Dates for the next retreat will be announced in 2024
Past retreats
The Red Thread of the Goddess
Retreat into the heart of you
On the ancient island of Crete in Greece
A call to your soul. A return home to you.
It feels as if we are continuing to emerge from the past few years of pandemic and lockdowns into a whole new world. I know that I for one, am changed – as is the world around us.
But for a lot of us what the shape of our lives will look like is still a work-in-progress.
One thing is for sure - we are called to come closer to who we truly are, each and every one of us. And live our lives from that place of clarity and truth deep within us.
To find the parts of ourselves that we may have forgotten or lost, from the playful, joyful, fun-loving woman we once knew to the sacred goddess, wise, mysterious and strong – that we long to know more fully.
We crave more connection, deeper meaning and a greater sense of fulfilment in all that we are and in all that we do.
We want this journey back to ourselves to be pleasure-filled, sun-drenched and sweet. So let me invite you to follow the ‘red thread’, the guiding force of your own intuition, to lead you back to yourself. And to carry you forward.
Do you feel called to this?
Are you ready to claim what you truly want from life – all of it – from love and intimate relationships, to your careers and life path in the way that is full of ease and joy?
Our week together in Crete is inspired by the goddess Ariadne and her red thread, the thread of connection that leads us back to ourselves, to our deepest intuition and knowing, to our life’s purpose and to the unfolding of our souls.
Join us on this beautiful island to reconnect with body, heart, mind and soul as you follow your own ‘red thread’, your deep intuition that already knows the way forward.
Take steps towards greater wholeness and fulfilment in life with clarity, lightness and joy in the magnificent new world that you are creating for yourself.
And that we’re creating together.
A luxurious retreat experience between sea, mountains and sky.
Add me to the waiting list for the next retreat. Email: andrea@lushcoaching.com
What you’ll explore
Tap into your ancient blueprint Travel between the visible realm of the human, into the invisible realm of timeless wisdom by diving deep into millennium old myth and legend, art and archaeology, customs and culture. In drawing on the past, you will realise parts of you that you may have lost sight of – or that have yet to be discovered. Emerge more full and more you in whole new ways.
Know your true Purpose Live a more authentic and purposeful life. Love more freely and easily. Embrace pleasure and joy more openly. And get clear about what it is that you intend to create for your life to feel full, satisfying and whole.
Embodied Knowing Trust your intuition with a full-bodied sense of knowing. There is a place and space within you where the red thread is set, ready to guide you back to you. Learn how to locate this place within you through somatic based practices and be guided from deep within by your body.
Pleasure and Luxurious Abundance Crete’s history glistens with stories of material abundance and the legendary goddess Ariadne and her father, King Minos who ruled from his great palace and became famous throughout the Mediterranean. And Crete continues to glisten today, surrounded by the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean sea land and the richness of the nature, the flora and fauna, the beauty stunning blues and greens that surround us.
Slow down and tune in Bask in sun-drenched time to reflect on life and love from a place of deep peace and nourishing rest. In the space that gets created, what desires naturally emerge and how can you begin to follow them.
What to expect from your retreat experience
To retreat is to step away from the set patterns and rhythms of everyday life so that you can look at life objectively.
Lush retreats blend inner personal transformation with the support of community and richness of place, creating a space in which you explore and expand.
5 days of in-session workshops (at least 15 hours)
6 nights luxury accommodation
Hand-selected quintessential Cretian experiences
All Greek gourmet meals freshly prepared and plentiful snacks
Onsite gifts and surprises
Connection in a curated community
2 small group private coaching sessions
2 beautiful and thought provoking workbooks
Sunsoaked time
Itinerary
We’ll begin each day with gentle movement and a grounding meditation to connect us to ourselves and the island.
We’ll have breakfast together outside under the open sky (weather permitting).
After breakfast, we’ll gather for a morning of discovery, exploration and reflection activities. Each day is designed to bring you gently into you through the exploration of specific themes and practices.
We’ll break for a lunch of delicious fresh Cretan dishes prepared by our chef.
The afternoon is yours to relax around the infinity pool or in the jacuzzi at the villa as you take in the beautiful vistas of sea and sky. There’s a beautiful hamam located on site if you prefer steam.
Each day we have a free or suggested activity to help you reconnect with yourself and with nature.
In the afternoon we further investigate the theme of the day, sometimes with the help of a guest expert and some fun exercises.
We’ll come together again at sundown for ‘volta’, a Cretan tradition where we gather to stretch our legs and share the experiences of our day together.
Dinner will be served at the villa and we’ll close the day with a brief coming together afterwards.
Photo by Ania Mendrek
Who this is for
The retreat is for anyone who wants to connect with themselves more, to learn how to tap into their own intuition and live life – and love – full of purpose and meaning.
This is for you if you are ready to explore what is emerging from deep within you as you move through a world that is much changed.
There will be a gentle focus on connecting to your greater life’s purpose in any area of life, from personal relationships and intimacy to your next creative or professional project, or to simply understand what wants focus for you now.
The retreat is open to heart-centered humans, and our community is curated carefully.
Who will guide you
Andrea Balboni
The first time I traveled to the Mediterranean, I fell in love with ancient lands, age-old cultures and customs, and the people whose stories and wisdom were passed down through millennia.
The wisdom of the past has always inspired me. It offers fresh ways for us to connect with who we have always been – and to emerge in the present as we truly are.
Certified Sex, Love and Relationships Coach.
What people have to say about working with me
Marion Birkmeyer
Fascinated by people, I've always wanted to know how we actually tick. My thirst for research led me to German and American universities and then to international therapy and coaching training.
My many years of experience in family therapy and working with traumatized young adults made me "crisis-proof".
Today I help my clients as a non-medical practitioner for psychotherapy and as a coach in my own practice.
Where we’ll stay
This magnificent villa is on top of a hill of the Agia Pelagia Bay, a place where earth and sky meet offering us an unforgettable experience of luxury in nature.
Enjoy your sun tan next to the swimming pool, while gazing at amazing uninterrupted sea views. Relax in the Hamam steam room and feel yourself come back home to your body.
Shared Room
Twin bed in a shared en-suite room
Private Room
Your own king size en-suite room
The cost
The Single bed option is £1990 and the Private room is £2880. Prices are quoted are per person.
What’s included:
6 nights in a luxurious villa
Fresh breakfast every morning
Welcome dinner
Lunch and dinner most other days prepared by our private chef
Unlimited access to marble hammam steam room and hydromassage pool onsite
A private guided tour of Knossos Palace
Transfer to and from the airport to the villa upon arrival and departure
An unforgettable experience
Not included:
Flights
Your travel insurance
One lunch and one dinner away from the villa
Additional optional activities
You can hold your place today with a £250 non-refundable deposit. The remaining balance is due upon completing your invitation call with Andrea.
Please note that confirmation of your place on the retreat is subject to acceptance via the application process.
Read our Terms & Conditions here.
Application process:
Each woman who applies to attend the retreat will have a Zoom call with me to discuss her intentions for joining the retreat. I carefully curate the group to ensure that we are a right fit for one another and that the retreat experience is in alignment with what you are hoping to experience.
You’ll then receive a personal invitation from me and a retreat spot will be reserved upon receipt of your deposit.
Activities
Cancellations
We may be able to offer some flexibility if you need to cancel over 60 days before the trip commences. Please see further T&C’s here.
FAQ’s
CURRENCY: Euro (€) TIMEZONE: UTC +2
Which airport should we fly to?
There are regular flights from London to Heraklion Airport (HER). The villa is a 20 minute taxi ride from there.
Will we try to get the same flight?
Yes that would be important because of your transfer to the hotel. We will organise a zoom call with the group so we can discuss any questions you have and also create a whatsapp group for us too. If you decide to travel much earlier or later than the group please note you might be traveling by yourself from the airport to the villa which would be at your own cost.
How will you decide on who will be accepted onto the retreat?
Your experience with the participants in the group is an important aspect of the retreat. Everyone comes with their own dreams, aspirations and intentions. And it is my responsibility to ensure that the participants invited to attend are a ‘right fit’ for the group and that the retreat experience is ‘relevant’ to them.
Each person will have a Zoom call with me that will help me determine this. You will then receive a personal invitation from me and a retreat spot will be reserved upon receipt of your deposit.
Will I like this group?
Everyone attending the retreat comes with a desire to discover, to learn, and to grow. Learning in a community offers a unique way to do this. And the magic that comes through share experience is unlike any other – and different each time.
How many spaces are available?
We will welcome 8 participants on this retreat. We have intentionally kept the group small to ensure a closeness of connection and create an atmosphere of safety in sisterhood. This also allows us to give you full access to the creative process, the location, and the activities planned.
How personal does it get? Should I expect to ‘share’ or to cry?
How you experience the retreat is ultimately up to you. It will be exciting, inspiring and challenging. You’ll probably find yourself feeling more open, soft, powerful and creative than you’ve been in a long time.
For some you’ll experience releasing things that block your path. And this is expressed outwardly. For others it’s an internal and quiet experience. Whether it’s laughter, tears, knowing inner smiles, dance or other forms of expression, it’s hard to predict how every individual might live the experience. I am here to meet you in whatever way your journey and experience unfolds.
Is September a good time to visit Greece?
It’s pretty mild at this time of year, but it’s a good idea to bring along a jumper or light jacket for the evenings. The average daily maximum is 25 C and the average daily minimum is 16 C.
It’s possible to swim in the sea at this time of year but it’s generally a little too cool for most. The average sea temperature is 20 C.
What to pack
We suggest you bring beach towels, as we do not permit towels or linens to be taken from the villa.
If you have any more questions, please feel free to email Andrea on andrea@lushcoaching.com and we can set up a call with you to discuss.