“To touch without an aim but to simply be present with another, can ignite awareness — a kind of meditation in touch, if you will.”
— Steve Karle

A 12-Day Immersion with Steve Karle

Water is soft but also remarkably strong. Water flows and shows our reflection when still. Water vibrates to the subtlest sound or touch. Water, a vital element and a symbol of transformation. During twelve days we’ll dive into this fluid medium, exploring its formless, feminine quality, which can scorch control and established structures, to liberate and open up pathways towards free flow. We’ll gradually let go, each at our own rhythm and pace, gently stirring our stagnant waters, illuminating our depths within, clearing the rocks that lie in our way, until we achieve that which water does best: to unite what seems fragmented, so we may return to our wholeness.

 

The journey

This 100-hour residential immersion is designed for 12 people, allowing a dynamic but intimate container. It has an intensive yet organic flow based on the individual and collective process. We’ll explore touch in its many forms until we find a quality of neutral. From there, we will practice the art of listening as we explore the spontaneity in our bodies while giving ourselves space to be vulnerable. The element of water will be our medicine. As we bring awareness to our patterns, conditionings and identities, we will invite an organic structure to emerge, both on a personal and collective level: a fluid form that may reveal, re-wild, and cleanse, leading us on an unpredictable journey.

The process

In part, the immersion is a retreat, as we’ll have the chance to relax deeply, explore our inner landscapes, and heal. Partly, it is also a workshop, where we will explore connection, and practice a way to be and be with others that goes beyond the therapeutic, to return to our deep humanity which is intuitive, creative and rich in empathy. At the same time, it is a journey in community, as we weave the threads of our togetherness.

  • At the heart of the immersion are the many partner exercises and session practices in and out of water. Besides being on the facilitator’s role, you will also be on the receiving end. This will give you the opportunity to relax, to deepen within yourself and navigate your own journey. You will have space for silence and stillness to integrate your process at your own pace. You will also have the chance to integrate your experience within the group. Your very own rhythm and voice will be welcome as an essential part of the collective flow.

  • You will learn to facilitate Primordial Expression in a very experiential way and through your own process. Following our daily practices, explorations, and partner exchanges, we will share our experiences as a group, so we can learn from our individual processes and invite greater sensitivity and awareness in regards to our quality of connection with one another. We will build on this very organically as we follow our curiosity for what shows up in the moment, giving ample space for discovery and creativity. Ultimately, you will develop your own art of connection within the therapeutic frame we offer.

  • We look at the group that comes into being as representing a collective system relevant to each participant in that moment in time. This gives us an opportunity to re-discover ourselves within it, as we are shown a range of mirrors to recognise the various aspects of self, and as we navigate projections. We'll bring our awareness into the group dynamics that naturally unfold, with the premise that every single individual on this journey is a fundamental part of the whole. We believe there is a greater intelligence that emerges in the field made up of the wisdom of each individual and which, if we let go of control, can take us much further than where one single person could ever take us — this intelligence will be our teacher.

The itinerary

We will journey through a total of 100 hours in 12 days. Approximately 70% of this time will be spent in water and the rest in the studio. The schedule has been prepared in a way for you to maximise immersion and absorption of our practice while we follow our circadian rhythms. We will have highly nutritious vegetarian/vegan meals and superfood snacks. Following our residential journey, we will continue with a series of online group meetings to further integrate our shared experience.

training testimonials

“It doesn’t get much better than this for me – conscious touch, stillness, freedom of movement, presence, warm water. I found myself in the water. The water is like the form of the divine, it eases everything: my body, my heart, my soul, my coming into being, my coming into relationship both with myself and with others. With such safe holding during these twelve days, I was able to touch into all the agony and the ecstasy of the human experience, and emerge in a very tender and loving place. Thank you Steve.”

— Steph Hodgson, Psychotherapist & Educator

“The way Steve is able to tap into exactly what the body needs and wants, is quite astonishing. Learning to ‘listen’ from him has been an experience that will stay with me forever, and will forever impact my dealings with people in day to day life as well as in a therapeutic context.”

— Tom Lancaster, Life Coach

“Steve opened the space in a way that allowed a quality of connectivity with water as a means of self-expression and therapy. The journey unfolded in the most subtle of ways, like the water itself. I saw myself floating as a spinning lotus down a river, returning to the ocean of my deepest memories. Layers of us all unravelled, and we learnt to sense how much depth we all have, while surrendering to the water and in the honourable hands of others. Thanks to Steve for being such a gifted conduit.”

— Talisman Gabriel Das Jaguar, Circus Artist

“Soul work in action. I’m so blessed to have you as my teacher, Steve.”

— Carrie Dehner, Craniosacral Therapist

“The space Steve created allowed for deep presence and connection between all of us. I felt held and free to just be. The subtle yet profound process that took place in me, reminded me of Eva Reich’s work: ‘offer minimum stimulation for a maximum response’. Later on, out of the water and into my clothes and life, I was flooded by the extremely pleasant sensation of floating, and I was feeling very connected to the world while also being deeply focused on myself. Thank you Steve, for transmitting to us with such grace, the art of listening and letting go.”

— Oly Patsoura, Biologist & Doula

“This was a profound journey. Steve has a great ability to listen deeply to the body and to transmit that skill in a very easy way. My favourite part was recreating and studying the spontaneous forms that emerged in our sessions in water. We were all very inspired. Many of my fellow classmates even began writing poetry in their time off, which they later shared around the fire. This was an experience that deeply sparked my creativity. ”

— Helena Eflerova, Multi-Disciplinary Artist

“I had such a wonderful experience. I’m missing the close-knit group and the joint journey of exploration and learning, but I’m feeling energised and enthused by all the potential in my future work. I have great admiration for your teaching style. The supported space you gave us to explore both emotionally and physically for ourselves led to a strong feeling of trust within the group. I never felt judged and questions were always answered sensitively. Thank you Steve.”

Esme Turner, Senior Physiotherapist

“I feel fortunate to have trained with such a skilled and genuine therapist and teacher. Steve’s devotion to his work is an inspiration to his students.”

— Alexandra Kapogianni, Movement Therapist

“Steve has such a wonderful way of sharing this practice – total presence, technical precision, but most importantly a sensitive, safe and gentle way of guiding people, with or without experience in such a practice, into total surrender. And he also makes room for sharing, improvisation and play.”

—Kristine Bale, Yoga Teacher

A focus on silence & inwardness

On a journey centred on connection such as ours, we have an opportunity to come into relationship with each other in very mindful and creative ways. To support that, during the first half of the immersion, we will invite you into greater silence and inwardness outside of our workshops. This means cutting off the small talk, the habit to connect with each other during breaks, the need to define ourselves and establish ties, so you may nurture that subtle quality of connection that we’ll be cultivating in our practices while also having plenty of time to turn inwards. You will also be invited to turn off your mobile phone for the entire duration of the journey.

  • As interconnected beings, we are wired for connection, but our verbal communication can sometimes lead us away from it. It can mask a fear of silence where vulnerability and intimacy may be found. We may attempt to fill an emotional void by replacing it with intellectual speech, giving priority to our knowing rather than just being. We may unconsciously create social hierarchical structures or barriers of privilege through our sharing. Conversations often begin with questions such as 'where are you from?' or 'what do you do?' – topics that define and sometimes restrict our freedom to reinvent ourselves and be in the present moment. We can also fall into cultural or societal modes of speech and get carried away by them. We want to precisely interrupt these habits and propose another direction towards connection – one where we can meet each other at a more essential level.

    This means that we will all arrive in silence, and for the first six days, will only connect with each other within our group practices. We will have an introductory circle but with no icebreakers. Instead, we'll let the ice melt naturally, allowing space for mystery and feeling. We will leave our baggage of stories and identities behind and only bring in what’s relevant to the present moment and to our direct experience with one another. So savour your meals slowly. Tap out of your rational mind that often becomes activated through speech and tap into your intuition instead. Feel into the subtle group dynamics, take time to contemplate, immerse in nature, do some journaling. Before you know it, halfway through the immersion, on the morning of day seven, we will break the silence and from then onwards you may flow as you wish.

Your Experience

Our journey follows a natural flow, both personal and collective. As such, not one immersion is the same as another, though it will offer you exactly what you need. Here are a few general outcomes you can expect:

  • That spontaneity we had as children to explore the world with curiosity and excitement. How can we trace back to it after developing potential patterns and mechanisms that follow cultural and societal conditioning and which may hold us back from the simplicity of being? We believe one key is to slowly let go of control as we listen to the wisdom of our bodies as a guide, while giving priority to our feeling rather than our thinking. The organic quality of our journey which doesn’t follow a fixed structure, offers the opportunity for our innate creativity and intuition to come to the forefront and unleash our inner child.

  • This basically means to switch from being mind-centred, so common in our busy fast-paced lives, to allowing our bodies to be a true vehicle of expression of our self. It is also about awakening sensation where there is numbness and disconnection that we may have acquired through potential trauma and social and cultural conditioning.

  • Our various practices focused on connection, and the safe space we will hold to welcome vulnerability and compassionate witnessing, will encourage us to access our emotions which we see as guide posts to the wisdom within ourselves.

  • The immersive nature of our journey can often kickstart a deep healing process or inner exploration. The various practices and the intimacy of the group and interactions offer the opportunity for transformation. It’s also important for us to note that the immersion is not group therapy as such and you will require a certain degree of self-holding of whatever process opens up for you, though there will be various resources at hand for you during our journey.

  • The pleasure of being alive, of existing in a body, of feeling your subtle sensations and impulses, of being fully present with your self and with others which in turn will bring greater joy and happiness.

  • The organic and rhythmic quality of movement we will engage in as well as the deeply immersive work in warm water can easily lead you into a non-ordinary state of awareness. Through this, you can expand your perspectives, challenge preconceived notions, gain greater insights into your thoughts, emotions, and behavioural patterns, as well as broaden your understanding of your self and the world around you.

  • Touch is such an essential human need and yet we don’t often explore enough of it or it is often cause for pain and suffering. We will explore touch in a very conscious manner, with subtlety and depth, while following any healing processes that open up through it. This will allow us to establish healthy human intimacy as we develop greater connection both with ourselves and with others.

  • We sometimes get stuck in our patterns and identities, and yet we all have infinite possibilities of being at hand at any given moment. How can we access a space where we can let go of those aspects of ourselves that don’t serve us any longer and embody the greater version of ourselves? We believe relationships are key. They show us a mirror that can point back to ourselves, giving us the opportunity for inner growth. The group dynamic that will unfold in these 12 days and the intimate work with others will offer you a beautiful opportunity to gain awareness of these dynamics and spark transformation.

  • To deeply listen to another human being, not with our analytical minds, but with compassion and unconditional holding, is a rare art today often shattered through our own wounds and life experiences. Our journey will allow you to gently unravel towards being able to listen, first to your self, which in turn will create the space within you to hold others with greater awareness and empathy.

  • Healing, in its essence, is nothing but connection. As you connect with your self, you will also develop your abilities to facilitate connection for others. Whether you are a therapist or you facilitate healing in some form, or you are new to such work, you will fine-tune this very human ability in you. You will also learn the foundation of Primordial Expression® that will allow you to share this work with friends and family.

  • You will be in a safe space to be vulnerable, to reveal your shadows and all of those aspects of yourself that you may not express in your day to day. This will allow you to let go of conditionings, social masks, identities, and whatever holds you back from being your most authentic self.

  • Creativity for us is key in our work and we pride ourselves for not being bound by a structure in our way to lead you on this journey. Instead, we aim to support each person’s individuality so our work can be merely a platform to develop your gifts further.

  • The intimate framework, the group dynamics, and the mindful practices centred on connection with others, offer you the opportunity to understand your place within the group which in turn offers a mirror to your place in the world. This will allow you to strengthen your sense of belonging.

  • The intimate nature of our immersion will invite you to forge deep connections with your fellow participants, fostering a community that will extends beyond these 12 days.

Is It For You?

It is if you seek to immerse into the depths of your being and explore consciousness and healing. If you’re a poet, artist, sensitive soul exploring creative paths. If you’d like to indulge in the human art of touch and connection, enrich your relational skills, and share a journey in community. If you work in a holistic, psychotherapeutic, somatic, or movement-based context, you will have the opportunity to fine-tune your sensitivity. Besides, this immersion is the first step in our professional training.

 

Join Us

All of our group journeys are invitation-only. We carefully curate them to ensure everyone shares a genuine commitment to healing and our community values. We invite you to apply — please tell us about yourself through this form.