BEYOND ECSTATIC
September 29, 2023 @ 8:00 pm - October 1, 2023 @ 7:00 pm UTC+7
$130
BEYOND ECSTATIC
workshop playshop
with and by
The Delicious Delight of Living
BEYOND ECSTATIC is a celebration of the Divine and your own Divineness
- An exquisite blend of dance, visual art, playfulness, yoga, and meditation
- Dance and Meditation in shallow sea waters enable a full expression of your creativity
- Living Life as a Dance – where each moment can feel vivid, playful, creative, and fun
- Raphael and the Spirits of Earth, Sky, and Sea invite you on a journey toward the Sublime
Embracing Japanese Zen and Shinto harmony with the natural world, this playshop is a cultivation of our connection with spirits of land air, and sea. Here we not only dance but, more significantly, are danced by the energies flowing through us.
BEYOND ECSTATIC invites you to Reveal Your Inner Blue. Neuroscience and psychology evidence that ‘our brains are hardwired to react positively to water; and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what is broken’ (Nichols, The Blue Mind).
Nichols describes this Blue Mind as a mildly meditative state, characterized by calm, peacefulness, unity, and a sense of general happiness with life at the moment.’
Moreover, the color blue around the world is the color most associated with peacefulness.
BEYOND ECSTATIC supports you in healing and awakening through creative, meditative, ecological, and therapeutic engagement with water, sky, and earth.
It invites you to Reveal Your Inner Blue: to fully reveal your true creative self, your divine being.
It supports you in The Delicious Delight of Living.
Raphael is a wonderful guide on this journey within
And holds the space with
tenderness, care, and good humor
You are in very safe hands
– Mel, a previous course participant
WHO IS BEYOND ECSTATIC FOR?
It is for all creatives wishing to develop their personal and professional creativity: dancers, artists, designers, musicians, writers, and poets.
It is for people on a healing journey.
It is for people on a path of awakening.
It is for meditators – beginners to those practicing for 80 years and more open to the interdisciplinary deepening of their practice.
It is for yoga practitioners of all levels of experience who wish to evolve their practice in new ways.
It is for therapists seeking personal and professional development.
It is for ecologists, activists, and all who care about this precious Earth.
It is for people who love the Sea.
ABOUT RAPHAEL
Raphael is an artist, dancer, meditation teacher, academic researcher, and psychotherapist.
As an artist and creator of dance-theater, their work has been award-winning, critically acclaimed, and internationally presented.
Raphael’s practice as an integrative psychotherapist utilizes Buddhist psychology, meditation, art, dance, play therapy, ecotherapy, neuroscience, and person-centered therapy.
They teach meditation for several Samma Karuna programs: Tantra Teacher Training, Breathwork Teacher Training, and Yoga Teacher Training.
For the Awakening and Healing Program they guide morning meditations in Spacefulness (see below); and a weekly program, called Mindfulness: The Delicious Delight of Living. This course in practice and theory, trains us to better manage stress and anxiety, depression, as well as provides us with practices that enable living a life that fulfills our deepest universal needs, in attune with our personal core values. Contact Raphael for details.
Raphael is a certified teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion; and has been teaching this course for the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion (USA), the mental health organization Mind (UK), the recovery and wellness center New Life Foundation (Thailand), and globally.
TheDeliciousDelightOfLiving.com
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY ABOUT RAPHAEL
Raphael has a way of immediately making people feel at ease with the present.
Feelings and thoughts are validated at that moment.
This made it possible for communication and engagement to flow.
The students valued
Raphael’s demystification of quite complex philosophical ideas.
They were able to examine their everyday experiences and
appreciate the art of simplicity and conviviality
in a present and authentic way.
– Dr Daniel Somerville Senior Lecturer, University of Worcester,
commenting on Raphael’s playshops with his master’s creative art students
Raphael brings great integrity and sensitivity to his mindfulness teachings.
During his course on the beautiful island of Ikaria,
he has helped me to remember my deep connection to all other beings and
my personal responsibility to meaningfully serve.
His gentle and insightful guidance has especially allowed me to reconnect with the magnificence, beauty and magic of the sea;
and the heartbreaking damage that is being done to its marine life every single day.
As a result, I have decided to take action to help address this painful situation.
Thank you Raphael for reminding me that
I am part of it all, and for re-opening my eyes to this important need.
– Sarah, Breathwork Teacher Training Course
It was such a marvelous pleasure not only to follow the mindfulness meditation guided by Raphael
but also to be in their Joyful Ecstatic Presence all day long.
Thank you Raphael to be you and for the example you give of a Divine Life.
– Frédéric, Tantra Teacher Training Course
Working with and attending Raphael’s mindfulness lectures and guided meditations have been more than deep and profound.
Their material and energy bring an enlightened perspective
on our human existence.
Their knowledge and personal practice on incorporating nature,
specifically, the sea has been nothing less than magic!
If you have a chance to work with them
I highly recommend you take this opportunity.
Love and Light
– Jessi, Breathwork Teacher Training Course
Raphael is a great role model and a wonderful teacher.
In their Mindfulness Sessions, they showed me that everything I need
is already within me and
how important it is to live out the quality of being a child in my adult life.
In their meditations, they inspired me to connect more with nature and
to dance and play more with life.
I hope that their messages will reach more people.
It was an honor to learn from them 💙
– Isabelle, Breathwork Teacher Training Course
Take time… beyond time, illusions, and ecstasy.
Let yourself be guided by Raphael.
Their sensory invitation of conscious perspective defies dimensional laws.
When the wisdom of the Angels is shared with you…
an experience to be repeated with excess and with a wide-open heart.
Infinitely Grateful.
From Heart to Heart
– David, Breathwork Teacher Training Course
Thank you, Raphael, for the classes together.
They have helped me a lot to slow down and to connect with myself,
to appreciate the small details in life, to trust life more, to remind me that there is nothing to change, and to see what I couldn’t see before.
Highly recommended!
– Vivi, Breathwork Teacher Training Course
A very good teacher, with an open ear and a smile on his face.
I have the honor of getting to know Raphael
as a teacher for my Breathwork TTC.
Their lessons are very enriching.
With a lot of charm and authenticity,
They impart high-quality knowledge and provide good techniques.
It leads you into stillness and to the inner core of your being.
– Anastasia, Breathwork Teacher Training Course
Give without expecting to receive.
Receive without expecting to give.
Thank you for this meaningful lesson Raphael
– Antonis, Breathwork Teacher Training Course
A well-structured and well-delivered course
that provides very powerful exercises and practices,
in a way that is gentle, empowering, nourishing
and offering practical tools that,
from within myself
support me to find
meaningful new ways to live.
– Mindful Self-Compassion course participant
The course was well-planned and perfect.
I would particularly recommend it to those
who feel challenged by personal issues and
want to find strategies
to live more positive and balanced lives.
– Cheryl, Mindful Self-Compassion course participant
I like the experience with Raphael because
he focuses on the simple,
focusing on what we already have and
not on what we want and
uses very simple methods to achieve it.
On the other hand, they are what makes the difference since
they are a person that focuses on making you feel safe
and for this, he uses good humor, joy, and with all his heart.
Today there are all kinds of experiences all over the world.
What makes the difference is not what they do
but how Raphael does it:
love and joy
– Roberto, Tantra Teacher Training
Working with Raphael was an amazing experience.
Their practice really helped me see the world differently
and helped me remember how to reconnect with the world around me
and recognize my connection with the universe
and how beautiful it is to be a part of it.
Their practice has highlighted things in my life and areas that I could bring further attention to moving forward.
If you ever get the chance to take a class from them,
I highly recommend it.
It has been so impactful.
-Christina, Breathwork Teacher Training Course
Raphael was one of the most gifted students
I had the pleasure to teach.
I cannot forget the moment when they presented to me
their final Ph.D. artwork, the film:
“naka-ma”
It was so serene…
Just magic!
– Professor Toshio Watanabe, Former Director of TrAIN, a research center in Transnational Art, Identity and Nation, University of the Arts London
EXCHANGE POSSIBILITIES, CERTIFICATION, ONGOING TRAINING
Exchange Possibilities
- Full Exchange
5,000 Thai Baht / 130 Euros
- Inclusive Accommodation Packages
Contact Samma Karuna for inclusive packages
- Buy One Get One Free Exchange
26,000 Thai Baht / 488 Euros if booking by 31 January 2023
- Filmmaker Exchange
1 place is offered to a person in exchange for documenting the process and creating a short BEYOND ECSTATIC dance film.
- Photographer Exchange
1 place is offered to a person in exchange for documenting the process and creating a BEYOND ECSTATIC exhibition.
- Dramaturg Exchange
1 place is offered to a person with appropriate experience in dance theater, to work as a “Dramaturg” to work directly with Raphael to learn and evolve BEYOND ECSTATIC.
- Samma Karuna Volunteer and Regular Teacher Exchange
20% discounted places, subject to availability, for volunteers and long-standing regular SK teachers, on application.
N.B.
We invite participants to find their own way to offset the carbon footprint of their travel to the playshop
Certification and Welcome Package
- Certificate of Participation on fully attending the whole playshop
- Ongoing online access to guided practices & other resources
- Gift Package including:-
- Life Transformation 1-to-1strategy session voucher, normally costing $110
- Free Access to some Samma Karuna Yoga classes
- Art Kit with paint, pencils, and paper
- Limited Edition Project Poster: an exquisite piece of art
- Thai Head and Facial Massage, 50% discount voucher
Ongoing Support, Training, and Teacher Training
- ECSTATIC MEDITATION retreat in August is an excellent preparation for undertaking BEYOND ECSTATIC
- Once learned, you can continue ECSTATIC MEDITATION and BEYOND ECSTATIC training in any water, wind, earth, and sky in the ocean of daily life
- Ongoing online access to guided practices & other resources
- This playshop is also Stage 1 of the 4 stages of the BEYOND ECSTATIC Teacher Training Program. Stages 2-4: due to begin in 2024
Contact Raphael for full details
MORE ABOUT RAPHAEL
Raphael on ECSTATIC MEDITATION retreat (August) and BEYOND ECSTATIC playshop (September):-
The retreat and playshop begin from a very personal connection and engagement with spirits of the natural world at Haad Chao Phao beach, Koh Phangan Thailand; alongside the mystical island of Ikaria, Greece, where I teach meditation for Samma Karuna’s Breathwork and Tantra Teacher Training courses.
This sacred site-specificity is crucial to each retreat and playshop creation and manifestation. It is an evolving listening, developed further by playshop participants through their listening allowing it to be further steered by spirits of the natural world.
I arrive at this space and place through a practice where art meets meditation meets philosophy meets ecology meets science meets technology meets therapy for the soul. Psychotherapy is therapy for the soul that holistically impacts the way we live.
This meeting ground of integrative practice includes research on Tantric architecture, art, philosophy, geometry, and wider mathematics. It embraces interactive art installations and happenings such as the multi-sensory Japanese Tea Ceremony, “Sado” (the way of tea), which is informed by Zen and the animistic practice of Shinto.
It engages with Deep Ecology, and Neuroscience that evidence ‘our brains being hardwired to react positively to water; and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and…heal what is broken’.
I share things I have assimilated through inner inquiry; and through my practice as an artist, integrative psychotherapist; teacher of art, dance-theatre, meditation; and academic researcher.
Raphael’s art, teaching, and research formerly at the Goldsmiths University of London, and University of the Arts London, is critically acclaimed, award-winning, and internationally presented.
They have created a unique playful meditation called Spacefulness, (details below) taught on a number of Samma Karuna’s programs: Breathwork Teacher Training, Tantra Teacher Training, and Yoga Teacher Training.
They are a teacher trainer for internationally recognized programs that are scientifically evidenced such as Mindful Self-Compassion and Radical Self-Care, as well as an experienced teacher of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction, and Mindfulness for Health.
Raphael has supported many many people globally, to become the most creative, authentic, healed, and fulfilled versions of themselves. They help people to enjoy The Delicious Delight of Living.
INDICATIVE PROGRAM
Daily Themes
Each day will have:-
- Specific creative, healing, and meditative focuses: an exploration of the creative body, the healing body, and the belonging body in diverse ways, in relationship to the natural location of the playshop
- Guided engagement with physical and metaphysical space
Core Foundational Training involves:-
- Natural Meditative Dance
Creative meditative exploration, specific to the natural location, with different focuses for the body in relationship to space
- Natural Art
Creative meditative exploration, specific to the natural location, with different focuses for the body in relationship to space.
- Ecological Ritual
Ritual dance and art engagement to honor the spirits of the location; alongside mindful cleaning of the beach.
- Spacefulness
An integrative meditation practice that cultivates mindfulness, self-care, and connection with the world around us. It nurtures dance, art, yogic exploration, and deep ecological engagement. Spacefulnessis also cultivated by the foundational components and other training. Together support us to think of our being as a relational body-mind-space. More about Spacefulness
- Release Your Inner Blue
Neuroscience and psychology evidence that ‘our brains are hardwired to react positively to water; and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what is broken.’ Nichols, The Blue Mind.
Moreover, the color blue around the world is the color most associated with peacefulness.
Nichols describes this Blue Mind as ‘a mildly meditative state, characterized by calm, peacefulness, unity and a sense of general happiness with life at the moment.’
BEYOND ECSTATIC playshop and ECSTATIC MEDITATION retreat in August and support you in healing and awakening through mindfulness and compassion-focused meditations, creative engagement with water, sky, and earth; artistic exploration; exploration of the ecological process; communication with wider sublime existential practices.
They invite you to “Release Your Inner Blue”: to fully reveal your true self, your divine being; so that in the world of daily life you can enjoy The Delicious Delight of Living.
Supporting this Core Foundational Training:-
- Individual Creative and Reflective Exploration
- Yoga Nidra
A deeply restorative meditative yogic practice
- Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC)
Raphael is a certified and experienced teacher of this life development program and they input key MSC elements here. MSC is scientifically evidenced to support good mental health and living life attuned to our personal core universal needs
Details of their online course in Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC)
- Other Yogic and Meditative practices
A range of inputs here, including Laughing Buddha practice. Playshop participants can also access some of the daily yoga sessions of a range of teachers at Samma Karuna.
- Theoretical Conceptual Exploration
Evolving of conceptual understanding of core creative and philosophic foundations of the program. This can take place through talks, videos, and collective sharing.
- Live Transformation one-to-one strategy meetings
This involves ongoing life development coaching, mentoring, a psychotherapeutic process, and reflective space. This facilitates greater creative and existential development
MORE ABOUT THE PHILOSOPHY OF BEYOND ECSTATIC
Inspirations and Influences include:
- Spirits of the natural location
- Tantric art and philosophy in India, Tibet, and Japan
- Buddhist philosophy and practice as a creative art form, including Noh dance theater, and the Japanese Tea Ceremony, 茶道 Sado, which could be conceived as an organic installation
- Contemporary dance theater, such as that of Pina Bausch and Tatsumi Hijikata
- Shinto: animist way of living equitably, relationally, with all beings
- Ma 間 a Japanese word that can mean space-time, interval, pause, and emptiness: an emptiness that is spacious and full
- Contemporary Psychology, Neuroscience, and Deep Ecology
The understanding of Spacefulness is supported by components of this internationally recognized program that Raphael also teaches. MSC’s scientifically evidenced 40 practice toolkit supports: achieving goals based on our personal core values; reduction of stress, anxiety, depression, and an inner critic. MSC involves 3 key components:-
- Sati: an ancient Indian practice that can be translated as “lucid awareness of present happenings”; & commonly as Mindfulness.
- Metta: ancient Indian practice of cultivating “Friendliness” to oneself and all beings. Research shows many find such self-kindness hard. Metta cultivates healing & life-long warm self-parenting.
- Common Humanity practice: evolving understanding of the inter-relationship of human beings. It moves us beyond self-criticism and self-isolation in challenging situations. Raphael expands this to awakening to Deep Ecology and the Buddhist concept of Inter-relational Origination: the inter-relationship of all phenomena. This moves us beyond a singular ego mind toward an understanding of Relational beings: “the community and equity of all beings”.
Lotus Flower Symbolism
BEYOND ECSTATIC supports us to accept, embrace, and utilize all aspects of experience. In this we epitomize the Lotus Flower: blooming most beautifully in the muddiest of swamps of life.
Being Danced
The playshop is not only about dancing and painting but allowing ourselves to Be Danced, to Be Painted. Being Danced goes beyond musical rhythm, allowing, in silence even, creative energy to flow through you, move you; allowing your paint brush to paint you.
FAQs
Who is beyond ecstatic?
It is for all creatives wishing to develop their personal and professional creativity: dancers, artists, designers, musicians, writers, and poets. It is for people on a healing journey.
It is for people on a path of awakening. It is for meditators – beginners to those practicing for 80 years and more open to the interdisciplinary deepening of their practice.
It is for yoga practitioners of all levels of experience who wish to evolve their practice in new ways.
It is for therapists seeking personal and professional development.
It is for ecologists, activists, and all who care about this precious Earth. It is for people who love the Sea.
Is this retreat accessible to anyone?
The retreat is accessible to anyone – from beginners to those practicing for 80 years and more – who are able to self-manage existing mental and physical health conditions in a 5-day concentrated environment.
The overall location requires participants to be able to manage stepped access.
Raphael’s process embraces diversity, including sexual identity, and gender identity, (LGBTQ+); ethnicity, color, and race such as black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); disability; and relationship diversity.
Supporting this: all explorations and activities invite adaptations to suit personal needs. The picture to the left epitomizes this approach: movement in the ocean while seated.
You need to be ready to open to your own vulnerability. The process of restorative healing and awakening inevitably involves challenging emotional moments.
The retreat embraces the idea that: “If you want the rainbow, embrace the rain”. This thought should not be forced. It requires gentleness: we open at our own pace.
The mindfulness and compassion-focused meditative approaches of this playshop are known to be healing. These can be useful tools to accompany formal trauma therapy. It is essential though to understand that the retreat should not be considered as stand-alone trauma therapy; or a replacement for any kind of psychotherapy.
You also need to be able to work in direct sunlight.
Please consult a suitable health professional, if relevant, before signing up for this retreat.
What is the scheduled start date for participants?
Registration is normally by 18:00/6 pm on the day before the retreat start.
Each day typically begins before sunrise, 06:00 with a meditative sun salutation on the beach and/or in the immediate seawater
What do I need to bring?
Swimwear: including shoes: to protect your feet from any coral that can be found in the predominantly sandy sea. sunblock, sun hats, sunglasses, etc.
N.B. No swimming ability is required. We work in shallow waters, estimated to be 0–1.25 meters.
MORE ABOUT THE DELICIOUS DELIGHT OF LIVING
An agency of Raphael and associates. It provides life transformation strategies and practices through integrative psychotherapy; meditation; personal growth coaching; mentoring; and playshops nourishing the soul.
Raphael integrates talking therapy, art, dance, play, water therapy, ecotherapy, meditation, and Buddhist psychology. They help people to transform their lives.
They support healing wounds of trauma, relationships, loss, bereavement, insecure attachment, negative self-image, and poor sense of self-worth. They support: managing stress and anxiety; and recovery from depression.
Details of Raphael’s next online life development course
More about Raphael’s psychotherapy and life transformation programs
APPRECIATION, GRATITUDE, CREDIT
Design and Conceptual Input: Tereze Brence
BEYOND ECSTATIC is made possible also through the support and/or creative input of numerous individuals, including:
Bindie Wood
Ishi
Kristine Kirakosyan
My Breathwork Teacher Training, Tantra Teacher Training, Yoga Teacher Training, Mindful Self-Compassion students
Noi
Onder Hatipoglu
Tereze Brence
Volfango Rizzi
Zivile Mickute
They have helped move the project into new uncharted waters
Inestimable contribution and guidance by
John Akayzer
Wilaiwan Phimkhalee
Spirit of earth, sea, and air in the locations of
Haad Chao Phao beach, Koh Phangan
and the island of Ikaria, Greece
