Living in Community: Kalikalos Holistic Network
Nestled in the magical Pelion Mountains of Greece, overlooking the Aegean Sea, you will find Kalikalos Holistic Centres. Three Centres spread over the mountains within walking distance. With their own unique vibe of mountain, forest and village, all join together in a common vision to learn, share and grow together in a unified holistic way.
Running from May till October during the warmer months in Mainland Greece, participants can attend Workshops such as Dance Movement Therapy, Radical Honesty, Raw Food, Yoga & Mindfulness, Family Holiday, Guided Walking and so much more.
Kalikalos is supported during the summer months by Community Volunteers, and for the summer of 2017, I was privileged to join the team. I arrived on a hot summers day after a beautiful bus journey that follows the ocean line before heading up steep windy roads along the mountainside.
The timing was perfect as it was in between workshops, so had three quiet days to settle in before “Family Week", a big family holiday with parents and children invited to enjoy all that Greece has to offer.
After being shown around and given our room, the rest of the volunteers started to come back from the beach, ready to help out with cooking dinner or light garden chores. I decided to join the kitchen team and after having a silent moment to connect to my teammates and absorb the plan of action for the evening’s meal, I was tasked preparing and chopping vegetables.
It was nice to flow in harmony preparing a meal with love, and the end result was delicious.
After an evening of getting to know my new family, it was quiet time, to be rested and ready for the next day.
The days at Kalikalos start with a Yoga, or Tai Chi Class, so during my stay I was able to offer morning Hatha Yoga classes for the guests and volunteers in the Round House, a large Yurt, perfect for a morning Yoga practice. Teaching to students of all ages and levels was a wonderful experience, reminding me to feel the energy of the group and offer something for everyone. I was also able to experience classes from other teachers and volunteers which was always a great way to start the day.
Once everyone had cleaned up for breakfast, the community volunteers prepare for the morning Sharing Circle and days meeting. The morning routine of sharing and connecting is an integral part of community life, and gives everyone a chance to express him or herself in a safe space. I found the sharing circles one of the most healing and vulnerable parts of the day. For me, it was a chance to check in with myself and see what was present in me. Some days I would plan what I thought I wanted to say, only to realize what I needed to share was something totally different. Some days I was open, some days I was blocked. But there was no right or wrong and never any judgment. Sometimes the circle went for 20 minutes, and sometimes over an hour. Afterwards I always felt lighter and grateful for having the opportunity to connect inwards.
After we went through the various tasks of the day, we started our volunteer work around the community. Preparing the space for the next workshop to arrive.
Family Week was an amazing workshop to be part of, as unlike the other workshops, which are more of a closed intimate group during morning workshop hours, Family Week was our time to help organize activities and play games with the children and parents.
We did waterfall hikes, Yoga for Kids and parents, Kayaking adventures, Cabaret Night, Arts and Crafts etc. We cooked together, ate together, laughed and shared together. The memories and friendships made have been truly precious in my life.
The Pelion area in Greece is a magical place to connect to nature and lose your self in the power of these beautiful mountains. They say this is the area that the Greek Gods would go for their holidays, and I don't blame them!
Everyday after lunch was time for the beach. Transport drives workshop participants and community guests down to the three main beaches: Plaka, Agios Ioannis & Papa Nera. The beaches in the Pelion are the most beautiful I’ve seen, golden white sand, crystal blue waters, the perfect way to spend the hot summer afternoons!
After spending a few hours relaxing at the beach, we made our way back up the hill, to freshen up and help out with preparing dinner or watering the garden before sunset and dinner. Workshop participants have a lighter schedule and are able to rest during this time and are invited to help out a couple of the nights during their stay. It's never hard work and always shared amongst friends with chatting and laughter all around.
Spending the summer in Kalikalos was a truely transformative experience, and wonderful way to live life in a holistic way.
So, this summer we will be back!
But this time Mario and I have decided to put all our experiences and skills together and host a workshop in Kalikalos Kissos.
And, we invite you to join us.
We invite you to Fall In Love With Yourself.
From July 6 - 13 we open a safe space to dive into the wholeness of emotional, spiritual, physical and mental connection.
How do we do this?
We share, we expose ourselves, and we give space to explore.
Words appear, they find us, thoughts, emotions, they all come out, things we didn’t know were there. And in that safe space, the healing process begins.
Throughout the week we will experiment with Yoga and holistic Therapies including dance, music, mindfulness, trekking, meditation, creative arts, sacred sharing, energy healing and so much more.
You will experiment yourself through a community living experience. We will cry, we will laugh, we will play, we will learn and grow from each other.
We are thrilled to be able to offer this Weeklong experience to you, and we cant wait to see you there!
to find out more about Falling In Love With Yourself retreat and how to book, please go to: http://www.kalikalos.com/community/k/falling-in-love/
© Authentic With Ella 2022