Testimonials for Group Retreats

For Private retreat testimonials please click here.

Karen Joyce - USA

My experience at the Yossum retreat opened up a channel into myself; allowing for a more real and fearless approach to face who I am and what I need at this time in my life. To do this, sometimes , we need to be guided and comforted. We need to learn to love and accept ourselves before we can deal with what is beyond ourselves (everyday life, relationships, etc). So often we work from the outside in and we waste precious time and energy, working from the inside out can help you experience the world in a different way and to take responsibility for your life. I highly recommend this experience to anyone who is ready to begin seeing and living truth.

Pat Collins – UK

I don’t think I thought this feeling of relaxation and understanding was possible. This retreat has helped me know more about myself, and deeper understanding and patience. It is easy to forget about being kind and patient to myself when you I am going through life, I can be with others but I forget myself. The retreat truly was a gift to myself. Thank you all.

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Sandra Grozdanic – Ireland

These four days have been the best thing I ever done for myself. I arrived here with intention to understand myself better, but I received much more than I ever anticipated. I’ve been able to sink in a little bit deeper into my soul, open the door and experience hope.

I found all the elements of Yossum very helpful, especially silence and self-understanding sessions. The yoga classes have also been wonderful, inspiring, warm and loving. I enjoyed every moment of it so much. I was relived and happy to learn to meditate and see how simple yet powerful it is to just sit and be with myself. I knew very little about meditation but now I feel it is an integral part of my being.

I am endlessly grateful for the powerful tools I was generously given and I know they can teach me how to fall in love – with myself. This is the most wonderful gift I ever received from anyone and anything ever. Thank you.

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Helen Savage – UK

I came to this retreat expecting that it might provide me with the time and space to work out what I needed to do to make the changes necessary in my life. What I didn’t expect was the incredibly amount of support that I would received to help achieve it.

You are a brilliant group of people who has given so much of yourselves to help us. I cannot thank you enough and am sure that I will remember this precious experience as the ‘beginning of the rest of my life’. I am eternally grateful.

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Bree Sherman – UK

Dear Kali, Thank you for immense love and for our sessions. Against my expectation, I thoroughly enjoyed the silence – wished it was longer. I loved the yoga approach in classes and the thoroughness in correcting and looking after the body. Your profound love and wisdom provided a pure and safe space for me to connect with myself and my fears, and find balance and inner strength.
Thank you very much.

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Emma Dicks – UK

As soon as I arrived at the retreat I felt very safe and comfortable to be me. I seem to have found an inner quietness, calmness and strength where I previously felt a little ‘lost’. I feel more confident in being myself and trusting myself and also that many things I worry about in my mind actually are not of importance. It made me realise how important it is for me to look after and encourage myself from inside out and to continue the practices as I feel so much better in 4 days.

Thank you Kali, Lori and Valerie, you are really such beautiful people and I feel blessed to have met you all. Love and light.

Victoria Martin – USA

I feel really rejuvenated and I think the entire experience has contributed to this. I have been challenged and find myself up to it. The yoga sessions was absolutely amazing – Lori is so gentle and clear with her instructions. I had no experience of meditation at all and now I am eager to sit at home. I already have a corner picked out.

I came to the retreat not knowing what to expect – but not knowing that I had some profound questions about myself. The combination of yoga, silence, self-understanding and meditation has really allowed me to clear my head and will be the tools I use to help myself to answer questions as I go forward. Thank you.

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Darrel Corino – USA

Something has changed within me. I feel better placed in the world. The yoga classes were amazing, Lori is the best! The meditations were peaceful and insightful, I loved Kali’s style. I can’t think of anything to improve this retreat, it was all so perfect. I am coming back.

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Marren Harman – Canada

This retreat has been an eye opening experience for me. It truly showed me a side of myself I’m not sure I knew was there before. I loved the yoga classes, Lori as such an amazing energy and her classes are very supportive. I felt there was a nice balance of everything. Meditation opened my mind completely. I never knew I can do this and for this long! I enjoyed having a place to ask questions and have advice. The support from Kali and Lori was beautiful. I hope to experience another Yossum retreat soon. Thank you for everything.

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Marika – Finland

I have never been as relaxed – at least I can’t remember, probably not even as a child – in such a balanced way. I understand now much better what I want from life. The best yoga teaching I ever had! I liked the meditation so much that I certainly want to do it and now I know how. Namaste.

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Sally Rankin – Scotland

The freedom to move and express whilst following a structure designed to support the mind and body has enabled me to look within myself. To find the key to unlock my soul. I have found here internal and external support, freedom and discipline. Kali approach is the best! Thank you.

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Marianna Merenyi, Hungary

I found this programme exactly the way I expected. I came here to have some ‘me’ time and all activities fully supported this. The yoga classes helped me to focus on the right postures and flex my body. Heath’s rolfing worked miracles with my painful lower back and I feel straightened now. Kali’s meditation and private sessions made me feel that I am on the right path on my own journey. A big thank you for these 4 days. I truly enjoyed and will be back.

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Jane Ray – UK

This retreat was wonderful for me, it allowed me space to be, time to relax combined with the excellet yoga instruction, helpful meditation guidance and a structure that was a joy to be part of. The location was beautiful and the Yossum team a brilliant partnership.

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Sue Atkison – UK

I knew I had to reduce the stress in my life, this retreat has given me the tools to start doing that, with relaxation and self-focus through yoga, meditation and self-understanding.

As a complete yoga beginner I was concerned about being able to pick it up and participate fully, but the teaching was excellent, great technical detail and pace, I came a long way in a few days. I found that the meditation guidance is easy to adopt.

I now feel equipped to go forward on this journey and feel passionately about doing so. I am no doubt be back for more!

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Silvio Fritzche – Germany

In only 4 days … a lot of spirit and new inspiration! I will come back.
Thank you so much.

Kathryn Murphy - Australia

One can’t help but relax on your retreats Kali. Thank you for that space to once again take some time to recharge my batteries and enjoy my own company.

I thank you again for giving me the chance to spend time with myself. It is amazing how often we go through life without really knowing who we are or what we want. Your retreats give me the chance to discover this person a little deeper each time.

Lori is gorgeous and a very good instructor and thank her very much for the care with which she taught her classes. She took a good amount of time to explain what was happening in the postures and throughout the class. She is very loving and this came through in her yoga asana classes. Thank you for the home practice sheet, it has been very handy since returning home.

The sitting – meditation - time was fabulous. I was suffering a bit this time with a stiff hip and found that I was less comfortable sitting and needed to fidget a bit from time to time, but I am working on that with someone at home and as it settles down I am sure the sitting will become easier. I love your approach to sitting. So often in the western world is it seen as this bazaar and mysterious practice that requires you to “shut off” your mind, something that we all find nearly impossible, therefore we don’t attempt. You make it a practice which, the average westerner, can attempt without fear or apprehension as it is explained and demonstrated in a way that is very safe, real and genuine.

As always I return home highly inspired, the trick is to maintain the energy and inspiration amidst the normality of daily life, three kids, husband etc. I am endeavouring to do everything I can to keep the practice up, maybe not daily, but at least a few times a week to start with, with the aim of increasing it as it becomes part of my normal routine.

I thank you also for you, Kali – you are an inspiration. I loved being able to spend some more of my life with you again. Maybe one year you may find Byron Bay the ideal destination for one of your retreats. Thank you and if you ever get to Australia, there is always a bed for you in our home!

Pratibha Parmar – UK

This retreat surpassed my expectations. The excellent instructions, explanations and in depth understanding of Hatha Yoga gave me a rounded yet physically challenging week. Kali's wisdom on meditation and compassionate understanding was a wonderful experience.

Shawn Kent – USA

During the retreat I attained a state of relaxation never felt before! The Silence really pushed my understanding to new levels. I enjoyed the yoga classes a lot! Relaxed and lots of new asanas. I have a suggestion though- tape record a 30 minute session so that when we are home we can listen to the voice and repeat the session.

The Meditation guidance expanded my understanding of the practice of sitting very much. A good mix of sitting and explanation.

I arrived on this retreat to go deep and discover a new way of being. The combination of meditation, yoga, visits to devout peoples and sites, awesome natural surroundings, practical and accessible teaching and private sessions with Kali has opened a bright new door for my personal development and happiness. Its not easy to continue, but it is so logical and simple and the new feeling of oneness is so great that I will continue!

Elisa Kallaus – Germany

All the examples you gave in meditation helped me to see that my problems with sitting are quite common. So it made it easier for me to face them and just sit. Because I saw it is not an excuse for not sitting. And I started to enjoy it.

I liked the way Lori organized the lessons – the order of the asanas, the length of relaxation, the explanations. I loved the session where we made yoga with a partner and massaged each other. Because of the silence days and the time I had for myself I could see structures in my way of thinking. This awareness helped me during my travel in India and back home. I was able to stop making things I don’t like and are not good for me.

It was so wonderful to see that everything was prepared with so much love. Everybody helped to make it as comfortable as possible. There was so much support in every point. I felt like I can trust and be free. It was a unique experience and I came in contact with parts in me in never knew. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to be in this retreat. Thank you so much for your support.

Leah Hannes – Canada

I was already on the journey of spiritual awakening and “re-discovering” myself. What the Yossum retreat did was act as a core “way station” on the journey, reinforcing what I had been learning/processing along the way, and also giving me the “time out” from my regular life to really figure out how I want to live, what I want my life to be, and how I want to achieve this going forward. It also helped me to make difficult decisions that I had been wrestling with or putting off. Overall, helped increase my spiritual practice - via yoga and meditation, confidence in myself and my intuition, and reinforced that I am (now) so on the right path in life.

Alisha Arora - UK

Thank you very much for this retreat. The silence is one of the best things that I have done in my life. I have never felt so close to myself before. It's wonderful to have no pressure to talk to anyone, no pressure to have an 'opinion' over anything. Thank you for bringing this 'moment' in my life. Lots of love.

Lenore Munro - Australia

I was looking to open parts of my personality that have been laying dormant for a while and parts I didn’t know existed. Through the gentle teachings and practices I feel to have had a glimpse at some of those hidden aspects of myself. Subtle shifts have taken place within my heart and I feel a growing confidence and faith that seems to have been just out of reach in the past.

I really enjoyed the silence…the sense of joy that followed was beautiful and unexpected!

I found the yoga to be enjoyable and thorough although as the time went on and the altitude adjusted, I could have done with a little more challenging practice. In saying that, I found Lori to be a fun, understanding and lovely teacher, she is well trained and shared her knowledge freely and with warmth.

I found the meditation guidance to be amazingly clarifying. I have a far more realistic view of meditation than I did before. The simple teachings were both easy to grasp and inspiring. I am finding I can meditate longer with every week. It made me want to sit everyday, without it I get that old panic habit that comes with stress and fear and all of those old tape loops…I find the meditation instills the calm…it does take a while to quieten sometimes but I enjoy the journey…

I feel blessed to have been involved in such a wonderfully nurturing experience. The sense of understanding about myself and how I can continually improve my way of living, is invaluable. The practical and loving way in which Kali, Lori and Mutribo shared their wisdom made the retreat an amazing place to learn and grow. It will remain lovingly in my heart…I look forward to seeing them again!

Marjan Looije – Netherlands

I have truly recharged my battery and I would not have been able to do this if I was in the vicinity of my “normal” life. The fact that we did not have mobile phone coverage was great and the total different culture India is, has only aided towards this relaxation. This feeling of being cut-off as if I were in a temporarily vacuum has made the experience much profounder for me because there were no distractions to prevent me going “inside myself”.

The professionalism, dedication and eye for detail have impressed me a great deal. Lori has prepared the class for us step by step. Nobody got hurt and everybody felt they had improved immensely over the retreat period. This is the first time that a yoga teacher has motivated me in such a positive way without trying to push me in positions that my body could not handle at the time. Lori is very wise and because of her understanding of the body, she approaches the Yoga sessions in a safe way, while explaining every step detailed. This whole process was done relaxed with a good sense of humor.

Kali, my own Meditation practice is very much motivated by your guidance. The meditation in a group is very special. In addition we also get to know other’s queries, which obviously gives everybody more understanding and has deepened my own understanding.

The time for myself in this Retreat has made me stronger. I have created somehow within me a place, where I can withdraw from the madness. For now it is a safe haven and by doing my daily meditation practice I hope to maintain it.

Sue Luckhust – UK

This retreat has given me the strength and hope to continue in life again when I felt there was nowhere to go. I thank you for your support and love in giving me the space. Hard for me to find words to express such beautiful and professional people. Thank you.

Penny DeGraffenried - USA

It is as though we have let the genie out of the bottle, and I am aware of this inner work almost all the time now. During the retreat I did, in fact, relax a great deal. It was a lovely venue and I appreciated very much the care that you took to make the space welcoming and safe.

The silence period was also very powerful. It was very helpful to have a private session with you prior to the silence period. Having the focus on my early years was very interesting. I am still processing this experience. In fact, this week I plan to be in touch with you to schedule a phone session so that I can talk about it. I would appreciate your insight.

For me, the Hatha yoga was quite perfect. I learned a lot and felt that I improved my practice during the time I was there. I have not yet started working at home, but I am building up to this commitment slowly!

In all honesty, I expected the meditation practice to be longer each day. I think this was something I heard in one of the other retreats I have been with you – that the retreat in India was an advanced practice. It was overall very relaxing, and exactly what I needed. Something more strenuous might have been difficult for me to handle.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this experience. For me, your approach has unlocked some doors that have been long closed. It is very nourishing and supportive, something that is hard to come by in this world. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Amanda Sykes - Australia

Lying in a hammock, staring up at those poplar trees as they bent & swayed in worship of those beautiful snowcapped Himalayas, was profoundly simple. I find myself just “being” more since the retreat. Staring at trees, flowers, my cat with hardly a thought running through my mind at all. I’m calmer.

Kathryn Murphy - Australia

This retreat has given me the chance to meet myself and discover what lies under the surface. I have found a sense of calm & contentment which has allowed me to open some doors which have been closed for some time now. I took this retreat to have some 'me' time, what i got was actually 'Me' back. Thank you.

For Private retreat testimonials please click here.