The Method: Direct, Gentle, Powerful

At the heart of this retreat is the practice of

contemplative dyads oriented toward awakening to Self.

Two participants, face to face, alternate the roles of speaking with radical sincerity and listening deeply. One offers an instruction, the other receives it and plunges inward to feel their truth, then shares what has emerged in a space of openness, non-judgment and kindness. This very simple structure helps to soothe the usual social masks and mental stories, so that something more essential can reveal itself.

Why This Method Works

This concrete, systematic and deeply human exploration, supported by total silence between dyads and a structured framework, acts as a sieve. By expressing what inhabits us, without censorship or analysis, and by being received with kindness and without judgment by the dyad partner, the mind gradually empties itself of its identifications. That is, of everything we are not, until only who we really are remains, before and beyond ideas, roles, beliefs and words.

This retreat does not seek to provoke a special or extraordinary experience or state, which would by definition be temporary simply because who you are is not a state nor an experience.

Rather than seeking to attain a future state, the practice invites you to notice what is already there when everything that is superfluous is seen and allowed to fall away. Thus, the retreat seeks rather to create the conditions that allow you to directly realize who you have always been and have never ceased to be and this often happens in an unexpected, simple, gentle and obvious way, with the sensation of coming home and realizing that we never left.

What You Might Experience

Without guaranteeing anything and while welcoming whatever presents itself, participants often describe:

- A sensation of finally being themselves, accompanied by absolute peace and contentment
- A sensation of having come home, in complete simplicity
- More intimacy and ease with themselves and with others
- Clarity about what really matters
- A reconciliation with themselves and with life

This Retreat is for You If:

- You feel a sincere call toward self-discovery
- You are ready to explore the truth of who you are beyond your roles, beliefs, thoughts and emotions
- You are ready to be sincere, even when it is uncomfortable
- You are ready to set aside your preconceived ideas about awakening
- You wish for a structured, concrete and safe way to explore who you are
- You are able to sustain the intensity of a true gaze, deep silence and radical honesty.

How the Two Days Unfold

You will follow a clear and predictable rhythm:
      - Opening circle and presentation of the framework
      - Explanation and demonstration of dyad practice
      - Series of dyads interspersed with silent breaks
      - Simple meals and time for rest or walks
      - Brief guided instructions to support exploration
      - Closing circle and integration time
The structure is designed so that you have nothing to manage or perform. Your only "duties" are to show up, listen, and share as honestly as possible.

The Facilitators

Joëlle LatourJoëlle holds the space with warmth, kindness and a deeply anchored presence. Her openness of heart creates an unconditional welcome where vulnerability becomes strength. She creates spaces where everyone can set down their protections, feel fully welcomed and meet what is alive in them with sincerity and gentleness. She prioritizes simplicity, humility and authenticity, inviting each person to simply be, without performance or mask.

With a Master's degree in environmental management from the University of Sherbrooke and a Bachelor's degree in communication sciences from the University of Montreal, Joëlle has dedicated herself for over 15 years with deep commitment to social and environmental transformation projects. Guided by the conviction that real change begins with reconnection to oneself, to others and to nature, she designs participatory approaches and accompanies groups in processes of individual and collective transformation. For example, this winter Joëlle teaches at the Master's level in environment at CUFE of the University of Sherbrooke a course on emotional intelligence and conscious communication in supporting change. Furthermore, Joëlle has been coordinating for 4 years the Collective for Food Security in Sherbrooke (CSAS), bringing together 17 key organizations and institutions. She accomplishes the co-creation and implementation of a regional strategic action plan including the organization of the Food Security Day (3 editions, 340+ participants). Her expertise in participatory processes, developed in workshops, in class and through conferences bringing together 150+ participants, supports spaces of honesty where what is essential naturally emerges.

Parallel to her journey in ecological transition and community mobilization, Joëlle has developed a personal practice rooted in mindfulness, yoga and connection to nature. She has also taught yoga and mindfulness to over 2500 students (young and old) and she coordinates nature connection camps, where she accompanies a team of mentors and together they support young people at risk of school dropout in immersive experiences of connection to self, to others and to the living world, anchored in healthy lifestyle habits and mindfulness. Certified nature reconnection guide (Unature) Joëlle offers participants sensory connection experiences and invites them to discover the science of how and why nature is good for us. With also 8 years of experience as an outdoor guide and trainings in permaculture and the Coyote approach, she has developed an approach where the return to the body, to presence and to connection with nature becomes a lever for awakening to self.

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Elvis GrahovicElvis holds the space with clarity, rigor and discernment. His style is simple, precise and pragmatic, with a strong emphasis on the sincerity of what is experienced in the body and the mind in the present moment.

Elvis worked as a labor and employment lawyer in a large national law firm before dedicating himself entirely to training, teaching and practicing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and mindfulness modalities. He holds a Master's degree in prevention and dispute resolution from the University of Sherbrooke and is an accredited mediator with the Institute of Mediation and Arbitration of Quebec (IMAQ), in addition to being a qualified instructor for the mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR) of the medical school at the University of Massachusetts. He has developed and teaches at the Master's level in ADR at the University of Sherbrooke a course on professional ethics based on mindfulness and has published a book on the same subject, in addition to another course he created on conflict management coaching.

For over 10 years, he has rigorously explored different developmental streams of consciousness: multiple silent 10-day Vipassana meditation retreats, MBSR mindfulness, Relational Intelligence, polyvagal theory, Internal Family Systems, integral theory and coaching, non-violent communication, etc. His complementary expertise makes him a perceptive, attentive, pragmatic and kind facilitator to thousands of participants through various retreats, workshops and processes.Furthermore, he regularly offers conferences, workshops and trainings on mindfulness in connection with themes of stress management, emotional intelligence, professional ethics and digital well-being. Moreover, he is co-founder and co-director of Camp LIFT, a charitable organization aimed at improving the well-being of adolescents through the development of healthy lifestyle habits.

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