1st Edition Sept. 2016 - June 2017 spirit balance L i ve t h e enlight enment Darkness Retreat Spark your Inner Light - Sense your Soul
Table of Contents Bharati Corinna Glanert 5 The Darkness Retreat 7 Sense your own Soul 8 Different ways to experience the darkness 12 The course of your Darkness Retreat 15 All Darkness Retreat offers from Spiritbalance 16 Single Retreats 17 7 x 7 Weeks Process 18 Current Themes of Group Retreats 20 Events Schedule 21 Group Retreats 23 Astral Travel and Self-Awareness Group 24 Intensive Mantra Meditation Group 25 Tranquillity and Silence Group 26 Intensive Detox Group 26 Healing Group 27 Darkness Meditation 29 Trial Weekend 29 Darkness Retreats elsewhere and special groups 29 Q&A about Darkness Retreats 31 Who is the Darkness Retreat for? 31 How long should my Darkness Retreat be for? 32 What will my accommodation be during the Darkness Retreat? 32 Can you organise everything for the Darkness Retreat for me? 35 Training for a Darkness Retreat Mentor 36 Obligation-free consultation 36 Publication details 38 3
Bharati Corinna Glanert My way to the Darkness Retreat I ve lived many years in India. There I learned highly energetic spiritual initiations and energy processes. After years of intensive practice of certain meditation techniques (called Sadhana), I was allowed to witness some very moving and spiritual experiences. Through these truly unique years of complete withdrawal from the western world, I know that true enlightenment states are accessible to every soul. So today I am deeply grateful for this valuable experience. You are my motivation to continue to organise and conduct pilgrimages to special places of power in India. However, more and more people come to me with a deep desire for healing their own spiritual experiences. I wish that more people would experience *genuine* spiritual experiences, such as connecting with angels and high spiritual beings themselves. The darkness, coupled with powerful spiritual techniques such as Mantras, are a very effective way to this truly spiritual experience. The important thing for me is that everyone receives very good care and support. I experienced one of my Darkness Retreat with a man in Germany. It was very powerful, but sometimes I felt alone with my experiences. From my perspective it takes more than just a dark room and something to eat, to surrender to the darkness. Therefore, it has been my mission since 2011 to provide a safe environment for this intense darkness experience, in which participants can open up. Both themselves and the loving support that we provide in the Darkness Retreat. 5
The Darkness Retreat Retreat into the Darkness Darkness is a primal force aiding us in our personal and spiritual development. Darkness Retreats are also known as Darkness Yoga or Darkness Meditation. A darkness experience is a very effective way to powerful energetic and spiritual experiences and activates self-awareness. Retreating into darkness, be it in caves, kivas or closed chambers, is a custom found in all traditional cultures, particularly in Japan, India and Tibet. Pythagoras even built an underground chamber beneath his house in Italy, where he spent a lot of time in the dark. In the pre-buddhist Bon religion of Tibet, the darkness retreat is called the golden road to meditation.using the night as a tool for sensory deprivation and de-conditioning is a self-discovery procedure known across all cultures and religions. A longer stay in darkness is also often called Darkness Therapy, because the time with no distractions, only with oneself, is extremely healing. In contrast to conventional therapeutic approaches Darkness Therapy doesn t focus on individual problems, but recognises the person as a unit. Initially, it s all about being with oneself and connecting with the universe. When we are deeply connected to our own soul we often experience amazing things through our own being. 7
Sense your own Soul Time to be - to recognise oneself Complete withdrawal into darkness is so powerful, because the visual channel is switched off completely. Therefore, the biggest distraction for awareness is removed. Thus, after a short period of time a state of consciousness arises all by itself. All the stimuli that we would otherwise encounter every day - smartphones, Internet and television - are completely switched off. After some time, the other senses sharpen automatically. The third eye opens, visions, clairvoyant experiences and/or meetings with other dimensions are possible. Furthermore we begin consciously or unconsciously, to conduct an internal monologue with our subconscious and our soul.
Deprived of external stimuli, our inner voice which is closely connected to the soul emerges. As a result, wisdom and unique truths enter our awareness during flashes of epiphany. All of a sudden, our inner knowledge becomes tangible. Decisions get easier as you clearly see the path laid out in front of you and questions about life literally answer themselves. We finally find the time for us - far away from all the distractions of everyday life - come to terms with ourselves and achieve a state of mental calm. Contact with spirits, passed souls and the primordial light of your own soul is an enormous enrichment for the heart and soul. Among the most common experiences in the Darkness Retreat are light phenomena. The inner light often undergoes a physical manifestation and transformative experience. Out of body experiences are also often portrayed as encounters with loved ones, passed souls, angels and spirit. Access to spiritual worlds opens wide and provides a long-lasting expansion of consciousness. If we let go enough, we stop our outward projection and we start to literally look inwards, because the outside only exists conditionally in the Darkness Retreat. This makes it possible to move from the I experience to BE - a wonderful state of unity and arrived-being. The longer we stay in complete darkness in a protected area, the more intense the spiritual experiences. The darkness itself is the guru. The Sanskrit word Gu means darkness or ignorance, Ru denotes the remover of darkness. Therefore, anyone who takes the darkness and ignorance from us, is a guru. And this is exactly what the darkness can do - it can lead us to the highest light, when we are open to it and completely ready to do so. The darkness is a primal force that helps us to develop ourselves personally and spiritually. Devote yourself longer to the darkness, in order to experience an ever deeper healing experience with us, the soul and the forces which are much greater than us. 10 11
Different ways to experience the darkness There are many ways to experience the darkness and to use it for your own processes. Our offers are roughly divided into two different categories: Group or Single Retreats. Group Retreats have an advantage in that we use the power of the group to build energy and speed up certain processes. Whereas Single Retreats are freer and are always personalised. With both types of Retreats you can experience the darkness, they are intensive and allow you to make a big step in your development in a short space of time. We can discuss what kind of Darkness Retreat is ideal for you in a free phone call. Then we can confirm immediately if your desired date is still available, should you wish to go ahead. I have traversed the whole world in search of God and found him nowhere. Tired and exhausted I arrived back home. There I saw him standing at the door to my heart and he spoke - I have waited here for you forever. So I went with him into the house. Rumi 12
The course of your Darkness Retreat It starts with the preliminary conversation, in which we discuss the date and duration of your Darkness Retreat and your dietary requirements. In principle, a Darkness Retreat does not require special preparation. However, we recommend a few days or even better a few weeks in advance, to give up meat, alcohol, coffee and nicotine, to make your entry into the Darkness Retreat as comfortable as possible. Once you have been welcomed at our centre and had time to explore the premises, we turn off the light together in a special ceremony. Once in darkness you will develop your own daily rhythm. After the first few days of just being, which may be difficult for some people, you will rediscover this universal ability again and are then ready for more advanced spiritual experiences. You then naturally move into the intensive phase of your Darkness Retreat, where you either work on certain spiritual processes or you simply surrender completely to the darkness. At the end of your Retreat, we bring you very gently back into the light. This experience is often overwhelmingly beautiful and can be very emotional. It is especially important to us that you can enjoy this moment in peace. It s best that you do not go home on the same day, but stay with us another day before you set out on your way again, as you will most likely be feeling highly self-aware and very sensitive. Your body also needs some time to get used to physically seeing again. Give yourself time to make a smooth transition between your Darkness Retreat and life after the Retreat. 14 15
All Darkness Retreat offers from Spiritbalance Single Retreats In a Single Retreat, you come closer to yourself and penetrate into deeper layers of your own being. You repeatedly experience yourself and your perception in different ways, as your thoughts continue to rest. As you delve more deeply into yourself, you find yourself listening to your inner voice more intensively. You become an observer or witness of your thoughts, which is a much easier space to be in, until you finally arrive in a place of simply being. In the first few days you ll probably sleep a lot, while also considering and processing past experiences over again. After several days, your mind goes into a different mode: you open your heart and you experience yourself (perhaps for the first time) in a completely different state of consciousness. Due to the lack of visual and social stimuli, you experience deep relaxation. You can let yourself fall and indulge in the full experience. The darkness provides you with that safety and security. During your Single Retreat, you can either remain silent or have a daily conversation with a Darkness Retreat Mentor. Alternatively, you can choose to have the option of a conversation every 7 days instead. In between, you can communicate your needs and wishes with us orally or in writing. In any case, a Mentor is available around the clock to accompany you and support you. You are very welcome to continue your own spiritual practice during your Darkness Retreat - such as specific meditations, yoga, asanas or other rituals. Upon request, we also discuss certain spiritual processes (Sadhanas) with you that you can practice while in the Darkness Retreat. 17
7 x 7 Weeks Process An energetic rebirth True Tibetan initiations usually start with a Darkness Retreat of 7x7 weeks, so it lasts exactly 49 days. The number 7 is holy, because each week is spent cleaning, regenerating and activating one of the chakras, until all 7 of the main chakras have been transformed. A Retreat over a period of 49 days, therefore, feels like an energetic rebirth. In Tibet, the Inauguration Retreat is performed as long as the soul light is particularly bright and physically visible. The different energy levels can often be seen and felt. During such a long Retreat, working with parallel worlds and communication with your true self can happen entirely naturally, with no effort on your part. 18
Current Themes of Group Retreats Events Schedule Astral Travel and Spiritual Self- Awareness Group Intensive Mantra Meditation Group (Sadhana Group) Healing Group Tranquility and Silence Group, in vibration with your soul Learn powerful spiritual techniques and experience profound transformation. Practice special mantras and powerful meditation techniques that raise your energy level and activate your Kundalini Shakti. Release blockages and activate the healing heart within the safety of our group environment, looking deep into your heart and opening your heart for healing. In the tranquility of darkness your soul speaks to you. 25.11.2016-04.12.2016 Astral Travel and Spiritual Self- Awareness Group 19.12.2016-28.12.2016 Tranquility and Silence Group 06.01.2017-15.01.2017 Intensive Detox Group 27.02.2017-08.03.2017 Healing Group 02.06.2017-11.06.2017 Astral Travel and Spiritual Self- Awareness Group 04.12.2017-14.12.2017 Mantra and Meditation Group Intensive Detox Group Physical and mental purification help to bring the body, mind and soul into harmony together. Learn deep relaxation and self-healing from natural cleansing processes. 20 21
Group Retreats Several times a year we offer Darkness Retreats in an intensive group experience. These usually last 10 days and each have a specific theme. A group experience is usually very transformative, as each participant has the opportunity to hold space for the other participants, while also benefitting from each other s processes and experiences. We have six well-equipped Darkness Retreat rooms which have been beautifully refurbished in a traditional style, each with a private ensuite shower room and toilet. You also have access to the large group retreat space. During the Group Retreats, you might spend some of the time alone in your room, or together with up to three other participants in our beautiful group space room in the darkness. In this time we support the group intensively. We will work with you on many levels, in order to assist you on this special path and accelerate your self-awareness and transformational journey. 23
Astral Travel and Spiritual Self-Awareness Group To dwell in the dark, is a very special experience, because through this form of spiritual meditation our personal and spiritual development intensifies. The darkness is like a mirror, which is covered in everyday life by a cloth of external stimuli. The darkness makes this cloth invisible and allows not only profound internal processes, but also allows us to perceive the astral worlds with physical eyes and ears. I would like to facilitate a very special intense time for a group of up to maximum 12 people. Allow yourself be in darkness and let the darkness be your Guru, who leads you back to yourself. I will be there with you to help. Together you will withdraw for ten days into the darkness. During this time, I will accompany you every day, working energetically with you and will support you in this way, to make special spiritual experiences. Together, we will recite mantras and learn different methods which can cause astral travel experiences. Due to its particularly strong effect, the Darkness Retreat in the pre-buddhist Bon religion of Tibet is also known as golden road to meditation. For me, it is the original path to enlightenment, because after some time in the darkness, inner light is even physically visible. Precisely because of these properties and potential, it is important that you can rely on intense supervision during the Darkness Retreat. I will provide exactly that for the group. far from the hustle of everyday life and separate from the visual sensations that keeps our brain constantly on its toes, can you give these experiences space. The experience of Urtons and primal light, encounters with spiritual beings, passed souls, luminaries, natural forces, etc. are possible. Likewise, an experience of emptiness and death experience, reincarnation experience, the perception of a second body (the body plasma), astral travel and other out of body experiences. Diet also plays a special role during the Darkness Retreat, because it is a time when you detoxify your emotions, your beliefs, your world and hence your body. For those who want to eat, I offer sophisticated organic raw food meals. Of course you also have the possibility of fasting throughout the Retreat. Intensive Mantra and Meditation Group In this Intensive Mantra Meditation Group it is important to deliberately build high and positive energy by chanting/reciting powerful mantras. So together we experience and learn deep meditations and spiritual processes. We communicate with the help of powerful mantra and yantra processes which are aware of other worlds. The wealth of experience of mantras and energy processes, which we will share with you has been collected for years in India and is constantly expanding. During a Darkness Retreat you can have many different spiritual experiences: First you often go deep within yourself, then you return to your inner self and observe your mental processes. Only 24 25
Tranquility and Silence Group, in vibration with your Soul The practice of silence is used in many traditions as a way of physical, mental and spiritual renewal. The experiences of this Darkness Retreat takes place in complete silence. The group will have the opportunity to exchange ideas at the beginning and at the end of the Retreat. During the Retreat, even this is possible but only in an absolute emergency. An emergency bell is always available. Otherwise we meet every day for common meditation. Experience a Retreat with transformational self-awareness and meditation. Singing bowls and mantra chants for deep sound experience, build powerful positive vibrations. Intensive Detox Group From January 2017 we will offer an Intensive Detox Darkness Retreat in our healing surroundings in Sasbachwalden. During these special Retreats we focus primarily on the physical and mental purification. The darkness is like a mirror, which is covered in everyday life by a cloth of external stimuli. The darkness makes this cloth invisible and allows healing on an emotional, mental and physical level. Health means harmony of body, mind and soul. My husband Martin and I have a lot of experience in the Detox sector(detoxifying) and will accompany you in the colon cleansing, fasting or detoxification, of your body and mind back to its original balance. This is how the self-healing processes are stimulated, the soul is freed from excess baggage and paves the way to the ideal weight. All of this is done with a lot of pleasure and joy. Shortly before starting, we will discuss your personal needs, individual wishes and questions in a conference call. Healing Group Together in the Healing Group we build a lot of heart energy and actively work on solutions of energetic and emotional blockages. In this group, there is room for individual healing and transformation. We lovingly accompany the processes of cognition blockages, the awareness and healing processes. So in the group you have the opportunity to recognize the reasons and causes of your issues and to heal. It is important that deep, emotional issues such as anger, rage, problems, depression and sadness get space and thereby transform positively. In the Darkness Retreat you have the opportunity to identify, reflect upon and set aside blockages and deep themes. Through intensive heart-to-heart talks in the darkness, souls talk to each other. This creates a space in which the group heals together, each holding talks and being there for one another. Through the loving support of my husband Martin and myself you will learn wonderful techniques and experience touching moments that bring the heart healing in vibration and guide you to yourself again. 26 27
Darkness Meditation We hold regular darkness meditations here. Participants always find it amazing what experiences can be had, even when spending only a short period in complete darkness. Trial Weekend The 2 ½-day Darkness Retreat Weekend offers you an initial insight into the spiritual experiences that you might experience during Darkness Retreats. Darkness Retreats elsewhere and special groups Do you have a seminar house or spiritual centre and would like us, Bharati and Martin, to host a Darkness Group Retreat there? Then arrange a free consultation with us via telephone or Skype. If we have time and it feels good to work with you and your group, we would also gladly travel. Taking care of interesting Darkness Group Retreats has already led us to Colombia. 29
Q&A about Darkness Retreats If you are seriously interested in experiencing a Darkness Retreat for yourself, you probably have some questions. The best option is to discuss your questions with us directly in a personal phone call. However, some questions are asked so frequently, we would like to briefly address them here. Who is the Darkness Retreat for? Basically a Darkness Retreat is a wonderful self-experience for all healthy adults from the age of 18 upwards. If you are currently physically or mentally unstable, we should check in a preliminary discussion whether and how a Darkness Retreat is useful in your current situation. A Darkness Retreat is particularly suitable for three groups: You feel the desire for your own *genuine* spiritual experiences and you want to make a big step forward in your own personal and spiritual development. You have arrived at a crucial turning point in your life. You need to make an important decision and you want to ensure clarity at all levels. One of the topics of our Group Darkness Retreats appeals to you (Astral Travel, Meditation, Healing, Tranquility, Detox) and you would like to devote some days intensively to this topic. How long should my Darkness Retreat be for? The optimal length of a Darkness Retreat is highly individual. It is very important that the scheduled time for your Retreat feels harmonious. Experience has shown that the happiest Darkness Retreat guests spend at least 14 days in complete darkness. You 31
need about five days to let go of everyday life and come to rest. Then you might start to see an outward manifestation of your inner light with your physical eyes; slowly initially, for maybe a few hours a day at the beginning. This then opens you up to the spiritual and healing experiences that lead you deeper and deeper into your soul. Tip: many of our Darkness Retreat guests spontaneously lengthen their stay by an additional 2-3 days, to further enhance their experience and expansion. What will my accommodation be during the Darkness Retreat? Our wonderful new Retreat Centre is immersed in nature, away from towns and on the edge of a forest. Here we have six lovely rooms available, with a private ensuite shower and toilet, along with a group space especially for our Darkness Retreats. Our water is from a private source. It s the perfect place for contemplation, rest and relaxation. What will I eat during the Darkness Retreat? Time spent in darkness is also a perfect time to detoxify the body, mind, emotions and soul. Nutrition plays an important role in the connection with awareness. Therefore, we highly recommend that you fast during your Darkness Retreat - with simply tea and water to drink, or combined with smoothies if you prefer. If you would rather still eat during this time, we can prepare wonderful raw food meals for you instead. Our kitchen is fully raw, vegan and sophisticated. Also organic where possible, with high quality ingredients, and locally sourced when available. Raw food provides the body with natural nutrients, which increases your energy levels. It is also highly cleansing for the body, and thus supports the process of spiritual purification. Feel free to change your meal choice or include some fasting days during your Retreat. What support will I receive during my Darkness Retreat? Bharati has spent many years of her life in the depth of spirituality in India, and since 2011 she has hosted multiple Darkness Retreats in Germany and India. Her knowledge of mantras and energy, 32 33
addition, one of us can be reached on the 24-hour emergency bell. We speak - subject to availability of Mentors - English, German, French and Dutch. Can you organise everything for the Darkness Retreat for me? as well as her strong connection with the Divine, always provides extraordinary soul experiences in the Darkness Retreat. Martin holds a bachelor s degree in Clinical Psychology and a master s degree in Behavioural Science, from the Radboud University in Nijmegen. In the Darkness Retreat, he lovingly brings his rational and clear masculine energy to the process. Combined with Bharati s advanced spirituality, this enables you to have a complete and balanced experience, allowing the transformation of your body, mind and soul. Bharati and Martin have also personally trained a select group of Darkness Retreat Mentors, who are dedicated to the care and support of our guests. This high standard of personal service is very important to us. Each Mentor goes through three phases of highly intense and very comprehensive training with Bharati and Martin. Of course! We can organise almost everything for you, so that it all goes really well for you in the Darkness Retreat. The following extras are not included in the price for the Darkness Retreat, but are very popular with our guests. That s why we provide you with some of our highlights here: Aura consultation and photo, before and after your Darkness Retreat Massages ( e.g. sport, relaxation and Ayurveda massages) Singing bowl massage News office (sending e-mails and text messages on your behalf) Shopping service (of course all vegan and organic) Station transfers (to and from Achern) Clothes washing service There is also the Spiritbalance team that devotedly supports us. Among other things, the team makes the initial consultation on the phone, as well as scheduling appointments, co-ordinating your arrival and departure, raw food preparation, washing clothes, cleaning your Darkness Retreat room, arranging your special requests (such as sound, massages, yoga), and much more. In 34 35
Training for a Darkness Retreat Mentor The aim of the Darkness Retreat Training is to impart the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out independent Darkness Retreats, to the highest standard of quality. Particular attention is given to the mediation of psychological principles and spiritual knowledge, and the sharing of our many years of intensive mentoring experience. The training is divided into 3 phases: 1. Acquisition of important basic knowledge and discussion of trainees own experiences in a Darkness Retreat 2. Experience with supporting clients during their Darkness Retreats, as well as deepening of knowledge 3. Intensive self-reflection and acquisition of profound knowledge about designing energetic healing processes You can find more information on the training, prices, dates and requirements on our website at www.darknessretreat. net. Obligation-free consultation Have we sparked your interest? Then request an appointment now at www.darknessretreat.net/contact/ for a free, no obligation consultation by phone or Skype, to see if this is for you. Or call us on +49 7706 9789697. We look forward to hearing from you! 36 37
Publication Details Proprietor Corinna Glanert Address Schönbüchstr 24, 77887 Sasbachwalden, Deutschland Telephone +49 7706 9789697 E-mail info@spiritbalance.de Website www.dunkelretreat.de USt-ID DE286907823 Other Projects www.sadhanajourneys.com www.hanumanchalisa.de www.spiritbalance.com www.spiritbalanceshop.de www.astralreisenlernen.de Designer Marcus Herrmann www.sayp.de Picture Sources Spiritbalance, fotolia, Stefan Berns 38
spirit balance L i ve t h e enlight enment