Shadow of Addiction Retreat
If something inside you keeps circling back to behaviour you no longer want, yet cannot seem to stop, you are not alone. This retreat is a held space to face what drives the pattern, and to begin finding another way.
About the Retreat
Addiction and compulsion are rarely signs of weakness or moral failing. They tend to develop as natural human responses to pleasure, pain, disconnection and the ongoing search for relief. What begins as something enjoyable, soothing or simply useful can slowly become automatic, and harder to step out of than it once felt.
This three-day retreat is an invitation to look at these patterns with curiosity rather than judgement. Across three days of teaching, embodied practice, reflection and integration, participants move from recognising how compulsive patterns form, through the deeper emotional and relational material beneath them, and on towards a clearer sense of how to live and respond differently.
The work is not about quick fixes. It is about seeing clearly, building trust within a small group, and beginning to take genuine responsibility for what is seen.
How the Retreat Is Held
Each day follows a steady rhythm designed to support both depth and integration. Mornings open with yoga, breath and grounding, helping participants arrive in the body before the deeper psychological work begins. The middle of the day holds two teaching and process sessions, where the core material is explored through teaching, dialogue and guided reflection. Each day closes with yoga nidra and quiet integration, allowing the nervous system to settle and absorb what has been worked with.
Throughout the retreat, attention is paid not only to the ideas being explored, but to the felt experience in the room — pace, safety, nervous system regulation and the quality of connection within the group.
Explore the Three Days in Depth
Open each day below to read more about how the retreat unfolds, from honest recognition through deeper understanding and towards practical, sustainable change.
Who This Is For
This retreat may be suitable for:
- Those experiencing addictive or compulsive behaviours
- Individuals in recovery seeking deeper understanding
- People drawn to shadow work and honest self-inquiry
- Those ready to explore these patterns more seriously
It is not necessary to be in crisis or at a breaking point to attend — only a willingness to look honestly at your own experience.
How the Space Is Held
The retreat is held in a way that is grounded, respectful and non-judgemental throughout.
Participants are not required to share, disclose or participate beyond what feels appropriate. At the same time, those who engage openly often find the work more impactful.
This is not group therapy, and it is not a clinical addiction treatment programme or a substitute for medical, psychotherapeutic or specialist recovery support. It is a structured, facilitated space for self-exploration, awareness and responsibility. Participants are encouraged to remain in contact with any existing clinical or recovery support they may already be working with.
Not Sure Where to Step In? Consider the Introductory Workshop or a Private Retreat
For those new to this work, Samyama also offers a three-hour introductory workshop: Introduction to the Shadow of Addiction.
Many participants choose to begin there before committing to the full retreat. It provides a grounded first step and a way to sense whether this deeper work is right for you.
Alternatively, Samyama offers a dedicated private retreat pathway for this work — a fully confidential, one to one process shaped around your own pace, history and intentions.
Practical Details
Dates: 25–27 September 2026 · 9–11 November 2026
Structure: Each day includes four sessions — morning yoga and grounding, two teaching and process sessions, and a closing yoga nidra integration.
Practices Included: Yoga, breathwork, yoga nidra, teaching, guided reflection, group dialogue and journalling.
Meals: Lunch is included each day. Breakfast and dinner are not included and should be arranged separately.
Accommodation: Accommodation is not included and should be arranged separately.
Investment: IDR 14,000,000 for the full three-day retreat (including lunch). Limited to 10 places. Early bird IDR 13,000,000 for the first 4 places booked by 16 June 2026. International cards accepted. Your card provider will handle any currency conversion.
What to Bring: Participants are encouraged to bring a notebook and pen for journalling and personal reflection.
Apply for the Retreat
Please complete the application form below. All required fields must be filled before submission. The investment for this retreat is IDR 14,000,000, including lunch. Limited to 10 places. An early bird rate of IDR 13,000,000 is available for the first 4 places booked by 16 June 2026. Once we receive your form, a member of the Samyama team will be in touch for a brief conversation to make sure the retreat is the right fit, and to arrange payment to confirm your place.
Seeing the pattern honestly, without judgement — the first quiet turn toward what has been avoided.
Meeting the emotional weather beneath the behaviour — the grief, fear and loneliness the pattern once soothed.
Not only who to stop being, but who to become — the healthier expressions waiting beneath the compulsion.
The steady, unspectacular work of returning to daily life — small actions, consistent, with self-compassion.
Seeing the pattern honestly, without judgement — the first quiet turn toward what has been avoided.
Meeting the emotional weather beneath the behaviour — the grief, fear and loneliness the pattern once soothed.
Not only who to stop being, but who to become — the healthier expressions waiting beneath the compulsion.
The steady, unspectacular work of returning to daily life — small actions, consistent, with self-compassion.
Seeing the pattern honestly, without judgement — the first quiet turn toward what has been avoided.
Meeting the emotional weather beneath the behaviour — the grief, fear and loneliness the pattern once soothed.
Not only who to stop being, but who to become — the healthier expressions waiting beneath the compulsion.
The steady, unspectacular work of returning to daily life — small actions, consistent, with self-compassion.
Further Reading
What Might Happen During a Samyama Addiction Retreat?
A quiet reflection on the kinds of conversations, discoveries and gentle turning points that sometimes emerge as this work unfolds.
Read the reflection