ALIGN RETREAT
Sutra House, Basel
Thursday the 28th of Septmber
to Sunday the 1st of October 2023
4 days/3 nights
Befriending your nervous system
When nerves are strained by stress, overstimulation or illness, our brain reacts in survival mode - with unconscious, instinctive behaviours - instead of reacting the way we would like to: appropriately and with intention.
Join this Align Retreat to get to know your nervous system - and thereby yourself - better and take steps towards a more conscious life.
You nervous system is an essential part of your mental wellbeing.
While the nervous system exists quite happily without us watching over it, learning to tune into it can be a very helpful skill. This listening is a state of awareness which helps us to recognize when we are no longer anchored in a place of health and growth. Life can often pull us out of regulation into a sympathetic system of action and protection, or we might find ourselves feeling burnt out and struggling with exhaustion and disconnection. Taking steps to befriend and tune into our nervous system can help us to connect to our bodies and what we need to bring ourselves back to well being.
“Nervous system regulation is attachment. It’s biology. It’s relationships. It’s health. It’s recovery. It’s resilience. It’s generational change “
- Nicole Lepera




Meeting the nervous system begins with understanding how this system works and then building the skills to tune in, listen and discern between the need for action, withdrawal and connection. Using a variety of experiential exercises will help us to track our states and anchor in autonomic safety, which can help us to manage the stresses and challenges that life can bring. Drawing on CBT theory and Polyvagal theory Bella will be your guide in these workshops, whilst Hanne will guide us through daily yoga and breathwork practises helping us to ground and feel into our bodies and nervous systems. So come and join us in connecting to a state of regulation and safety so we can approach the world with curiosity and calm aliveness, and nurture our ability to respond rather than react.
“Looking through the lens of the nervous system, we understand that we are all trying to anchor in the state of safety that supports connection to self, to others, to the world and provides the energy we need to navigate our day”
- Deb Dana
This retreat - A nurturing and nourishing environment
On this retreat, Bella & Hanne will create a nurturing and nourishing environment to explore, get curious and learn how to listen, regulate and anchor our nervous systems in a place of safety. Our process will include group daily yoga practises, discussions, reflective exercises, mindfulness practises and lots of space to breathe, reflect and unwind.
The body work, the yoga, will provide us with an invaluable chance to ground ourselves and root our new knowledge and learning.
Expect an easy-going, kind and inspiring atmosphere where we will encourage one another to observe, understand, deepen and align in both body and mind.
We will meet (at least) twice a day over the course of the long weekend to practise morning yoga and also engage in afternoon workshops and meditation, as well as sharing meal times. They’ll be plenty of time for yourself too, with no crammed schedules.
Retreat Outline:
Program to be announced.
We gather first time on Thursday at 16:00 in the upstairs practice room.
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Price:
incl. Mwst
Single room: 885 CHF/pp
Double room: 785 CHF/pp
Triple room: 685 CHF/pp
EARLY BIRD till 14.06.2023: Pay 50 CHF less/pp
Want to join or have questions?
Sign up by sending an email to Hanne via contact@flowfabrik.ch
Good to know + What is included
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Arrival from Thursday the 28th of September at 14:00 (first session starts at 16:00)
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Sunday departure by 12:00 noon.
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4 x Hatha/Vinyasa Yoga Sessions incl. meditation and pranayama
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1 xYin Yoga evening session
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3 x Meditation Sessions
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2 x Workshop Sessions
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Breakfast and Dinner - all meals are vegetarian
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Tea, water, dried fruits & nuts are available to
participants free of charge throughout the day.
(Other refreshments from the snack bar, including coffee, soft
drinks are available and will be charged separately) -
Bed linen and towls are included
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Accommodation in either a single or shared room
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Yoga Room, fully stocked with all the tools needed to work (no need to bring your own mat/props)
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Sky-Lit Meditation Room under the roof with large open views to the east and west for sunrise and sunset.
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Large Gathering/Salon Room for group meals and discussions with Fireplace and beautiful open views to south and west
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Terrace with small infinity pool and natural pond.
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Finnish Dry Sauna
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Turkish Steam Sauna
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Library for Contemplation, Study and Research
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Surrounding Garden
What is not included?
Your journey to and from the retreat space
Extra meals/snacks/drinks
Special diets
Please let us know if you have special needs/preferences for your diet when you sign up.
What to bring
Except from your most cosy sweater, most-beloved yoga pants and the obvious please pack these things in your bag for the retreat:
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Your own house shoes
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Note book and pens
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An open mind :-)
Where?
Sutra House
Rütiring 36 and 36a
4125 Riehen, Switzerland
Website
About Sutra House:
A Space for Meditation, Yoga, Nutrition, Therapy and Healing Arts.
Set into a forested hillside near above the Rhine valley and village of Riehen, Switzeland - A sanctuary where one can re-connect to the inner life. Sutra House is designed as an architecture and spiritual space for contemplation & connection, nourishing the body & mind.
We created this vision of Sutra House for many reasons, but they all share a similar thread — promoting an integrated, meaningful and healthy relationship to our life. The various types of Inner-work happening here - art, food, yoga, insight, meditation, therapy and contemplation - all provide insights into the things that shape and create our life - exploring the “nature of things”. Learning offers us new tools to make our shifts in our life and within our community. Cultivating an attitude of community allows us to stay present to our environment, challenging our lives with a compassionate response.
Bella and Hanne
Bella Glover, a British trained Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and founder of beingwell, studied psychological approaches to the mind that give us tools to change the way our brain works, boost self esteem, increase resilience and build on strengths. My training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy opened up a world of potential and possibility for understanding why we think and act the way we do.
Bella also trained in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).
Hanne Mogensen, a Danish trained vinyasa, yin and aerial yoga teacher and founder of FlowFabrik Studio, is fascinated by flow. How can we create more flow in our day to day life? What small changes can the individual make in his/her way of moving, breathing, being, doing which will have magnificient influence on the overall state of being? Hanne teaches yoga classes which are powerful, soft, empowering and reflective.
Want to join or have questions?
Sign up by sending an email to Hanne via contact@flowfabrik.ch
Cancellation policy:
Cancellation 3-6 months before retreat-start: Full Refund
Cancellation less than 3 months before retreat start: Refund of 75 % of full price will be issued
Cancellation less than 2 months before retreat start: Refund of 50 % of the full price will be issued
Cancellation less than 1 month before retreat start: No refund
If the hotel or retreat hosts should have to cancel the retreat (incl the event of lock-down or if a retreat host gets sick) then a full refund or a retreat at a later date will be offered to the participants
If a participant needs to cancel (FX due to a positive Covid-test, sickness or injury), we can not offer a refund (except the ones written above).
A Travel Insurance of the participant would often cover some of if not all of the lost expenses. Therefore we recommend you to consider getting a travel insurance.
Liability and insurance
The customer shall be liable for negligent or intentional damage to the inventory or furnishings of the Sutra House. The retreat participant is also liable for his/her own equipment. Insurance is the responsibility of the retreat participant.
The Sutra House accepts no liability for the use of unattended cloakrooms.
The responsibility for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the participants and mental well-being of the participants themselves. By signing up for this event you accept the AGBs of FlowFabrik. See here.
Note
For reasons of better readability, this text has been written in masculine and feminine written form. All
all references to persons apply equally to all genders and non-genders.