Shadow of Addiction Retreat
You may recognise a behaviour you keep returning to, even when part of you wants something different. You may already be in recovery and want to explore more of what lies beneath. Or you may be beginning to question something that once brought pleasure or relief and now feels less freely chosen.
The Shadow of Addiction offers time to step back, understand these patterns more honestly, and consider how you want to move forward.
9–11 November 2026 · Three-day residential retreat · Accommodation and all meals included · IDR 27,500,000 per person · Maximum ten participants
When a pattern begins to limit your choices
Something can begin as enjoyment, comfort or a way of getting through the day. Over time, you may notice yourself returning to it more automatically, making the same promises to yourself, or feeling caught between what you want now and what matters to you more deeply.
The pattern may involve a substance or a behaviour. What brings you here may be its effect on your relationships, your attention, your sense of integrity, or the way you feel about yourself.
This retreat invites you to explore your experience with curiosity and honesty. There is room to recognise difficulty without reducing yourself to a problem, and to consider responsibility without turning it into self-blame.
You do not need to arrive with all the answers, or with a particular label for your experience.
Who this retreat is for
This retreat may speak to you if:
- You recognise an addictive or compulsive pattern and want to understand it more deeply.
- You are already in recovery and feel ready to explore questions of identity, relationships and meaning.
- You have insight into a pattern but find it difficult to turn that understanding into different choices.
- You are drawn to shadow work and want to explore its relationship with behaviour and change.
You do not need previous experience of yoga, meditation or shadow work. What matters is a willingness to reflect on your experience and engage respectfully with others.
If you are unsure whether the retreat fits your circumstances, you are welcome to ask a question before applying. Participation is discussed through the application and a follow-up conversation with the team.
What we will explore
Across the three days, we will explore:
- How pleasure, relief and repetition can become part of a pattern.
- What you notice before, during and after a behaviour you find difficult to change.
- The feelings, needs and relationship patterns you may want to understand more clearly.
- Shame, secrecy and the parts of ourselves we find difficult to acknowledge.
- The qualities, relationships and sources of support you want to strengthen.
- Practical steps you can take beyond the retreat.
Shadow work offers a way to explore parts of ourselves we tend to hide, reject or overlook. We also introduce archetypes as a framework for reflecting on familiar human qualities and patterns, including courage, care, discernment and responsibility.
These ideas are offered as tools for exploration. You will be invited to consider what connects with your own experience.
The three-day journey
What the days feel like
Each day follows a steady rhythm of four sessions: morning yoga, breath and grounding; two teaching and reflection sessions; and a closing yoga nidra practice.
The programme includes guided reflection, journalling and group dialogue, with breaks and meals between sessions.
On one of the evenings, the facilitators join the group for dinner, offering a more informal space to continue conversations and get to know one another beyond the sessions.
The retreat includes admission to Ecstatic Dance at Samyama on the evening of Wednesday 11 November 2026, the last evening of the programme. It is a weekly evening of free movement, music and sound in the Nataraja Shala, and you are welcome to join for the evening or to rest instead.
The group is limited to ten participants. You are invited to engage at a pace that feels appropriate and to choose what you share.
Accommodation and meals are included in the residential retreat. See the practical details below for the confirmed arrangements.
The nature of this work
This is a facilitated retreat for learning, reflection and self-exploration. It is not group therapy, addiction rehabilitation, detoxification or medical treatment, and the facilitator is not acting as a clinician.
The retreat does not replace medical, psychological or specialist recovery support. Participants are encouraged to remain connected with any existing professional or recovery support.
There is no requirement to share personal details or participate beyond what feels appropriate. We ask everyone to approach the group with respect and care.
The application includes questions about your circumstances so that participation can be discussed before a place is confirmed. If you are unsure, please contact the team.
Practical details
- Programme dates
- 9–11 November 2026
- Arrival
- Afternoon of 8 November 2026
- Departure
- Morning of 12 November 2026
- Location
- Samyama, Ubud, Bali
- Duration
- Three programme days
- Format
- Residential
- Price
- IDR 27,500,000 per person
- Included
- Accommodation and all meals
- Ecstatic Dance
- Admission included on the evening of Wednesday 11 November 2026
- Group size
- Maximum ten participants
- What to bring
- A notebook and pen for journalling and personal reflection
- Payment
- International cards accepted; currency conversion handled by the card provider.
Learn more about your stay at Samyama Accommodation and meals at Samyama Eatery.
Please contact the team to confirm exact check-in, check-out and programme times before booking travel.
Apply for the retreat
If this retreat speaks to something you would like to explore, you are welcome to apply below. After receiving your application, a member of the Samyama team will contact you for a brief conversation about your circumstances and whether the retreat is an appropriate fit. The team will then explain the next steps, including payment and confirmation of your place. If you would prefer to ask a question first, you can message us on WhatsApp.
Other ways to begin
If you would prefer a shorter introduction, you can explore the three-hour Introduction to the Shadow of Addiction workshop.
For those interested in an individual format, Samyama also offers a private retreat pathway for this work. Contact the team to discuss the format and current availability.
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