The Subtle Shift
Retreat
Learning to Meet Life
from a Different Place Within
September 10-13 | Dronten, The Netherlands
Life is constantly inviting us into a deeper relationship with ourselves. Every experience, every transition, every joyful moment and every challenge quietly reveals the place within us from which we are meeting life.
There are times when we naturally feel open, clear and deeply connected. We move through our days with greater ease, our body feels lighter, our attention is steady and we find ourselves responding to life with presence rather than habit. At other times, that sense of connection seems to fade away and we feel contracted, overwhelmed or caught in familiar ways of responding. Nothing outside has necessarily changed, yet our experience of life feels different.
Over time, it is easy to forget that these inner states are continually changing. We begin to identify with them, believing that they define who we are, while beneath every movement of the mind there remains a quieter place within us that is always present.
A Sacred Invitation
The Subtle Shift is an invitation to become intimate with the subtler dimensions of your own experience. As your awareness becomes more refined, your inner state naturally begins to shift—and so does the way you meet life
Beatrice & Claudia
Transformation rarely arrives in the way
we imagine it
Sometimes it happens while watching the morning light filter through the trees. Sometimes in the stillness that follows a long exhale. Sometimes in the middle of an ordinary day, when we suddenly realise that nothing around us has changed, yet we are experiencing life differently.
These moments often pass unnoticed. Yet they quietly reveal something essential:
the quality of our experience depends not only
on what is happening around us,
but also on the place within us from which we are meeting life.
Even a subtle shift within us can completely change
the way we experience the same life.
Over these four days, we’ll gently create the conditions for these shifts to unfold
through an integrated journey of movement, breath, meditation, silence and time in nature.
Rather than searching for extraordinary experiences,
we’ll cultivate a quality of presence that can continue accompanying us
long after the retreat has come to an end.
Among the practices that will accompany our retreat, two hold a special place.
They approach the same journey from different directions, gently supporting a deeper relationship with the subtler dimensions of our experience.
Ajapa Japa is an ancient meditation in which breath and mantra gradually become one continuous flow. With time, the mantra no longer feels like something we are intentionally repeating. It begins to arise naturally, carried by the breath, as though we were simply listening to a current that has always been present beneath the surface of the mind.
Alongside this meditation, we'll explore Ojas Kriya, an embodied practice rooted in one of life's most fundamental rhythms: expansion and contraction. Through subtle strengthening and healing contractions, the body awakens from within while the flow of prana gradually becomes clearer and the body often responds with an unexpected sense of lightness and vitality.
Layers of holding begin to soften, making space for a quieter, more spacious way of experiencing ourselves. From there, we begin to embody a different frequency—one that naturally brings greater ease, clarity and aliveness into the way we meet ourselves, others and life itself.
Together, these practices gently support the essence of The Subtle Shift:
becoming intimate with the subtler dimensions of our own experience.
As awareness becomes more refined, our inner state naturally begins to shift
—and so does the way we meet life.
Beatrice Iulini
A Personal Note
I’ve never been interested in teaching yoga as a collection of techniques. What has always fascinated me is the quiet transformation that happens when we begin to inhabit our lives differently.
Over the past three decades, my own path has been shaped by daily practice, silence, retreats, devoted study and countless moments in which life itself became the greatest teacher. Again and again I’ve discovered that the most meaningful shifts rarely happen through extraordinary experiences. They emerge quietly, when we learn to listen more deeply, soften what no longer needs to be held, and trust the intelligence that already lives within us. There comes a moment when something simply settles into place. Our relationship with life begins to change, and from there it becomes difficult to return to seeing the world in quite the same way.
The retreats I create are a reflection of that journey. They are spacious, experiential and deeply human. We move, breathe, meditate, share, laugh, rest, spend time in nature and allow practice to become something we can genuinely carry back into our everyday lives.
If there is one thing I hope you’ll experience during these days together, it is not simply a collection of beautiful practices, but the feeling of coming home to yourself in a way that feels natural, grounded and deeply alive.
10-13 September 2026
let’s embark together into
a natural and easeful Journey toward a more expanded Life
“The real voyage of discovery consists
not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.“
— Marcel Proust
Every gentle shift within opens the possibility of a different experience of life.
What once felt familiar begins to reveal new depth, new beauty and a quieter sense of coming home.
DAY 1
15:00
Check-in
16:30-18:15
Welcome Circle &
Intentional Practice with Beatrice
18:30
Seasonal Vegetarian Dinner
20:00-21:00
Meditation
During the day there will be healthy snacks, fruit, water and tea.
During free time you can walk, rest, sauna, journal, read
DAY 2-3
7:30-8:45
Morning Ritual and Meditation
9:00
Breakfast & Free Time
10:30-12:45
Session & Subtle Energy Practices
13:00
Seasonal Vegetarian Lunch
14:00
FREE TIME
and Walk in Nature
16:30 -18:15
Session & Meditative Practice
18:30
Seasonal Vegetatian Dinner
20:00-21:00
Integration & Meditation
DAY 4
8:00-9:15
Morning Ritual and Meditation
9:30
Breakfast
10:30-12:00
Closing Session
12:00
Check Out
This is a tentative programme and we will tailor it to the needs of the group and the weather.
We are going to stay at
Yugen Forest
Yūgen Forest is more than a retreat venue. It is a living landscape, created with the intention of nurturing both people and nature.
The name Yūgen comes from a Japanese concept describing a subtle, mysterious beauty that is felt more than seen — a quiet sense of wonder that arises when we are present enough to truly perceive. It feels like a beautiful companion to the spirit of our retreat.
Our days will unfold between the beautiful yoga shala, peaceful walking paths, nourishing vegetarian meals prepared with seasonal ingredients, cosy cabins and moments of stillness immersed in nature. Everything has been thoughtfully designed to support presence, simplicity and genuine human connection.
There is something deeply aligned between this place and the journey of The Subtle Shift. Just as the land is continually regenerated through care and attention, we too discover that even the smallest shifts within us can gradually restore a deeper sense of balance and aliveness, as well as awaken the experience of higher states of being.
Yūgen Forest – Vossemeerdijk 6, 8251 PN Dronten, The Netherlands WEBSITE
Choose Your Accomodation
What's included
- 4-DAY of practices and guided experiences
- 3 nights accommodation
- 3 days of nourishing plant-based food (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
NOT INCLUDED – Travelling costs and transfer
Choose the accommodation that feels right for you
FULL BOARD (3 nights-4 days)
- Shared Cabin — €1,075 per person
- Private Cabin — €1,275 (limited availability)
Accommodation: off grid private or shared cabins with bed, sheets, towels and a wood stove.
Both options include accommodation, all retreat sessions, daily yoga, meditation and embodied practices, nourishing vegetarian meals + during the day healthy snacks, fruit, water and tea. Full access to all shared spaces and facilities throughout your stay.
Retreat payment:
You can confirm your booking by a full payment –
once the retreat is guaranteed.
Cancellation policy:
All payments are final and non-refundable.