Voices of Transition

What happens when a small group of strangers comes together to lean into the uncertainty of their biggest transitions? Cradled in the forests of Galicia and nourished by care-fully prepared food straight from the land, a lot of unpredictable magic can happen. Community happens. Peace and connection happen. Movement and clarity happen, in many different shapes.

How do you want to honour and prepare for your life's transitions?

Scroll down to read about the experiences of 3 people who dared to join this year's Rite of Passage - and listen closely to what your life might call you for.

Liam Orme, Canada: A journey towards acceptance and celebration

The rite of passage has helped me feel new capacity and space to take on life transitions step by step.

The rite of passage feels like an important step on a journey towards accepting and celebrating who I am, recognizing the lessons that have shaped me. This retreat has helped me step into a new sense of ease and agency amid uncertainty and change, and let go of thoughts, assumptions, responses, and patterns that belong to the past. The rite of passage has helped me feel new capacity and space to take on life transitions step by step.

This is clearly the result of intentional design, careful facilitation, and many different layers working together: a deliberate step away from devices to open up reflection, a gentle wake-up call every morning, regularly finding freedom and play in movement, and connecting with others through physical work (not least the metaphorical value of making mulch for a garden).

How do we find the space to embrace our potential for growth and change? How can we help others do the same? How can we find this space, staying grounded and connected with our sense of self while at the same time exploring our connection to the people and places that shape us? How can we collectively envision and embrace a future in balance with ecosystems and space for our social needs? I have spent years engaged in various youth climate justice, education, innovation, and sustainable development initiatives exploring answers to these questions. I am grateful to Sophie, Chris and team for making space for all of these questions and more over a special week together.

Anita Lehner, Germany: Finding peace in times of transition

The idea of a Rite of Passage — a week of leaving my everyday life behind and meeting other people who were also at a crossroads in their lives —bugged me.

Quite often in our lives, we stumble from one stage into the next: finishing school and already having a place in university; handing in your thesis while already starting a job. When I learned about Rite of Passage I was intrigued by the concept. At first, I thought, 'I can't waste time meditating in the Spanish countryside' and 'Why should I travel to the end of Europe? I can journal in my living room just fine'. But the idea of a Rite of Passage — a week of leaving my everyday life behind and meeting other people who were also at a crossroads in their lives —bugged me. Suddenly, I just felt this would be right, and this decision might just have been the best in a long while.

We meditated and kept a journal. However, doing it offline and timeless is quite different. From the great location and amazing surroundings to the atmosphere that Chris, Sophie, and O Couso created within the group, it was an extraordinary experience. I loved the balance between mental and physical work, and between exploring deep topics and doing something light and fun. We explored ourselves and our questions not only cognitively and verbally, but also in silence while walking and through body and movement work, as well as by helping out around the place.

Every day, I felt calmer, more aware, and in the moment. I am still processing all I took with me from this great week, and hope to come back someday. Until then, I will just close my eyes, remember the most amazing sunset at O Couso, and find the deep feeling of peacefulness within me. This might be the most precious finding I took home from Rite of Passage.

Tamar Bagshvilli, Georgia: A life with more flavor

When we are not distracted, when we are open to getting support and inspiration from outside, everything is possible.

It has been two months since the Rite of Passage ended, but my experience still feels fresh. It is almost unbelievable that it lasted only 5 days, because I found myself in a completely new life after. It feels bigger, braver, with more flavor and taste; it feels more mine.

At the Rite of Passage, I got to meet part of myself that I was fearing most, hiding from it, ignoring it, undermining it. This bittersweet meeting soon became the engine of new growth.

Our group arrived as a gathering of strangers but parted as friends. We all arrived with questions, the kind of questions that hide behind a dozen other ones. Questions that no one even dares to ask out loud, even silently. We embarked into the quest to have a deeper look. With the abundant support and inspiration, all of us could find responses on the unique journeys. It felt impossible in the beginning; How can 5 days be enough for this magnitude?

Looks like when we are not distracted, when we are open to getting support and inspiration from outside, everything is possible.

Should you do it? Absolutely. Where else can you find the space where you can devote all your time only to yourself, accompanied by lovely natural and human surroundings supporting your journey, nourishing your body and soul, holding space for you of your time in need? Sophie and Chris created something that is nothing short of magical, investing huge amount of dedication and energy, and it is bearing beautiful fruits. I feel absolutely grateful for the sequence of circumstances that enabled me to be part of it.

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Intrigued? Learn more about the Rite of Passage here or get in touch with your thoughts & questions!