Divine Retreats - Dive into Bliss & Get Your Greatness!
Let the Horse lead you to your Happiness
Make it a reality
Are you ready to take your happiness into your own hands? Find out what's holding you back and let it go? Then this retreat is for you.
Equine Assisted Self Awareness and Personal Growth helps with
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Processing personal goals
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Emotional intelligence and self-confidence development
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Processing and re-evaluating personal value system
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Processing and re-evaluating personal, familial and social restrictions
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Release from internal traumatic recordings
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Balancing inner needs and desires, capabilities and expectations with life’s reality
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Managing and transforming life’s disappointments into a pain-free experience
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Connecting with gratitude towards life
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Developing and reinforcing self-esteem, self-respect and confidence
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Dealing with and transforming success/failure
Healing with Horses, Photography, Yoga & the Sea
- a combination that will leave you feeling loved, empowered and revived!
“Mindfulness helps you go home to the present.
And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.”
Thich Naht Han
Horses, Photography and Yoga bring us back to the present moment each time.
When you are out to find that picture, you are fully focused on what surrounds us right here right now, not thinking of anything else, you are absorbed in the beauty of the moment, right? When you practice yoga you focus and listen to your breath and body, and you feel good. Yes? When you are with horses, you are fully present to their magnificence and grace - have you experienced that?
These are all moments of mindfulness. These are moments of happiness.
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On this retreat you will collect such moments of perfect happiness and learn how to embody them, so you will be able to generate your own happiness anywhere, anytime.
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This retreat will leave you nurtured, empowered, rejuvenated and alive!
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We will do this through:
Healing with Horses
Exploring Photography as a Healing Art
Gentle and Restorative Yoga
And of course, the heart-opening power of the Greek sun, sea, beautiful surroundings, good food and company!
YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PROJECT
OF YOUR LIFE.
BRYCE EVANS
Healing with Horses
Equine Assisted Therapy/Learning
Being (and learning) with horses can be a deeply healing and transformational experience.
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Horses touch something deep inside us and bring us back to the essence of our Being.
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They teach us to be authentic, to be true to ourselves.
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They help us to come out of our head and into our heart and to reconnect with our potential and inner joy of knowledge, our innate wisdom.
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The work with the horses is done entirely on the ground, with highly trained and experienced professionals. No previous experience with horses required. There is no mounting or riding involved.
The sessions will be personalised according to your needs, (i.e. anxiety, fear, mindfulness, setting boundaries, achieving goals etc.), help you identify the inner causes of your issues and assist you in developing skills to effectively deal with the challenges of daily life.
"The experience with the horses was amazing and I am very glad I experienced it. I felt very relaxed and much more in control."
Michelle H, UK
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Read more testimonials >
Dr Niki Markogianni,
Founder of Hippolysis Equine Therapy Farm,
International EAGALA mentor,
Νeurologist-Psychiatrist with 35 years experience in the field of psychotherapy and 45 years actively occupied with horses.
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Exploring Photography as a Healing Art
We will use photography to connect to our deepest longings, the whispers in our hearts, and to practise mindfulness, being totally in the present moment and opening up to our own wisdom inside.
"Images can be mirrors for our deepest truths, even in our simple snapshots.
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"The people, objects, and landscapes we are drawn to photograph have the power to center us in the present, soothe the injured spirit, and lead us to our deepest truths."
(Jan Phillips, God is at eye level, Photography as a Healing Art)
How can photography be a healer?
Jan Phillips says it brilliantly in her book "God is at eye level, Photography as a Healing Art":
"Photography heals 3 times. The first time is when I am in search of the image, present only to that which is, focused on the moment. By virtue of this absorption in the now, I am released from the often painful grip of past and future.
The second healing belongs to the person being photographed, the honored recipient of pure attention, healed by an artist's loving gaze*.
The third healing occurs when we view a photograph as an outside observer and are moved by its power or beauty. The chance to see the world through another's lens, to be transported to another time, another place, another reality, can heal and transform our own."
Available on this retreat: Your own personal photoshoot with professional Portrait and Lifestyle photographer, Carmen Klammer -
A fun experience which may be a healing one too! and it will be a beautiful memory that lasts forever, maybe in a frame in your home, to re-inspire you each time you look at it!
Being the subject of 'an artist's loving gaze' * can be a healing experience.
Restorative and Gentle Hatha Yoga
Ah, the sweet joys of Yoga practice!
Give your body the love it deserves! Gently tell your mind to quieten down, relax, nothing to do right here right now, nowhere to go!
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Yoga helps you being more aware, about yourself, your body and emotions; it boosts the flow of healing energy throughout the body and nourishes on all levels, makes you stronger, more subtle, flexible and toned. You will gain endless benefits from yoga and you probably already know about this - if not, feel free to ask!
On this retreat we will practise and develop simple sequences for you to take home. You will learn to trust in your own voice, your own teacher inside, and hence take your practice anywhere with you.
A sample day:*
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8 am am Gentle wake up yoga to the sound of the ocean
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9 am Delicious breakfast in the lush hotel garden
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10 am to 12 m Programme with the horses **
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Free afternoon to relax on the beach or by the pool, go explore Greek ancient sites, do what your heart desires, just Be ...
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5 pm Exploring photography as a healing art - why not use the golden hour to capture the magic to your heart's content
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8 pm Dinner together with the group
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Free evening
*flexible, we may change times and move slots to your preferences. The programme with the horses stays the same.
** on one of the days you will have a morning and an afternoon session with the horses
The Programme
7 days/nights with a 5-day programme
Arrival Thursday, Programme starts on Friday Morning and ends on Tuesday Evening,
so you have all Wednesday to relax or go on excursion. Departure Thursday.
The heart of this programme is the transformational work with the horses. Yoga and Photography will help you to further integrate and embody your self-discovery and healing.
Part of the programme:
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6 sessions with the horses (1 per day, except on one day, when you will have 1 morning and one afternoon session)
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Daily yoga practice (Hatha and Restorative)
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Daily explorations of photography as a healing art
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And of course daily swimming in the sea
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And lots of time for you to relax and enjoy the divine beauty of Greece!
Available also*:
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Chi Kung (find out more)
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Excursion to an ancient sacred site with guided meditation
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Boat trips
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Excursion to Athens
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Various other excursions to discover the rich history and beauty of Greece
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Watersports
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Horse riding lessons and horseback riding on the beach (with a neighbouring riding centre)
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Massage therapies
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Tailor-made programmes for companies, athletic groups (email us if you would like more information on this)
* Not included in the programme and at extra cost.
Accommodation & Price
Offer 1
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Stay at the stylish Marathon Beach Resort
from € 1555 for single accommodation,
€ 1380 if you share with a friend
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Includes
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7 nights accommodation with breakfast, in private room
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Transfer service from/to airport
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Welcome drink
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15% discount on massage treatments
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One 3 set course menu
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Your programme with the horses
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Your yoga and photography programme
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If you wish lunch or dinner as well, half board supplement is just €14 per day.
Does not include your flights, any excursions or any meals not mentioned in the offer.
Transfers to the sessions with the horses can be arranged and the cost shared between the participants. Alternatively you may want to hire a car once you have arrived - the hotel can arrange this for you.
Come with a friend and save € 175 each! Price per person in shared room from € 1380.
We have scouted various options for your accommodation.
Options 2 to 5 are possible if a small group of participants would like to share a villa or apartment together.
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Marathon Beach Resort, a legendary destination hotel of the '70s, '80s and '90s in Nea Makri, recently completely renovated, just steps away from Nea Makri beach and marina.(See Offer 1)
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A charming beach bungalow with a garden that feels like a little paradise leading right onto the beach (3 bedrooms). We used this one last time as our base. Loved it!
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A private 3 bedroom apartment with spacious comfortable rooms, huge garden and a plunge pool right near the beautiful beach of Schinias (and next door to number 2)
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A dreamy, rustic 6 bedroom family house in the middle of the wonderful pine forest of Schinias, only a few minutes walk from the beach, which you will reach following a path through the pine forest (4 mins walk)
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A super cool private villa directly on the beach (3 bedrooms)
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A hotel directly on Schinias beach, with swimming pool.
Which one is for me?
If you like to have all the services the hotel offers and you like to be able to walk to tavernas and bars and shops, Offer 1 (1) might be the one for you.
Although the beach outside Marathon Beach Resort is quite small and the sea there mostly windy, so not as perfect for swimming as Schinias, it's only a 20 min drive to Schinias beach.
If being right on an amazing blue flag beach is more important for you and you like being independent and spontaneous, like to have your own hire car to explore and go with the flow, then Schinias beach (options 2 to 5) is the choice for you. (6) Once a great hotel, now somewhat old-fashioned rooms, but lovely bungalows, and we just love the location!
Please email or call for more info and to discuss what suits you best.
Next dates
September 2018
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The programme with the horses (and Chi Kung)
at Hippolysis is available all year,
every weekend (Friday/Saturday/Sunday).
A full therapeutic cycle consists of 6 sessions, so you may do 2 sessions per day over one weekend to get the benefit of a full cycle.
Please write to us if you are interested in this option.
The programme also works really well for corporate events, team building, leadership skills, and much more.
Where we are:
Marathon Beach Resort is only 22 km from Athens airport.
Hippolysis Equine Therapy Farm is 10 minutes drive from the hotel.
(The timing on this map refers to the round-trip, so ignore.)
You may like to hire a car to be independent and free to explore the many places of interest during your stay. The hotel can organise this for you, so when you land at Athens airport, just hop in the hotel shuttle (included in your offer) and arrive at your destination safely and relaxed without getting lost. Your rental car will be waiting for you at the hotel (prebooking essential if you like this service - just let us know in your booking form).
... more about Healing with Horses
"of everyone around them. Horses seem to have the ability to sense at a deeper, or sub-conscious level, what a person needs and what their vulnerabilities Horses are highly sensitive intuitive beings and extremely receptive and responsive to the body language, emotion, energy and intention are in each moment. When that person is then open to a suggestion from the horse, a change of perception, behaviour and emotion can take place in the person. It is because of this immediate, direct access to people's subconsciousness that horses an get to the crux of issues much more quickly than talk based therapies, or other coaching and educational models." (Angela Dunning in "The Horse leads the Way")
Horses communicate with the emotional part of the person; they help us understand our emotions, needs and desires, beyond the resistance of thought.
The work with the horses is done entirely on the ground, with highly trained and experienced professionals. No previous experience with horses required. There is no mounting or riding involved.
The sessions will be personalised according to your needs, (i.e. anxiety, fear, mindfulness, setting boundaries, achieving goals etc.)
and help you identify the inner causes of your issues and assist you in developing skills to effectively deal with the challenges of daily life.
Equine Assisted Therapy is considered a brief kind of therapy since it provides substantial and positive change to a person’s health and quality of life in a short amount of time.
Hippolysis is a center that rescues horses, offers them love and a good quality of life and in return, the horses help humans through sessions of learning, therapy and personal growth, together with highly trained and experienced mental health professionals.
Facilitating your work with the horses will be a highly professional team:
Dr. Niki Markogianni - Psychiatrist/neurologist/equine specialist/ EAGALA* mentor
Hrissa Baxevanidi - Psychologist/EAGALA practitioner
Nefeli Kourkoulou - Psychologist
(Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) sets the global EAGALA*standard in equine-assisted psychotherapy and personal development.
Hippolysis is a not-for-profit organisation founded by Dr. Niki Markogianni, a psychiatrist with 30 years of experience in psychotherapy, EAGALA training (EAGALA advanced certified) and 40 years of experience with horses. Hippolysis has a 5-member strong core scientific team and 7 horse therapists. It was founded in 2009 and in the first 4 years alone it has successfully conducted over 2,300 sessions at the Hippolysis Centre in Marathon, Greece, and continues to do so.
Testimonials: read what people have experienced with the horses at Hippolyisis.
Meet the Team
The Hippolysis Team & the Horses
The wonderful team of volunteers (mental health professionals and equine experts) and the four-legged therapists, our horses - and donkeys (yes!).
Dr. Niki Markogianni​
Founder of Hippolysis Equine Therapy Farm, Νeurologist-psychiatrist with 35 years experience in the field of psychotherapy and 45 actively occupied with horses.
International EAGALA mentor.
Carmen Klammer
Photographer, Retreat Organiser, Yoga Student & Teacher and lover of horses and Greece!
Chi Kung is also available at Hippolysis.
Chi Kung is available at Hippolysis (at extra cost) with Nefeli Kourkoulou, a psychologist and kung fu trainer specialised in integrating Chinese and martial arts technics into psychotherapy.
About Chi Kung:
also spelled Qigong or chigung, is a form of gentle exercise composed of movements that are repeated a number of times, often stretching the body, increasing fluid movement (blood, synovial and lymph) and building awareness of how the body moves through space.
Chi Kung helps us find our centre, our inner balance, through breathing and strengthening exercises, a result of thousands of years of experience of Chinese history and culture.
Each exercise is connected with an organ - the Chinese connect the outside world with our inner organs. Blood circulation and muscle coordination are deeply affected, also balance (body and soul balance).
Chi Kung was used as a way to prepare, understand and go safely into deep meditation. (Silk elements = strong and supple as silk)
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
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Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love