Changing Place.
Changing Time.
Changing Thoughts.
Changing Futures.
Soul School®
Advanced Academic Immersion Fellowship Retreats
If you’ve completed the My Physio-Zen World Certification, you’ve learned to recognize the sources of chronic pain and build a grounded foundation for restoring function, regulation, and equilibrium—returning to a sense of normalcy and well-being.
Soul School invites you to go further. This advanced immersion explores the soul’s role in moving beyond stability toward purpose, meaning, and true thriving—drawing from psychiatry, mystics, and the world’s great wisdom traditions to elevate how you live and lead.
Completion of the My Physio-Zen World Certification is required. Soul School builds directly on that foundation and is designed for those ready to grow into the heights of living.
Distinguished guest scholars from each destination will join us—local experts who deepen our inquiry, enrich discussion, and share lived wisdom from within their own traditions.
Soul School®
Topics, Locations, & Dates
Phunakha, Bhutan—a Himalayan Buddhist kingdom where monastic life remains central to society—offers immersive exposure to Vajrayana Buddhism, the same Tibetan tradition associated with the Dalai Lama, with monks, monasteries, and contemplative practice woven into daily life.
“Contemplative Practice in Vajrayana Buddhism and the Christian Mystical Tradition: Insights from the Dalai Lama and the Psychology of the Ego”
Recommended month: July/August
Additional $100/day Charge for Travel Visa
Included Text: The Art of Happiness by the 14th Dalai Lama:
· Ego-driven suffering
· Compassion as antidote to self-absorption
· The shift from self-centered identity to relational awareness
Meet 7:00 a.m. each morning. Medium to high fitness level needed. Walking/stairs/uphill.
Castel Gandolfo, Italy-once the private summer retreat of emporers, aristocrats and the home of the Popes—it provides a unique window into the human, historical, and spiritual life of the Catholic Church beyond the walls of Rome.
“The Catholic Intellectual Tradition and Christ Consciousness: Beyond Institutional Paradigms”
Group Day trip to the Vatican in Rome : Day 3, included, transport included, not optional
Recommended month: November
Included Text: New Seeds of Contemplation
by Thomas Merton, a Catholic Trappist Monk
· Identity formation
· Ego deconstruction
Meet 7:00 a.m. each morning. Not ADA compliant. Medium to high fitness level needed. Walking/stairs/uphill.
Kyoto, Japan—one of Japan’s most significant historic centers of Zen Buddhism, home to many of the nation’s most renowned Zen temples.
“Contemplative Practice in Zen Buddhism, the Christian Mystical Tradition, and the Psychology of the Ego”
Recommended month: April
Included Text: No Death, No Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist Monk
· The illusion of a separate, permanent self
· Fear as a product of mistaken identity
· Interbeing (you are made of non-self elements)
· Freedom through seeing beyond ego-bound identity
Meet 7:00 a.m. each morning. Not ADA compliant. Medium to high fitness level needed. Walking/stairs/uphill.
Marrakech, Morocco, Africa—an exploration of The Seven Saints of Marrakech, one of North Africa’s great intellectual and spiritual centers—offers deep engagement with Sufi Islamic tradition, where scholarship, sacred architecture, and devotional life have shaped a living mystical heritage for centuries.
“Sufi Islamic Thought, Rumi, and Christ Consciousness: Beyond Dogmatic Paradigms”
Recommended month October
Included Text: Fihi Ma Fihi by Rumi, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic:
· The donkey of the ego
· The prison of self-importance
· The veil covering the sun
· The soul awakened
· The drop realizing it belongs to the ocean
· The reed remembering its origin
Meet 7:00 a.m. each morning. Not ADA compliant. Medium to high fitness level needed. Walking/stairs/uphill.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York—home ton the largest Hasidic Jewish community (except Israel) in the world, offering a rare opportunity to observe living tradition, communal structure, and faith-centered daily life in contemporary America.
“The Jewish Intellectual and Mystical Traditions of the Kabbalah in Dialogue with Christ Consciousness”
Group Day trip to Manhattan: Museum of Natural History , a review of the Cosmos, Day 3, included, transfers included, not optional. Christmas decorations in Manhattan, Rockefeller Tree.
Recommended month Late November/December
(Hanukkah Celebration)
Included Text: Toward a Meaningful Life based on the teachings of Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Hasidic Rebbe
· Ego (yesh) as a distortion
· Self-Nullification (bittul)
· The divine soul
· Community-Based Medical Infrastructure
Meet 7:00 a.m. each morning. ADA compliant.
Bali, Indonesia-home to one of the world’s only Hindu-majority cultures outside India—offers a rare opportunity to study Hinduism and yoga philosophy within an intact cultural ecosystem, where theology, ritual life, temple practice, art, and daily existence remain deeply integrated.
“Hindu Wisdom and Yoga Philosophical Traditions in Dialogue with Christ Consciousness and Psychological Science”
Recommended month: May
Included Text: I Am That by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
· The false self (the ego-self) being a mental construct
· The true Self (Ātman) as awareness itself — ever present, ever awake
· The idea of mistaken identity is unpacked
Meet 7:00 a.m. each morning. Medium to high fitness level needed. Walking/stairs/uphill.
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Academic and Advanced, destination-based immersions hosted in regions shaped by Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Judaism, and Buddhism—offering direct engagement with the world’s major wisdom traditions.
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Study through the lens of Christ Consciousness—understood as a universal orientation toward unconditional love, moral courage, humility, unity, and NON-JUDGEMENT beyond ego identification.
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Guided text study in Western psychiatry exploring the ego and integrating psychological science with spiritual insight.
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Core studies draw from two psychiatric cornerstones, Power vs. Force by Dr. David R. Hawkins, MD (1995) and Neurosis and Human Growth by Dr. Karen Horney, MD (1937)—two influential psychiatric works that explore consciousness, ego development, and the path toward self-realization. These texts serve as intellectual anchors for our inquiry, grounding spiritual exploration in rigorous psychological insight.
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Continued and deepened practices of yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong introduced in the My Physio-Zen World Certification—now applied within an advanced spiritual and psychological framework.
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A rigorous, interdisciplinary journey designed to move beyond inherited paradigms and cultivate clarity, compassion, purpose, and spiritual maturity in how you live and lead.
About Our Soul School® Retreats:
Our Signature Soul School Experience
— Fully Hosted
From accommodations and nourishing meals to seamless transfers, every detail is curated—so you can focus entirely on restoring function, reclaiming purpose, and integrating what matters most. Designed for those who want the complete, seamless experience. On the Firm Water Road Map… Steps 1-3 are the pre-immersion preparation for the Fellowship event. The Fellowship event focuses on steps 4-6. Step 7 is Soul School events.
All Soul School Experiences Include:
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Premium Lodging, 6 nights (Thursday-Wednesday) A Curated stay aligned with the retreat environment and learning experience. Add-on nights available after booking, based on availability.
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Airport Transfers Seamless arrival and departure coordination
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Daily Breakfast and Lunch/Morning Coffee/Afternoon Tea Nourishing, Plant-Forward Meals: Thoughtfully prepared, nutrient-rich meals designed to support energy, recovery, and nervous system regulation throughout the fellowship experience. At breakfast you can preorder sandwiches for dinner from our chef and pick them up at lunchtime (included), or explore local dining options on your own (not included). We provide a restaurant guide with our recommendations.
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Full Fellowship Curriculum Immersive in-person training integrating pain science, movement, and nervous system regulation
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Experiential Practice Sessions Yoga, Tai Chi, breathwork, and applied clinical integration
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Small Group Breakouts Discipline-specific application and collaborative learning
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Concierge-Level Support White-glove coordination to ensure a smooth, elevated experience
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Integrated Immersion Environment Shared space with fellow participants to deepen connection, reflection, and transformation
Not Included: Flights (transportation to event), Travel Insurance, Additional drinks or meals outside what is stated, Incidentals.
$12,000 / Person, hotel room upgrades available for additional cost
Structured Pre-Immersion Preparation: 6 weeks prior to departure
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Curated Fellowship Readiness Study Guide
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Structured preparatory reading sequence
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6 Weeks of Live Faculty-Led Preparation Sessions (1 hour/week)
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Guided systems-based case discussions
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Psychological system literacy deep dive
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Recorded access to all preparatory sessions
Your Dedicated Travel Advisor
Once you’ve booked, our dedicated travel advisor will contact you with everything you need to prepare—what to pack, what to expect, exact meeting locations, and available optional enhancements—while answering any remaining questions to finalize your retreat experience.
Your Dedicated Concierge
To ensure an exceptional experience, each retreat is supported by a dedicated concierge responsible for delivering thoughtful, white-glove service throughout the program.
From travel coordination and local recommendations to on-site support during the retreat, our concierge team quietly manages the details behind the scenes so participants can fully immerse themselves in the learning, cultural exploration, and professional connection that define the experience.
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