Journey
to the Light

Previously known as

‘The Journey of Enlightenment & Wellbeing ’

Residential 7 day retreat

For the past twelve years or so, the INNER PEACE Team has been involved in running ‘Journeys of Enlightenment’, which grew from the well-known ‘Enlightenment Intensives’ of the seventies.

Marlyse has been a certified facilitator in enlightenment intensives since 1993 and has now trained a wonderful team of new facilitators. And with each passing retreat, participants and facilitators alike learn and grow. Which is why the format of the Journey of Enlightenment has also evolved over time, just like everything alive!

So, in order to reflect our focus more accurately, we’re now changing the name of this retreat to Journey to the Light.

The focus is about love. From the great Cosmic Love that permeates this Universe to our more conditional human love and most importantly self-love. It has been said that we can only love others, and allow others to love us to the same extent that we love ourselves.

So the aim of this retreat is to help you get closer and closer to the core of your Being, to that Inner Light that is always burning bright – often under a bushel! And since this Light radiates Love, it fulfils spiritual aspirations as well as human needs.

Know Yourself & Love Yourself

Have you ever wondered who you truly are? Beyond body, beyond thoughts, beyond feelings? Beyond what you consciously know of yourself?

The act of knowing oneself is the "Great Work", the "Magnum Opus" to which the ancient texts all refer. It’s not easy, but the rewards are incredible.

So, who are you REALLY?

If existential questions and/or mystical experiences are of interest to you, you’ll just love this retreat. Mind you, at times you could face inner challenges. You might be confronted with who you do NOT want to be any longer…

And what a blessing to have choice!

All past participants keep writing that Journey to the Light (or Journey of Enlightenment) is a life-changing retreat. It is so because in just one week you become more of what you already are: more loving, more compassionate, more creative, more vibrant.

Please click here for Testimonials

Brighter, Lighter, Freer

As veils of illusion lift one after the other, you’ll experience the real YOU, beyond the pleaser, or the critic or the frightened inner child, beyond your conflicting aspects. It means you’ll become less judgemental, less anxious to please, less self-critical.

As a result, addictions usually fall away of their own accord. External circumstances improve as you grow into new opportunities. You’re on a path of higher consciousness where your achievements are joyfully celebrated for the highest good of all.

To use a different terminology, one that originated with Maslow and humanistic psychology, the Journey to the Light leads to self-actualisation.

Self-actualisation refers to the level of awareness enjoyed by individuals who know who they are, are clear about their personal values and live by them.

Their major characteristics include a pursuit of personal growth, a tendency to form few but deep friendships, a philosophical sense of humour, a tendency to resist outside pressures, a sense of purpose, the ability to use energy in meaningful ways, to achieve win/win situations in all relationships, and to be loving and mindful as a way of life. As a result of their positive attitudes, they are mostly healthy, happy, strong, wise and creative.

Of course they are not perfect and occasionally suffer setbacks and frustrations just as everyone else does. But they know how to handle life’s challenges with grace and confidence, and do not wallow in pain or negativity.

Maslow estimated that only 2% of the population of the world ever achieve self-actualisation.

So why not you? And why not now? If you’ve read so far, chances are that you’re ready.

How do we reach self-actualisation?

The inner light can be turned on in a timeless instant, through an enlightenment experience for instance. Or the light can be turned up step by step, one little ‘light bulb moment’ at a time.

For more information on this process, you can read an article titled ‘Kundalini explained’. Click on the following link:

Kundalini Explained

Spiritual growth eventually leads to peak states of consciousness – on-going states that manifest as love, happiness, inner peace, confidence, tranquillity, optimism, wisdom… And the list goes on.

For more information, here are two stories that depict various aspects of this journey. The first one is an extract from Marlyse’s book ‘Am I Going Mad? The Unsettling Phenomena of Spiritual Evolution’. It describes a scene that took place in a past retreat.

Please click here to read a true story of the 'Journey'

And the second one relates to a past graduate of our Teacher Training course who explains how her INNER PEACE journey changed her life:

Please click here to read Shelley’s journey out of depression and alcoholism

The Hero’s Journey

This term, which was coined by Joseph Campbell, certainly applies to Journey to the Light.

Twice a year, about twenty participants embark on this journey without really knowing much about what they are going to do over the next seven days. Through a variety of processes, they then embody the heroes of all mythological stories. They travel the labyrinth of the mind, they break down barriers, they search for their Soul, they confront their ego and fight with their demons.

And they have the time of their life. They cry and they laugh. They soar towards the Light and safely bring its essence back into everyday life.

Click here for testimonials

This inner journey, the quest for self-knowledge, enlightenment or gnosis, is what all mythical journeys depict. In the West we have Holy Grail stories, in India the Mahabarata, in ancient Greece it was Ulysses’ Odyssey, etc.

Today, The Matrix tells a similar story, and The Star Wars series is another wonderful example of the Hero’s journey. And yes George Lucas participated in many enlightenment intensives in the seventies. He knows exactly what he is talking about when his heroes say "May the Force be with you".

Benefits that you can expect
from attending the next
Journey to the Light

• Open the pathway to enlightenment and spiritual oneness. Develop mastery of concentration and meditation.
  
  
• Understand others better, leading to more harmonious relationships.
  
  
• Increase energy levels by letting go of suppressed guilt, fear or anger.
  
  
• Increase your self-esteem and confidence.
  
  
• Improve your ability to express yourself.
  
  
• Face and conquer fear, doubt, uncertainty, ambiguity, confusion.
  
  
• Develop your intuitive knowingness.

Yet this retreat is not for everyone

1. It’s not for those who are too frightened to grow and to play. And definitely not for those who prefer to keep hiding behind a mask, especially from themselves. Whilst there is plenty of space for privacy at the Journey to the Light, there is not much room for self-deception!
   
   If you’re game you’ll have a wonderful time and you’ll learn heaps about what it means to be human. Journey to the Light is based on very solid foundations: transpersonal psychology, shamanism, dance and movement, self-hypnosis, active communication techniques, tantra, ego-state therapy and much more.
   
   
2. It’s not for those who want a rah-rah-rah or a New Age fluffy type of workshop, where nothing changes afterwards but everybody feels good for a few days. If you’re terrified of change, stay at home and keep doing what you’ve always done!
   
   
3. It’s not for couples who cannot let go of each other for seven days! We know from experience that this type of work is better done alone than within earshot of a partner or parent. It’s much easier for all involved. So we encourage family members to give each other space and attend the workshop separately, even if they have an excellent relationship and no secrets!
   
   
4. It’s not for those who cannot respect a few basic rules of communal living. Together we will create an emotionally safe space for everyone to enjoy, and it is essential that we all agree to do that.
   
   

That’s it! If none of the above applies to you, you can register now, and it will be an important turning point in your life. We know you’ll always be glad you took action! It sure beats just thinking about it.

Registration

• Early-bird investment is just $990 if paid in full at least one month before the retreat.

• Pay $1,100 – deposit $300 and balance in full by 9th October (October retreat) - can be made in several payments.
  
  
• Pay $1,200 in four instalments – deposit $300, then $300 by 9th October, $300 by 9th November, and the final $300 by 9th December.  Please note a $35 processing fee applies to all late payments.

And, as we do with all INNER PEACE courses and retreats, we offer a full money back guarantee. If, at the end of the retreat, after having participated in all activities, you decided it wasn’t worth your investment, you can ask for a FULL refund. So there is no risk for you.

Pay your deposit online now:

The retreat will be held at the Kallara Conference Centre, in the Strathbogie Ranges. Kallara is a modern and comfortable venue with 24 rooms and shared bathroom facilities. Car pooling will be organised in due time.

The Facilitators

The October 2009 retreat will be facilitated by Marlyse and Michael Carroll. They are bringing to ‘Journey to the Light ’ everything that they’ve experienced personally and professionally over the past thirty years or so. Their knowledge is both deep and broad. They’ll also share their contagious enthusiasm and zest for life.

For more information, we encourage you to order Marlyse’s book, ‘Am I going Mad?’ and read it prior to the retreat. It will give you invaluable insights into what is possible: a well-grounded spiritual evolution that will take you smoothly to new levels of happiness.

The book is the menu, the retreat is the banquet! Enjoy.

So, if ‘Journey to the Light ’ is for you,

Register now.

Call us on 1300 306 708

or

email inquiries@innerpeace.com.au

For the dates of the next Journey to the Light retreat go to:
‘Coming Events’

If you’re considering joining us for the January 2009 retreat, please call us first on 03 -9894 5711 to check availability. We’re currently on holiday but leave a message, the phone will be monitored regularly and your call will be returned.

If this is for you, you will know it.

Please click here for Testimonials