"This was the kind of setting I had been looking and waiting for! Nick and Sarah organise this retreat with care, attention, preparation, support and after-care. They are knowledgeable & experienced professionals ànd loving & caring people with hearthwarming empathy. They understand the art of creating beauty: the house, the food, the rituals, the poems, the music, the flowers... all of it enhanced the experience of the journey.
I feel safe in their hands!"
Highly Rated Retreats in Rotterdam Zuid Holland Netherlands
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Types of Retreat in Rotterdam Zuid Holland Netherlands
Short Retreats in Rotterdam Zuid Holland Netherlands
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Experiences on Retreat
"The retreat is held is a beautiful space with every need catered for. Sarah and Nic are highly skilled in creating a supportive context for the journey. There is a tremendous amount of care in preparing for the journey and integration afterwards. Highly recommend "
"I did a private psilocybin ceremony with Sarah and I'm planning to do another one. She is a fantastic guide who brought more patience and compassion to our ceremony than I have ever experienced in my life. Combining psilocybin with Internal Family Systems was an approach I found immensely powerful. I have done more IFS work with Sarah to consolidate the last ceremony and to discover more of what needs healing in the next one. I have done a lot of therapy and I was amazed at the power of the IFS approach, and of the way Sarah's calm, compassionate, wise manner helped me to gain new insights and new ways of working with my difficult emotions. I thoroughly recommend her!"
"It has now been two months since I took an insightful psylocibin journey with Sarah&Nic and it still lives with me as if it were yesterday. It was my first introduction to truffles. I was a bit hesitant about the unknown, but the soft and warm framework and professionalism of Sarah&Nic convinced me. Sarah's loving guidance helped me to surrender and to resolve my resistance. For me it has become a wonderful revelation of my inner world of feelings which has given me insights into my unconscious being. I'm already looking forward to the next session! Nic's fantastic cooking skills are not to be missed!! Sarah&Nic are a gift for you!
Peter Willaeys"
"Deze ervaring was zo bijzonder, dat ik het moeilijk in woorden kan uitdrukken.
Ik had al wat ceremonies apart gedaan (soundhealings, breathwork, cacao ceremonies, ...) maar deze retreat bracht al deze aparte elementen samen. Ik ben enkele dagen nadien, nog steeds overweldigd door de ervaring.
Nic en Sarah zorgen voor een uiterst veilige en vertrouwde omgeving, dynamiek en ervaring. Alles kan, niets moet. Er is veel openheid, ruimte voor vragen en vooral ruimte om jezelf te zijn en ontdekken op een diepere laag."
"This retreat is a life changing one. It really opened my heart and head to experience life in the most precious way.
The underlying proces of Dyads, which is very simple in essence, gives the opportunity to explore life and its challenges in different ways.
The loving supporting guidance of Nick and Sarah was essential to come to a deeper state of awareness.
The combination of sitting, moving, silent integration, exploring creativity, staring at the fire and so many other things made it a week to never forget.
"
"I had an extraordinary experience with Nick and Sarah.
They took care of such a save and loving space.
I had a really wonderful journey to my deepest self. I felt deep peace and a feeling of coming home
I am so grateful 🙏✨ "
"This retreat was a great experience for me. I liked the way, Sarah and Nic held the space. Their support was helpful and generous."
"is what Compassionate Self offers.
I attended 3 of their retreats by now in 3 very beautiful locations.
The loving care, preciseness and Attention they put in every person and every detail of the retreat is so heart warming. Working with them is highly recommended. "
"I had a wonderfull time with Sara and Nick. They are able to create safty, deepening and trust in the group. I like their style and if they organise a secund awakening i will certenly join. No one can do better. Thanks for the wonderfull experience.
Love from Gent"
"Nic and Sarah hosted the retreat with so much care. There was a peaceful atmosphere that supported transitioning into the journey.
Delicious food, focus on body and soul with various experiences, fantastic music and a very nice venue.
If you want to try expanding your consciousness, this is a safe and nourishing place to do so!!! Thank you. It’s been my second time and I’ll be back again! "
"After having spent 3 days on the retreat as well as a total of 4.5 hrs of online counseling with Nic in advance, I would like to write the following. The retreat was a pleasant and safe social experience in a high standard rented retreat center well suited and equipped for therapeutic ceremonies utilizing psychedelic truffles. It seems to attract gentle souls who are serious about why they come there. Every activity and aspect the night before as well as during the ceremony, such as cooking, breathwork and gentle exercise, seemed thoughtfully chosen with the singular purpose of enabling the state of mind best suited for the therapeutic psychedelic experience. The playlist and the support from Nic and Sarah during the experience was caring and lovely. The keywords here is therapeutic grounding, consent, tailoring for individual needs, and genuine care. I wholeheartedly recommend this experience."
"I am grateful for the group weekend retreat I experienced with Sarah and Nic and the other guests. This was a psychedelic ceremony retreat, but there was a holistic approach with numerous activities designed to help you get the most from the experience. Some participants felt they got at least as much from e.g. the breathwork as from the psychedelic journey itself.
Nic and Sarah are warm, generous hosts who think of all the small details when curating the experience and holding the space. The pre- and post- sessions are important to prepare (meet them, put your mind at ease, get practical tips about how to have the weekend run smoothly e.g. travel) and then integrate the experience afterwards (group session to reconnect with your new friends and an individual session to go a bit deeper into your experience and tap into its full value).
I was curious about internal family systems as well as psychedelics (having not used any before). I think you would make the most of this retreat by learning a little about IFS beforehand and considering extra IFS sessions with Sarah or Nic to help you continue to process things in the weeks after. In general, there was an encouragement to be curious about your processes or 'parts' and what they are trying to do for you, and the group environment helps simulate things that might come up for you 'in the real world' in how you experience or interact with others. It is also a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and to show up as your authentic self.
Although I was understandably a little nervous about what it would entail, I felt really safe undertaking this experience in this way. The accommodation/setting and food were all lovely and no detail was overlooked.
Love, Kate"
"I am grateful for the group weekend retreat I experienced with Sarah and Nic and the other guests. This was a psychedelic ceremony retreat, but there was a holistic approach with numerous activities designed to help you get the most from the experience. Some participants felt they got at least as much from e.g. the breathwork as from the psychedelic journey itself.
Nic and Sarah are warm, generous hosts who think of all the small details when curating the experience and holding the space. The pre- and post- sessions are important to prepare (meet them, put your mind at ease, get practical tips about how to have the weekend run smoothly e.g. travel) and then integrate the experience afterwards (group session to reconnect with your new friends and an individual session to go a bit deeper into your experience and tap into its full value).
I was curious about internal family systems as well as psychedelics (having not used any before). I think you would make the most of this retreat by learning a little about IFS beforehand and considering extra IFS sessions with Sarah or Nic to help you continue to process things in the weeks after. In general, there was an encouragement to be curious about your processes or 'parts' and what they are trying to do for you, and the group environment helps simulate things that might come up for you 'in the real world' in how you experience or interact with others. It is also a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and to show up as your authentic self.
Although I was understandably a little nervous about what it would entail, I felt really safe undertaking this experience in this way. The accommodation/setting and food were all lovely and no detail was overlooked.
Love, Kate"
"I really loved how both Sarah and Nick honour and appreciate the structure and contents that both Roberts perfected and handed over to them, in which I felt their presences even after both passing away and got in touch with what they wanted us to experience, while Sarah and Nick stayed genuine and authentic to themselves. This retreat teaches me deeply what is "to be with what is". Thank you so much."
"Nic and Sarah created a comfortable and safe space for a special weekend.
They led the entire retreat with serenity, compassion and passion.
Their concern was always with the individual needs as well as those of the entire group.
I carried worries and fears into my first ceremony, but all of them transformed into a profound experiences of deep feelings and ended in pure well-being. I particularly found the work with the IFS (Internal Family System) to be useful preparation and helpful support for the further integration of this wonderful experience.
Thanks to Nic, Sarah and the entire group :-)"
"You are really well taken care off on this retreat with a focus on making you feel understood and connected. The use of the Internal Family Systems psychotherapy perfectly aligns with the psychedelic experience. I had personally previously had unpleasant trips seeing aggressive faces on the wall, and through the advice from Sarah and Nic I was able to engage with these hallucinations which transformed them into much more positive things. I can't thank them enough."
"A very profound experience! Sarah and Nic created a space that felt save at all times. Thank you. "
"This has been my third week-retreat organised by Nic and Sarah. They go all out in letting me and everyone else feel welcome. They have great attention to detail, without losing sight of the intention to connect and be present when it counts. The teachers that have set up the Awakening to Life program - Robert Gonzales and Robert Kržišnik - have been great examples for them. In their authentic own way they have picked up their life's work in many ways, and at a jealousy-inducing young age. This retreat the participants were very quick to feel safe and go deep. It helps that many people return to them.
What is also enormously lovely and helpful is the attention to integration. You will be divided into home-groups, with which you can stay in touch and practice at home.
Nic and Sarah are very approachable, open to feedback, and seem to wish to be participants too: of a group that is opening up to the moment. My favourite time is when there is nothing to do but savour the silence together.
Talk about savouring, the food was amazing again with Jaqueline Hendriks as our cook. Great veggy recipes and biological ingredients. I love to see the development of more connection between the participants and the cooking team, reciprocating love and care.
Also, the venue(s) Sarah and Nic pick are very comfortable and beautifully located in nature. "
"Ever since attending this retreat, I have a lot of calm in me. During the retreat, there were so many insights ! I really appreciated the time slots for integration. Sarah and Nics way of holding space, providing support and beeing present was a real gift. I warmly recommend this experience to everyone."
"How is it to spend quality time with people who truly care and speak their truth? In an amazing setting with marvelous food and nature.
How is to be nourished on all levels and dimensions, mentally emotionally and spiritually?
Nick and Sarah are hosts and retreat leaders that notice even the littlest of details.
Warm hearted I truly recommend this retreat to anybody who wants to relax deeper into their own being. "
"The Awakening to Life Intensive with Nick and Sarah was a truly life-awakening experience.
I came back completely renewed, feeling my body awake and my mind more open and attentive to the present moment.
It was a very intense experience. Each day and sometimes just the dyad felt like a little life. I was able to look under a magnifying glass at different inner parts of myself, my defences and to move through them, experiencing a real release and a surge of energy.
I am already looking forward to the next intensive to join again.
I highly recommend it.
With warmth and gratitude,
Liudmyla Kaminska ♥️"
"I am still very gratefull for the safe and loving space Nic and Sarah created and kept during the seven days of our retreat. They hold the space together and are very open and authentic in their own sharing. Their soft way of being there for everybody was a healing experience and at the same time I felt their strenght for holding the group and whatever was alive. Now, being home, I feel more space and awareness. Happyness. Feeling love and hoping they can support many more processes! Warm hugs for both!! "
"It’s been a few days since I got back from the awakening into life retreat organised by Nic and Sarah. It was truly a magical and life changing journey. Nic and Sarah created a very safe atmosphere in where I could connect with several different parts in me. The combination of the dyad meditation several times a day and the movement exploration exercises awakened a lot in me. Also highly recommend the chef they hired, absolutely delicious biological food!
Thank you Nic and Sarah for this experience!"
"Thank you for everything. I feel a deep appreciation for the structure of the retreat for awakening to life. The way it is built up during the week with Dyads and integration time. I was al little hesitant about the daily schedule when i saw it at first. I realy felt resistance and i was concearned about my need for freedom and autonomy not being met. And then i decided to go along with this external structure and i put my trust in Robert and Robert and of course in Sarah and Nic .
I had the most wonderfull and adventurous retreat of my life. Meeting eachother. Holding space for that person in front of you on the chair. Using the dyad phrases and exploring. Whitnissing. Being present. I was experiencing such an inner freedom and able to connect with life in a more pleasant way.
So for me, this journey was about trusting & being trusted. About welcoming life as it is in that moment and allowing myself to be alife in every possible way. Expressing my thanks for the beautifull venue , i enjoyed it.
I don t know how to express how it was for me to be part of our group. We cried together. We had so much fun. Singing and dancing. For me my need for playfullness was met 100%. Being together and spending time with our group,....waaw.....i m celebrating life. So of course i highly recommend this awakening retreat made possible by Sarah and Nic. 5 stars Big hug"
"I loved to be part of the awakening hold by Nic and Sara.
Although my prevoius awakening was with the two Roberts, I was wondering how it would be without them.
And , now I want to share with my full heart., Nic and Sara convinced me to join the next time, when it will be holded by them again.
A new, younger generation is there, with their qualities, added to the sharings and experiences off the two Roberts. Please join us, next time. With love and care, Carol
"
"It's been less than 24 hours since the end of my retreat and I've already specifically recommended the organization to three people in my life who I am sure would benefit.
Their understanding of how to establish the proper environment for a constructive weekend is truly impressive. Literally every detail is meticulously engineered for the optimum effect. I felt supported, safe, and infused with their generosity at every stage.
I'm still just beginning to explore how I have personally benefitted, but I feel I can say that my weekend with them will forever remain a pivotal moment in my life and I will always be grateful."
"I have noticed the retreat from Compassionate Self during my searching for ways to face personal pain and trauma, as well as experiences that connect the individual to "the landscape beyond". And I have waited more than one month after the retreat to write the review, for comparing immediate effects with somewhat long-term results (perhaps "effect" and "result" are not the best noun here).
For me, the retreat experience was one of the most unique, touching, and meaningful thing I have done, as I was engaged in a remarkable journey where I was faced with some of my most important and fearful questions in life. I was truly able to feel the connection of myself with the world in a positive and loving way. The journey made me realize that all the capacity of dealing with pains in life has always been inside of me. I was packed with wonder of this life and loving for other people coming back to normal life.
The initial highly aroused physical sensations lasted for about a week before it subsided, but the insights larger remained intact even weeks after, until right now. It feels that the part of my once-reflective connection between pain and certain reality was overwritten, and that I can be confident in interacting with happenstances in a way more authentic to myself. The affective retrospection of the retreat reminds of the bodily sensation of healing, and the rational insights supports my belief and ways of doing. Ofc, I am still trying to grasping the meaning of self and life through reflections and sometimes meditation, but I know for sure that the retreat experience has become an outstanding part of my personal history through which I form the understanding of "becoming" for now and in the future. "
"The space created by Nick and Sara was nothing short of magical. They made my journey anxiety free by being supportive logistically and emotionally. Will definitely come back in the future.
"
"This was certainly one of the most powerful experiences I have had.
For the entirety of the journey, I felt supported and cared for by Nic and Sara.
The beautiful surroundings, attention to detail and emotional openness that I sensed, melted away my initial anxiety and made way for curiosity and acceptance, which gave rise to a wonderful journey.
I feel very privileged to have taken part in this experience and I feel especially grateful towards Sara and Nic who enabled it.
"