Reaffirmation of my masculinity – Authentic Self retreat WC – 06-08 Nov 2020

Dear Johan, Thank you for a beautiful (yet, challenging) weekend. I came to your retreat to work on my body image, especially on how I view my own penis. The rain and cold weather exacerbated these anxieties. Your exercises and rituals assisted me in confronting those anxieties and to essentially ‘make peace’ with my penis. During the burning of the masks I decided to release myself from these anxieties. Then, when we had the massages the next day, I was proud to display my penis (in all its fully erect glory). Yes, it was a sensual and pleasurable experience. But more importantly my erect cock was a reaffirmation of my masculinity – a sign that I was no longer embarrassed by it’s size. My hard cock became a source of pride as opposed to a source of shame. Without your workshop I would not have been able to confront this unnecessary shame. Thank you, once again

Having been on a number of retreats in the past, I was looking forward to this one with the usual mixture of trepidation and anticipation of something personal and special. That is a huge understatement of my experience from the weekend. Johan’s experience, guidance and love helped make this a life changing event full of emotion with the unexpectedly powerful bond of 18 strangers that was breathtakingly beautiful to be a part of. I will be forever grateful for the forces that brought me to the weekend.

Dear Johan
A mere thank you can in no way express the gratitude I feel for you facilitating the amazing weekend we have just had.
Returned home last night feeling at a loss & yearning for the physical and mental stimulus you introduced us all to, not negatively I add – positive growth in small steps & the possibilities are endless. You introduced me to a new way of hugging, heart to heart and that will be the only way for me going forward.
Once more thank you again for the beautiful safe space you created, the family you introduced me to and the awareness of the possibilities beyond the mask.
Much love

“Wow!! What an amazing weekend! The activities were great, which facilitated and allowed for positive introspection. It was also so good to see that many of us men are fighting similar battles or dealing with common issues – it just goes to show that you cannot judge a “book” by its cover. Thanks so much.”

Hi Johan,

While it is not exactly straightforward to describe the experience (it is very complex, part of a much larger and older process and also something that is continuously developing) I can thank you already for the opportunity to give feedback since the reflection will help me to give order to this complexity. I have a good support network and coping mechanisms which I am confident will help me navigate the next few weeks of insight.

The retreat has helped me to see aspects of myself that I had neglected for a very long time and very much to the detriment of myself and those around me. This is a very difficult thing to see and acknowledge, so the context of ‘acceptance’ was really useful in ensuring that the identification of parts of the self that have been rejected did not result in further and more effective rejection, but may lead instead, in the medium term, to substantial meaningful integration. The extent of my long-standing war against myself was made visible to me in a safe environment and I now feel ready to progress to meaningful spiritual action in addressing the condition, while continuing the slow process of healing the damage caused. I am very grateful to you for the work that you do.

The retreat was much needed to connect with men again. On a spiritual, physical and sensual level. Not only have I become complacent in my solitude but I have realised that my solitude is a safety net to protect me from being vulnerable again. It amazed me how much emotional pain some of the guys had to work through. It caused me to self-reflect and see if I am not suppressing layers that I hide behind. It was hard not to see everyone again after we returned home, as the bond one develops with the guys forms quickly and strongly. After the retreat I feel like I have a new desire to pursue parts of my life that I have been neglecting.

This weekend was life-changing. I have been doing a lot of spiritual groundwork and I was dissatisfied with my sex life being at odds with the spiritual teachings I follow. This weekend showed me that tantra the missing piece that helped me integrate my sex life into my spiritual universe practice.

Physically, I reached my first full body orgasm and it lasted two days with consistent waves of energy… it spurred me on to do my own research…

Ultimately, it has helped me on a leap forward to swop out a self-harming sex habit and thinking for tantra, celebrate my manhood and penis and go deeper spiritually

The retreat was an amazing experience. It was good to reconnect with men that I met at previous workshops, and to build relationships with new men that I met for the first time. It surprised me that such a brotherhood developed between men across a wide age range. The retreat also facilitated the most difficult journey, namely the inside journey to discover your authentic self. This was, for most men, an emotional experience, but Johan as facilitator created a safe space for this rediscovery and reconnection. Thanks for a valuable experience.

As always, time well spent on self-development, growth and exploration. Thanks to the facilitator, it is easy to surrender to the activities done and each one has a lesson to be learnt. Not only are you personally affected, but the pain and suffering of your fellow delegates are sincerely felt. Through a brotherhood of camaraderie, one is supported and elevated to a level of self-belief and trust. Once again, a fantastic step forward to self-discovery and personal growth.