Shadow Sunrise

A week dedicated to shadow work and yoga, guided by Sylvia Holtslag of The State Shift Institute.

This retreat invites you to stop avoiding the parts of yourself you have kept hidden. Over the course of one week on one island, you are guided toward the meeting that can change everything: the one with yourself.

Many of us know how it feels when a small comment stays with us for days, when a sharp reaction appears out of nowhere, or when we say yes even though every part of us wants to say no. We may keep busy, scroll, snack, work, or reach for another drink, hoping to fill an inner emptiness. Yet the same patterns return, no matter how much changes on the outside.

In this retreat, those patterns are understood as the Shadow: the parts of ourselves we learned to hide in order to belong, survive, or be loved. Often formed in younger years, the Shadow can hold fear, anger, wildness, and grief. What is hidden does not disappear; it continues to shape our triggers, our reactions, and the way we move through life.

The intention of the week is not to fix the Shadow, but to see it. When it is no longer pushed away, it can become an ally rather than something to resist. As you begin to meet it with honesty, the need to perform softens, and a more authentic way of living can emerge.

The program is based on the State Shift Method, which works through patterns rather than only talking about them. The body is an important part of this process, as it has carried these patterns for years. Each morning begins with yoga to awaken the body and bring you into the present moment. In the evenings, yin yoga and guided meditation help everything settle and integrate. This is how unconscious material becomes conscious.

The structure is supportive, but never rigid. Shadow work does not follow a fixed script, and the program adapts day by day to what the group needs.

By the end of the week, the hope is that you will notice more space between a trigger and your response, catch old patterns in the moment, and feel more confident saying no or offering a true yes. You may also experience what it feels like to belong without performing, and discover a new relationship with the inner emptiness that once pushed you to seek distraction from the outside.

Sylvia Holtslag is the founder of The State Shift Institute and creator of the State Shift Method. She is the author of two books, hosts the Dutch podcast Ontslaafd, and is the only European coach listed on thetoolsbook.com, the platform of Phil Stutz and Barry Michels. Their work, together with the teachings of Michael Singer, forms the foundation of her method. She has coached more than 600 people one-on-one.

What you’ll take home

• More space between a trigger and your reaction
• The ability to notice patterns before they take over
• The courage to say no, and a yes that truly means yes
• The experience of being fully seen and belonging without performing
• A new relationship with inner emptiness and what it is asking for
• Your personal why, so you stop rebuilding the same wall in a new place
• A daily one-minute practice and State Shift tools you can use anywhere

Who this week is for

• Those who take things personally and struggle to let them go
• Those who keep reacting in ways they do not want to repeat
• Those who lose themselves in pleasing and adapting
• Those who feel like outsiders, even among people who love them
• Those who fill an inner emptiness from the outside
• Those who keep meeting the same wall, no matter what changes

No yoga experience or shadow work experience is required. What matters most is the willingness to stop running. This retreat is powerful, but it is not therapy. If you are in treatment for serious mental health issues, it is intended to complement professional support, not replace it.

Included

• 8 yoga sessions
• 8 Shape Shift sessions
• Sunset meditation at Hippocrates Altis
• Daily breakfast
• Six world-inspired dinners
• Daily ginger shot
• Coffee during meals
• Herbal tea available all day
• All materials included