THE Energy JOURNEY
A 7-Day Intensive Retreat
Somatic, Tantric & Shamanic Exploration
30th November - 6th December 2024
@Cyprus
The Energy Journey is a space to explore
The Energy Journey is a 7-day retreat to explore aspects of your own Energy Body and Energy Exchange with others. The practice of deep immersion over 7 days can allow a fundamental shift in your experience of yourself as an energy being.
Through repetitive connection and different techniques & practices, longer-lasting changes can occur in the physical body, energy body and somatic awareness.
The Energy Journey intends and supports you to awaken your energy field, to amplify and sensitise your energy body. The relationship between - and the interconnectedness of - 'these bodies' can evolve to come into integration and greater harmony.
One of the beings that went before you
on a Journey with Elaine
Your expression and way of teaching is motivating
and was one of the major turning points in my life.
Thank you deeply.
Dolores Antic
The Energy Journey
This experiential retreat will include some sessions focused on knowledge, sharing and reflection circles. The majority of the sessions will be practices, experiences and rituals, giving you the opportunity to focus on, improve, expand and practice your energetic awareness and power. The basis of the EnergyJourney is rooted in - and harnesses the power of - Tantric Practices, Somatics, Shamanic Intention and Breathwork. The week will offer a range of experiences from foundational practices of connecting, sensing and moving your own Energy, to more advanced skills of energy exchange and energetic interactions with others.
The basis of much of this Journey is rooted in - and harnesses - Tantric Practices, Somatics, Shamanic Intention, and Breathwork. This Journey will use multiple modalities, rituals and explorations, including
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The Chakra System
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Energy Resourcing & Energy Expenditure
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Circulating Internal Energy
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Solo Fire Breath Orgasmic Energy
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Multi-Layered Human Energy Field Model
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Yin and Yang Kundalini Activation
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Exchange Energy Play & Penetration
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Breath & Energy
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Energetic Bodywork Techniques
We will be exploring all kinds of energy experiences. Most of these will not include touch or direct skin contact. There may be limited practices with optional touch.
Please note that this journey embraces the power of sexual Energy. Often mainstream retreats offer energy experiences without including explicit sexual Energy. This offering will include the entire energy system of the body including emotional, heart, base, solar plexus, intuition and sacral-creative Energy.
There will be time and attention given to sexual Energy and the associated energy centres on the body. Both in terms of our own energy system and those of others in the group when working in dyads/small groups.
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Who may benefit from this Journey?The Pleasure Journey welcomes individuals, couples and triads of all genders, sexual orientations and relationship statuses. · You have a desire for more Pleasure in your life. · You may find it difficult or impossible to experience Pleasure without some external stimulus, another person, toys or imagery. · You may be missing Pleasure in certain parts of your life. For example; your mind may be a place with plenty of Pleasure, but you may be lacking it in your body or vice versa. · You are aware of addictive patterns around how you experience Pleasure. · You have a sense that you do not allow yourself to experience Pleasure. · You have a sense that there is more Pleasure possible. · You have access to a good level of Pleasure, but you want to experience the maximum Pleasure possible for yourself in this life, in this body. · You are afraid of Pleasure, or you feel guilty about experiencing Pleasure. · You may be skilled at supporting others to experience Pleasure but struggle to allow yourself to receive Pleasure fully. · You are a curious adventurer. · You have a pattern of putting the needs of others above your own needs. · You may have healed and moved on from many of your life challenges and you are no longer in pain or suffering, but you sense that you are still disconnected on some level from your full Pleasure capacity. Expansive, ecstatic bliss remains elusive for you. · You are trapped in pain or suffering and learning to experience Pleasure could be healing for you. · You LOVE newer, different subtleties of Pleasure. · You are keen to be part of a group process. · You are comfortable with - or open to exploring spaces where there may be loud music, voices and expressions, sensitive and powerful emotional shares, possible nudity and sexual expression in a group space. · You are open to sharing experiences with others as part of this Journey if that feels right for you. However, you clearly understand the purpose and that connection with others is not the primary focus of this Journey. · You are comfortable with - or are open to exploring a group space that is sex-positive, body positive, welcomes vulnerable shares and gives permission for the expression of emotions.
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What will the Journey involve?There will be group sessions in the morning, afternoon and most evenings. The offerings will include small groups, larger sharing circles, a series of written and verbal inquiries to track your patterns, a few educational sessions, movement and dancing, individual and group rituals and meditations. The traditions and practices draw from some modern-day specialities like sexological bodywork, conscious communication and consent. Alongside this, we will explore some ancient wise temple arts, including Tantra, Meditation and Shamanism.
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Why should I attend and what might I gain?· At the end of this Journey, based on the experience of many beings that went before you, your idea of - and relationship to Pleasure - as well as your capacity to experience Pleasure, will be clearer, deeper, wider, reformed and/or reconnected. · The week will invite you to expand your current pleasure limit or pleasure ceiling. · The offerings will support you in learning how to develop your capacity to hold more Pleasure in all its forms and to do this for a longer time. · You will have gained skills to reconnect to Pleasure when you move away from Pleasure, when something external in life takes you out of it, when you forget, when you shut down or feel fear. · Our desire for you at the end of this journey is that you take this new reality back into your everyday life, with a more profound reference point in your being and body as to what Pleasure is for you. · You will understand and appreciate how crucial Pleasure is to your well-being, and therefore you will give it attention and priority. · You will be more aware of - and may shift entirely - some of your barriers to Pleasure that have limited you in the past. You may discover new pleasures you didn't know you were missing in your life. · You will be more confident in understanding and speaking out your boundaries, and therefore, you will be more willing to welcome and allow Pleasure to arise.
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What experience is this Journey offering me?An opportunity to fully immerse yourself and be held and guided in a strong, consensual, brave container for 7 days. This container is created with love and care at its core, inviting you to a safer space to feel and transform. This is also a brave space, one that invites to tap into your courage and intention to meet all that may arise. There will be an invitation to explore many different forms and intensities of Pleasure so that your mind, body and soul can reset, rewire, learn or relearn what Pleasure is for you and how it feels. In this Journey, your relationship to Pleasure will be explored, questioned and challenged to call in a reset for an expanded capacity on a neurological, cellular, somatic and subconscious level. This week is intended to support you in increasing your personal pleasure limit or pleasure ceiling. We all have a limit or ceiling, whether we are aware of it or not. The limit is the amount of Pleasure we feel safe to open, receive, hold in our bodies and or we may believe we deserve.
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Why do I need to learn about Pleasure? Why does it not come naturally to me?We are born with a wonderfully natural sense of innocence and Pleasure. For many of us, sadly, the experiences we have in life move us away from Pleasure. We may judge Pleasure as wrong, we may be afraid of Pleasure, we may fear, or we may have experienced others judging or disapproving of us when we express Pleasure. Often religion, our family or our culture has imprinted a belief that Pleasure is somehow selfish, indulgent or perhaps even sinful. Many of us have been punished or shamed for feeling Pleasure. We may even have been trained or have trained ourselves to disconnect from or block out Pleasure entirely from our lives to keep ourselves safe. We, therefore, need to learn or relearn how to allow, invite, and welcome Pleasure back into our life.
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What topics, practices and rituals may be part of this Journey?· Safety in the Body · Body De Armouring · Play · Affirmation Meditations & Visualisation · Core Erotic Theme & Sexual Styles · Sensate Focusing · Shamanic Breathwork Journeying · Yoga - Mindful Self Love · Awakening the Senses · Pleasure Somatic Body Mapping · Yin and Yang Energy Orgasm
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Who may not be suitable at this time to join this Journey?You have significant unresolved trauma in your physical, mental or emotional body. The training is not designed as an alternative to therapy or medical treatment. This Journey can be challenging as well as rewarding. Please read our Extended Note on (Mental-) Health & Trauma, if any of above are true for you. This should support you to make an informed choice. If you doubt this Journey is suitable for you and would like a reflection, please send a message to one of the organisers of this Journey: TPJ@ElaineYonge.com You believe you may need one-to-one support with your Pleasure at this time. You do not enjoy being part of a group process and are not open to seeing this as a gift. You are not comfortable, familiar with - or open to exploring spaces with loud music, noise and/or emotional expression. Your primary motivation for attending this retreat is to create connections and have experiences with others rather than explore your own body and Pleasure.
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Is this experience for individuals or couples?This Journey is suitable for you, whether single or in a relationship, including those of all genders and all sexual orientations. Most people take this Journey as individuals and each group usually has a few couples who join. A Note for Couples: If both of you wish to attend, you can decide to work with your partner only, or choose to work with others for all or some of the practices. The Pleasure Journey can be a powerful container for couples to regain their relationship with Pleasure as individuals and as part of their relationship. Please note if you are attending as a couple, it can be of benefit if you have both undertaken this type of experience or retreat before, separately or together. The reason for this is that when you join as a couple you are not only taking your individual journey, you are taking your relationship on a journey of its own. While being on the journey with your partner brings additional gifts to attending as an individual, it does give you another dimension of experience to hold alongside your own experience. Experience has shown that it can be challenging for both if one member of the couple is attending to please the other. It is essential that you both want to be part of this experience. It is important that you have good communication skills to navigate challenges that may arise. Please be clear; this is not a couples retreat or couples therapy journey. If you attend as a couple, we will support you as much as possible, given the group setting, to move through the process with care for your relationship. Extra caution is advised if one member of the couple has a significant history of Trauma; the other may feel obliged to focus on supporting their partner rather than focusing on their own Journey.
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Do I need any previous experience with similar retreats or specific knowledge before I attend?This week is a deep, intimate and potentially intense journey. While you do not need any previous experience with similar retreats or sessions to join this retreat, it may be more challenging if this is your first experience of this nature. Don't hesitate to get in touch with the organiser - TPJ@ElaineYonge.com - if you feel you need further guidance on this. Suitability depends on the human being that you are. If you are open to jumping in fully to new kinds of experiences, this may be an appropriate opening to your exploration of sexuality and Pleasure. If you are more of a slow and gradual type of human, you may want to attend some similar evening - or day workshops to find out whether you feel like spending an entire week in this kind of space and process. There is no judgment regarding your preferred way to learn and expand; awareness of what works for you is key. While acknowledging the above, please know that all the essential information, skills and knowledge you require will be shared during this week as we move through the Journey. Many individuals have joined this Journey with no previous experience and found themselves fully able to dive into the process and group space. A few individuals have found it challenging to be in a space that dives deeply into sensitive topics and practices around sexuality with no prior experience in this kind of space. Therefore it can be beneficial to your Journey if you have attended other retreats based on meditation, consent and boundaries, sacred/conscious sexuality, tantra, or shamanism. This retreat often compliments and deepens those experiences and skills.
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Am I free to choose how I engage in this Journey?Please know you will be welcomed, supported and held in your authentic truth throughout this week-long exploration. We ask that you attend all the sessions unless there is a valid reason you are unable to join a session. The choice to join this journey is a commitment to the process. This is not a retreat where you can pick and choose which sessions you would like to join. The reason for this is that the process is a sequential journey and missing one part may affect your capacity to continue. You are, of course, supported to take care of your own needs. All rituals and practices are an invitation for you and at all times, you are free to find your own way and pace to answer this invitation. We encourage freedom of choice in participation, both at the start of a session and during. If you request support or have questions regarding the experience, we will do our best to support you in deciding whether or not the experience is for you at this time. You will never be pushed or pressured to take part in any activity that is a no for you. You are free to step out of an experience at any time. Again we may offer you support at that moment if you desire it; there will be no explanation required from you. If you do not want to participate in a certain practice, you are welcome to stay in the room and dependent on practice you can do this solo. If you wish to leave the space, we ask that you check in with or inform a team member before doing so. Practices are sufficiently explained in advance by the Facilitators or Assistants, to allow you to consider whether you want to participate and to agree on your boundaries. You are encouraged to modify exercises if your physical (or other) capabilities require it. At the start of every practice that will include sharing an experience with another person/persons, time will be given to make agreements and discuss boundaries. You are never required to share a practice with a particular person. At times the group will choose their own partners. At other times the team may create dyads or small groups to share experiences. Participants are always free to choose not to share experiences with individuals who do not align with them. There will always be a possibility of not participating in the practice in such a case.
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What are the Space, the Team & the Group Container like?This is a guided space where the team intends and desires to support you on your Journey with presence and care. We create and hold a space where safety and courage are key, core team members are Trauma sensitive-informed. However, the nature and sensitivity of working with Pleasure and sexuality can bring forward challenges for some individuals. While the team take our role as guides with full recognition of our responsibilities, those who join this Journey require a degree of self-awareness and self-responsibility. The focus of the team for this journey is to support the group. The team are in agreement that no sexual or romantic interactions will take place between members of the team and participants of this journey during the week and for an agreed time after we close. With the exception of previously existing connections. This container will be supported by a set of group agreements which we will co-create on our first day together. An example of these agreements can be found here. You are welcomed, supported and held in your authentic truth. It is the highest intention of the team to create a space and journey that is Inclusive of diversity and capacity with regards to sexual orientation, age, gender, religion, ethnicity, those with physical impairments and or limitations. Please be aware that venues where The Journeys take place are not amended specifically for people with physical challenges or mobility issues. If you are in doubt whether your health situation makes this Journey possible for you on this location, please contact the organisers. This Journey will include both a consent-boundaries session and an emotional express-release session for all those attending, regardless of your previous training or experience with such skills.
Groups from Previous Retreats
Creator & Facilitator
ELAINE YONGE
My learnings and skills around Energy arise from Tantric and Shamanic practices, combined with 20 years of working as a clinical scientist, using many Energy medical modalities, including ultrasound waves and other energy medicine tools such as light lasers and radiofrequency. As someone with years of experience working with science, physiology and the body, I was a healthy sceptic and cynic when I was first introduced to this concept of ‘humans as energy fields’.
I realised that often people misperceive the relationship between the mystics and scientists. As someone who holds both a Bachelors’ and Master’s degree in Scientific specialities, my understanding is that science at its authentic core is always the question and not the answer.
My journey has involved a lifelong fascination and inquiry into awareness, purpose, the human condition, love, sexuality, spiritual connection, soul wisdom, expansion, learning, unlearning, meditation, physiology, health, disease, exploring aliveness, death and grief.
I have been exploring Energy in my own life and supporting others to open these capacities and awareness within themselves and with others for over 10 years. I guided thousands of individuals in one-on-one settings and groups, to have experiences of their own energy field and also how to sense and interact in a consensual way with the Energy fields of others. I draw from different lineages and modalities, including Tantric and Shamanic practices, Somatic Sexology, Sexological Bodywork and Shamanic Breathwork.
I am a Group Facilitator, Educator, Coach, Guide, and Energy-/Bodyworker in the fields of Consciousness, Breathwork, Sacred Sexuality, Somatic Sexology and Shamanism. Some of my certifications include specialities such as Certified Sexological Bodyworker and Certified Shamanic Breathwork Facilitator.
Until recently, I was a Lead Faculty member of the International School of Temple Arts (ISTA) from 2015 to 2022 and part of this global Tribe of humans since 2012. I led many level 1 (called SSSEx) and level 2 (called SSSIn) journeys in many countries around the globe.
Currently, I mainly offer deep-dive experiential retreats. ‘The Journeys’ is a series of 5 to 7 Day retreats I created and facilitate, to explore and reset our relationship to Pleasure, Breath and Energy. These retreats include educational components however they are primarily deep embodiment journeys harnessing Somatic, Tantric & Shamanic Explorations.