiences, the opportunities and the family/community I established and have stayed connected to.”
“My overall experience was one of connection, with others, with spirit and with myself”
“I gained an openness, and with that I shared more of myself than I have ever been able to in my life. Safety is what I felt. Safety to give more of who I really am.”
“I gained an appreciation and love for life and other people.”
“[The retreat was] fantastic, uplifting, empowering, joyful, challenging, question-inducing, trying and self-motivating.”
“I feel I have grown enormously on this retreat. I have had several profound and life-altering realizations. This have been practically the best two-weeks of my life.”
“Through you I discovered for the first time the amazing power of young people when they choose to be students of consciousness, I deepened my love for and trust in men, I found for the first time peers that I full heartedly admire and look up to and who generate enormous inspiration in me.”
Participant Intentions for Attending:
“I am at a point in my life where I want to be able to look within myself for the support and strength I need to move forward”
“To become more comfortable in leadership with others, to learn to support others more fully. To dance, to experience joy amongst other likeminded beings.”
“To challenge myself by stepping out of my patterns and step into the fullness of who I am in a loving environment.”
“I am not sure if it is that I am interested in attending more than it is that I have been guided to attendance and I am interested in guidance.”
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