Truth · Beauty & Wonder: An Initiation into Radical Presence - 6 day Italy Retreat - Lake Orta

Evangelos Diavolitsis // Seeker’s Compass · Life Alchemist · Mystic Mirror I’m a playful and forthright Dharma teacher, movement facilitator, and coach devoted to helping people let go of who they think they need to be—and awaken to the radical mystery of who they already are. Raised in a Greek-Canadian household that prized stability and success, I followed the expected path—earning a degree in Urban Planning—only to walk away in my first week on the job. Drawn instead to psychology, existential inquiry, and the raw edges of human experience, I stumbled into the Dharma like a thirsty wanderer finding a hidden spring. The extremes of life—love, loss, success, failure, and spiritual crisis—shaped an early and enduring awakening. For over 25 years, I’ve trained in the Tibetan Buddhist Namgyal Lineage under Qapel and Catherine Sensei. My teaching is classically grounded and creatively interwoven with movement, science, nature, and the expressive arts. I’m a certified 5Rhythms teacher (mentored by Gabrielle Roth) and a Behavioral Money Coach (trained by Deborah Price). I co-founded Four Ways to Freedom, a transformational framework integrating mindfulness, money, movement, and mystery. My approach is non-dogmatic, experiential, and embodied—offering practical tools for awakening in modern life. I teach with humor, precision, and lived experience, guiding others toward clarity, vitality, and wholeness. When not teaching, I’m likely wandering in the forest—or being lovingly kept honest by my partner, Nishta. www.fourwaystofreedom.com _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Nishta Matarese // Teacher · Trickster · Tender Truth-Teller “Nishta” means trust—and trust is where my path begins. As a child, I fell asleep beneath the vast Texas night sky, dissolving into something greater. That early taste of boundlessness sparked a lifelong devotion to mystery, wisdom, and the human experience. I’m a curious observer of the psyche and a lifelong student of what it means to be alive. Leaving my Southern Native American–Italian roots at 18, I set out to explore the big questions: How do we endure the ache of living? What are emotions? Where do we belong? These inquiries led me through decades of study in psychology, mysticism, movement, and Dharma. I’ve worn many hats—social worker, business owner, tango teacher, filmmaker, pie baker—and by my early 30s was producing transformational events and collaborating with spiritual teachers and New Age thought leaders on Maui at The Studio Maui. My learning weaves through Tibetan Buddhism, Osho, the Diamond Approach, Open Floor International, behavioral money coaching, and Integral Theory. The extraordinary teachers of my life are my compass. My teaching is heartfelt, humorous, and fiercely clear. Through movement, mindfulness, and the matters of the heart, I guide others into deeper states of being. Transformation, to me, is not a destination but a rhythm—raw, radiant, and imperfect. Together with my beloved husband, Evangelos, I co-founded Four Ways to Freedom. We live, love, and teach across the globe, modeling conscious relationship and collective awakening. Most days, you’ll find me somewhere between silence and song, dancing in the hills of Piemonte. Creators of the Embodied Awakening Path We are here for those ready to burn. To live, die, and rise beyond the smallness they've mistaken for life. We do not offer comfort — We offer freedom. We guide you into the wild intelligence that has always been yours, fierce and radiant beyond measure. This is the work of remembrance. This is the path home. www.fourwaystofreedom.com