Anita Ericson
Interesting conversations unfold as we trudge through glorious blooming, knee-high meadows: "Oh, what, you hear your thoughts?" "Yeah sure, how else should I see them?" "Hmm, so I do not really know where they're from but I know I do not hear her ... but how can I have her then? "
This is what happens when you hear "Knowledge of Ignorance" at the start of Socrates. Instead of less, the questions on the long way, although more, sometimes the confusion is great, but in the end open up by it mental worlds, for which one was previously blind - sorry - deaf. Manfred Rühl calls the applied philosophy: "It is accompaniment on the ways leading to the self. In these ways practical philosophy gives life depth and direction ". For Manfred, who is also an outdoor trainer and philosopher, this works best in combination with movement: "When we listen to our bodies, we feel how life can succeed. Movement is therefore for me the direct way to self-knowledge and change ". This gave him the idea to put together several days of walking tours, where he walked, philosophized, exchanged and went under his guidance.
The route follows the Via Sacra, an ancient pilgrimage route from Vienna to Mariazell, with each tour focusing on another philosopher. On four days there is a lot of dialogue, but sometimes one is also encouraged to simply give up completely to the perception of what is around. Even walking in itself, being on the move while being reduced to the essentials, contributes to the fact that suddenly new perspectives arise, that one sees much clearer than before the departure.
Grounding with eco-comfort
This clarity in life, the feeling of the world, the awareness of your own self are quickly lost in our hectic times. The holiday is the best opportunity to get back some of it. As a result, you have twice the time off work: on the one hand, it is fun to air one's head, on the other, one is consumed, back home in the rut, for a long time from such experiences.
Karin Kühbacher from the Naturhotel Lechlife knows, "We have a great longing for people not just to switch off but also to properly fill up with fuel. We have put together packages to pick up our guests on their individual life topics. We combine mental training with physical activity and wellness. " Guests can book here, in the impressive surroundings of the Lech Nature Park, for example, regaling, changes in values or a new beginning. Kühbacher: "We have several coaches and therapists in the house, professional care at all levels - from yoga via Bach flower meditation to Lomi Lomi Nu - is guaranteed".
In the Styrian nature park Pöllauer Tal, on the other hand, Ulrike Retter from the hotel of the same name relies on yoga for self-discovery & search for meaning - and on the things that are closest: on the beautiful and inspiring nature around the house itself, and above all on the careful handling of it: " Soon, from the end of August, we will let our guests take part in exciting cooking courses at our BioGut: Baking bread, collecting and drying herbs, boiling jams, distilling schnapps and making organic ice cream - believe me, that earths a lot ”.
Also in the nature hotel Chesa Valisa Nature plays a major role in Kleinwalsertal. It's a great stage for the house's yoga and hiking weeks. However, in the Chesa Valisa often also external trainers, such as Thomas Schneider, who offers "ways to be". “Personal development on vacation”, Schneider sums up his content, “It's about mindfulness - about leaving space between a stimulus and the immediate, automated reaction. A lot happens unconsciously. ”In order to learn to recognize this space, he has many different exercises with him. As an example, he explains how the open-air unit works: “First we go into silence - we are silent for an hour. Then we collect the impulses of nature that are pouring down on us. It is very exciting to come up with a question, such as what do I need to be happy? In this calm, the answers usually arise by themselves ”.
Self-discovery: Varied ways to the self
The PEM team, a group of trainers in the field of personality development, is always in Chesa Valisa to guest. PEM member Wolfgang Hackl explains the approach: “Our seminar weeks do not follow a fixed scheme. We align our work with the topics with which the participants arrive. ”As different as the individual goals are - one feels overwhelmed and wants a balance, the other looks for clarity for an upcoming decision - everything can be accommodated bring a hat, Hackl: “There are many techniques from which everyone benefits. In order to work on a topic-oriented basis, I vary and adapt the exercises accordingly. Basically, it's all about simply dealing with yourself again. To recognize oneself, to experience, to find solutions in oneself ”. Self-discovery. Conscious body work and mindful movement in nature serve as the entrance door to your own self, active perception with targeted gymnastics, concentration and relaxation exercises bring the head out of the brain-controlled logic mode into intuition. Qi Gong is used as well as meditation, conscious nutrition is just as much a chapter as recognizing one's own thought patterns, letting go is practiced as well as perception. A multi-layered seminar week awaits the participants, and Hackl also promises to “give tools to use the newly gained knowledge in everyday life”.
Self-discovery with the power of the forest
Taking strategies into everyday life is also an important aspect of Waldness, an Upper Austrian "invention". Andreas Pangerl from the Waldness founding team: "It has been proven that just staying in the forest has health-promoting effects. Responsible for this are the terpenes, aromatic compounds that almost exhale the trees. What we smell when we are in the forest ". There are a number of studies showing that terpenes strengthen the body's defenses and reduce stress hormones. This is the basis of Waldness's offer, which celebrated its world premiere in the Almtal. Pangerl: "Anyone who walks in the forest knows how strong his healing power is. We teach our guests how to best benefit from it, and how to mentally open themselves to new perspectives. " Forester and Waldguru Fritz Wolf conveys the great connections in the ecosystem while he collects forest fruits with the group and later overcooked. At the Forest Vyda, which is called the Yoga of the Celts, it is about body feeling and concentration and while bathing in the forest Laybag between the pines for total relaxation. Pangerl summarizes the new Waldness brand "After you have completed our program, you will see the forest from now on with different eyes. Can hear, smell and feel it - and even with it. This releases unimagined mental powers ".
Ideas for self-discovery
They can try to find their way out of the known world and entrust themselves to various shamans (www.visionsuche.net, www.rootscamp.at, www.schamanismus-tantra.at) - with the latter including hallucinogenic experiences.
But you can also do extraordinary things on your own - in contrast to pure relaxation, you activate parts of the brain that are broken in everyday life, which in turn brings fresh momentum to your head. Whether the adventure is sporty-active, creative or more mental nature. Here are a few examples in which also the conscience remains green: Birdwatching in the National Park Neusiedlersee-Seewinkel with overnight in the Vila Vita Pannonia, Lynx or courtship deer in the National Park Kalkalpen track down and in the Villa Sonnwend spend the night. in the Hotel Spirodom Lodging and the photo school in the Gesäuse National Park visit.
You can also shoulder the backpack and go. We recommend hikers Swedish Lapland for a new sense of space and time: here, under unbelievable breadth, the daylight does not go out here in summer. Discoverers are advised to buy a lonely planet (bible of the backpackers): so that at least four weeks in a not yet globalized country (eg India) - Values and concepts of time are then significantly shifted.
Tips for guided self-discovery
The next philosophical pilgrimage with Mag. Manfred Rühl is under the motto "Martin Buber" and takes place from 25.-28. October 2018 (also other guided pilgrimages). For such a "journey" you do not have to be a believer - who is looking for inner retreat in the Christian circle, is with "Holiday in the monastery" perfectly served.
The offer for self - discovery in the various eco hotels is more broad: Im Lech Life bundles packages of mental, active and regenerative components for different life themes, in the Hotel savior They swear by the combination of yoga, first-class cuisine and workshops for various interests such as: B. Baking bread or Solotango (www.retter.at; also ideal accommodation for participation in the creative courses of styriansummerart.at) and in the Nature hotel Chesa Valisa Yoga & hiking along with top-class seminars by external trainers are on the program. Yoga is also the focus of the Bio Hotels Daberer and Biolandhaus ark in Carinthia. In Lower Austria that offer Hotel Krainerhutte various mental seminars and the Lebens.Resort Ottenschlag medically-based burn-out prophylaxis.
The coaches of PEM offer multi-day seminars with tailor-made content at the Hafnersee in Carinthia and in the nature hotel Chesa Valisa. If you prefer to rely on the power of the forest, book a room Forest Ness Package in the Almtal. Self-discovery included.
Photo / Video: Shutterstock.
