Blog

Face it—we all want to be good people. Or at least better people. We want to do good things – we dream of saving the oceans, being a healer, building a conscious business and leaving this world a better place. Yet, sometimes doing what is good is simply doing what is needed – It’s in […]

In ‘Holding Hands with My Tears’, Erinbell Fanore opens a window into the tender, tangled terrain of grief and love. With raw honesty and poetic warmth, she invites us into a moment suspended in time—where heartbreak and homemade ravioli coexist, and where joy becomes a quiet act of resistance. This is a story of mourning, […]

Every so often, someone comes along whose presence feels like a bridge between the seen and unseen: a solid hand in the practical world, guided by a deep inner compass. Fidan Huseyni is one of those people. As a long-time member of Mandali’s Marketing and Visioning team, she helps shape the way Mandali is experienced […]

In this raw and deeply honest reflection, Erinbell Fanore invites us into the vulnerable terrain of body shame – a place many of us have visited, often more than once. With strong imagery and poignant self-awareness, she speaks not only to the pain of being caught in toxic self-judgment, but also to the courage it […]

There’s a quiet courage in being playful – because to be truly playful means showing up as we are, spontaneously, without hiding behind self-judgment. As children, playfulness was simply the way we met the world. We explored without hesitation, acted without self-consciousness, and learned through wonder rather than fear. Over time, as life shaped us, […]

In stillness, truth speaks. Through our new “Beyond the Surface – an Insight Questionnaire”, we invite the voices of our Mandali community to echo what’s most real. This time, we turn to Peter Harper—The Drunken Monk—whose words remind us that gentleness can be revolutionary, and silence, a doorway.Here, he reflects on life, self, and the […]

A confession It’s 2015 and I’m half-way through the meditation retreat that I attend each year in southern France. The sun is beating down outside, and the large group of practitioners are gathered in the relative cool inside the shrine room. Only I’m not with them. Instead, I’m locked in a toilet cubicle and glued […]

Path of Love is a 7-day immersive experience of deep inner work. It is a transformative journey designed to strip away the masks we wear and reveal the essence of who we truly are. Since its creation 30 years ago, the process has remained fundamentally the same while continually evolving to meet the needs of […]

At Mandali, we believe that your spiritual path deepens by asking the right questions—questions that go beyond the surface to touch the essence of who we are. This questionnaire is an invitation to reflect, explore, and share. It’s playfully designed to spark insights into your life, your journey, and your vision for the future. Whether […]

At the end of a retreat I am often asked how to continue a regular meditation practice once we get home. Usually, on a retreat everyone is meditating together at the same time and everything is laid out for us making it easy do the meditation. It can sometimes feel harder not to practise! When […]

Can you tell us a little about your lineage? Is it part of the Thai Forest Tradition? Yes, our lineage is the Ajahn Chah and Sumedho lineage, and we are part of the Thai Forest Tradition. We belong to a network of monasteries spread around the world. Most of them are in Thailand, but there […]

I arrived at Mandali on a Sunday afternoon. After the opening ceremony, the day was coming to an end, when I joined my first yoga practice in temple. As I was closing my eyes, breathing consciously, letting in clear energy and releasing what no longer served me, the forehead of a big white elephant emerged […]

Over the millennia, humanity has struggled with deep and pressing problems: suffering in our hearts, conflict in our communities, war among nations and the degradation of our planet. Not a moment passes without a major news outlet drawing attention to our deeply troubling times. These issues are typically given cursory explanations with little, if any, […]

Our life can be a wonderful experience, but it can also be mediocre and unfulfilling. At times, we feel free and full of potential, but other times, we find ourselves lost, unsure of what we truly want. We often invest our energy and potential into activities that lack meaning and fall into habits designed primarily […]

At Mandali, some retreats, like the Enlightenment Intensive led by Peter Harper and his team, need a bit more explanation to reveal their true potential. Though its promise of self-discovery may seem daunting, it’s an open and welcoming experience for anyone ready to dive deep. In this blog, we’ll share insights into why this retreat […]

January is the silent month at Mandali. Everybody becomes silent, including the staff. So silent that you hear the wind, the birds, your breath. So silent that you feel yourself again, that you become aware of the very silent being that inhabits you.  I love it, and most of my retreats are at least partially in […]

What happens when two traditions merge into a one-of-a-kind retreat? At Mandali, we value diversity in lineages, teaching styles, and practices, so, when two of our beloved in-house teachers decided to bring their teachings together, it felt like a cosmic cocktail. This collaboration birthed the Wholeness in Healing retreat, blending QiGong, KumNye (Tibetan Yoga), and Breathwork.  […]

Dr. David Hawkins created the consciousness scale, a framework for understanding human emotions and behaviour based on their energy levels and frequency. Each level on the scale represents a different state of consciousness, accompanied by various emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. The scale ranges from 0 to 1000, with 0 being the lowest level of consciousness […]

Andrew Holecek is a former dental surgeon, concert pianist, competitive freestyle skier, and now author and teacher. He has practiced Beethoven’s sonatas in his lucid dreams, rehearsed lectures, incubated dreams to receive ideas for books, healed himself in dreams, had hyper-lucid dreams more real than waking reality, received precognitive dreams that accurately foretold physical events […]

‘Among things conducive to liberation, devotion (Bhakti) holds the supreme place. The seeking after one’s real nature is designated as devotion.’ – Vivekachudamani, verse 31 Conventionally, devotion is considered to be to God, who seems to be at an infinite distance from oneself. The author of the Vivekachudamani, Adi Shankara, suggests that of all the pathways that lead […]

Emilio, what is it about the work you teach that inspires you in your day-to-day? What truly inspires me daily about the work I teach is its transformative power in continuously revealing and challenging my own patterns and behaviours. This process brings into sharp focus the contrast between these habitual patterns and the deeper, more […]

What does generosity feel like? Generosity is the quality of being kind and sharing that kindness freely with others without expecting something in return. It’s the natural way our heart interacts in the world when it feels safe, secure, and bountiful. Generosity goes beyond material possessions and can include giving time, attention, compassion, skills, or […]

What is poetry? Forget everything you might have been taught about it, any rules around rhythms or rhymes. Forget the rigid structures and the conditioning that led us to believe only a select few chosen ones could dare call themselves ‘poets’. Poetry, at its core, is about expressing truth. When written, and especially when read […]

First things first, why ‘Money-Desire-Power’? What inspired this provocative trio as a theme for your upcoming retreat?  It’s not a trio, it’s a trilogy or a tragedy because, if they are unconscious, they create pain and chaos. They can also be enjoyable and transformative tools depending on the view and approach.  Look, life is provoking […]

What do the elements have to do with our own personal experiences?  I believe that the elements as we experience and see them in the outside world, in nature, are not separate from our internal nature, they are like a mirror. We all have fire, water, earth, and air, as a part of our structure, […]

Today, we celebrate MOVEMENT! There is something magical that happens when we consciously move, whether it’s in a yoga class, walking, hiking, dancing or whichever way you love to shake and wiggle your being. Movement of all forms plays such a big part of our spiritual and wellbeing practices, and also in what we offer […]

Summer is upon us and we are feeling the heat of this especially warm year! It can be challenging to find energy and can become a little overwhelming, especially if we are not on vacation and have a busy day. Here are some suggestions from our beloved yoga teacher & wellness coach Julia on how […]

Chances are that if you’ve been at Mandali, you’ve had the pleasure of savouring some of the delicious, heart warming dishes lovingly prepared by Chef Viramo. A coming together of traditional Italian recipes, wholesome vegetarian stews, fresh crispy salads and of course, his unforgettable Tiramisu, his cooking is a part of the essence of what […]

Real Happiness is not based on external circumstances. This is one of the main lessons we receive in our studies of yoga philosophy, so how can you feel more happiness even if life is not always up to giving it? These are the 6 keys to happiness: 1. Know Yourself Get to know yourself on […]

When I was in my late teens and after moving out from my parents home, I was living in a small apartment in Italy that was located on a busy main street. At times when I was in the kitchen preparing a cup of tea or doing nothing in particular, I would notice that the […]

The fastest way to improve your meditation practice is to see everything you do during the day as an opportunity to cultivate pristine awareness. Show up for life with eyes wide open! Show up for the small stuff especially. That’s where you want to fall asleep. It’s easy for the mind to wander when you […]

Recently, we have had a massive earthquake in Turkey. Due to human greed and negligence, the aftermath of the natural disaster was devastation. A few days after the tragedy, I went to teach at a Mandali Experience and a very dear friend of mine went to the devastation zone to help. After we both returned, […]

In this inquisitive and open conversation with George, we learn about his journey of becoming a young father, building his life and family according to his vision of a world more connected to the earth. He is also an integral part of our Mandali family, passionately taking care of our gardens and grounds. All the […]

What’s the most rewarding thing about getting older? I experience that time has more space. I can breathe deeply, I experience more space inside my container, like it is getting bigger inside. The capacity of including more things, situations are less black and white. There is an understanding that brings grace, and I am more […]

We are living in some unprecedented times. Many people are struggling and words like pressure, rush, mental health, suicide, social media, addiction, drugs – these are almost the new normal.  As a result, more and more people have trouble with finding themselves in a good place emotionally and mentally. What is that feeling that something […]

When we start a new project or interact with new people, relationships in general and intimate relationships, we need a certain ground, a certain degree of self-confidence that we will be able to handle what comes up and can deal with potential difficulties and unforeseen events. We need to feel relaxed,settled in ourselves and ready […]

Freedom is a word, a practice, an action, a feeling, and a state of mind. We often speak of our right to live in a free environment but what exactly does this mean? There are precious moments where individual decisions can really make a difference to society at large. The wrong word or action can […]

Every creature on this planet has at least one superpower. Ants can carry 50 times theirown bodyweight, hummingbirds can fly backwards, humans can express gratitude. Thismay sound trite, but gratitude is our superpower. A superpower we know about, pay lipservice too, but don’t fully take into our hearts and honour. There is plenty of scientific […]

I never really understood the practice of Loving Kindness, metta, until recently. Sure, I had readabout it, heard about it in my trainings, practiced it, and even taught it, but somehow I didn’t‘quite get it’. That is until I read Christina Feldman’s book Boundless Heart, The Buddha’s Pathof Kindness, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity. In her […]

Let your morning routine be like a homecoming,  a place of belonging. Something you get excited about when you close your eyes before going to sleep. It’s an intimate offering, a part of you, like a friend that is always by your side.

Summer is here, and there is so much to celebrate. Travel season is finally open, the weather is amazing and I feel light, energetic and hopeful. People around me are smiling, I live in the South of France and the combination of rivers, mountains, beach (and the aperitivo) is simply intoxicating. All of life’s regular challenges seem […]

1. ​Spend as much time in nature as possible and oxygenate the brain and body. This might seem obvious but in this world of urban living and busyness, we spend too much time in our isolated, unventilated homes. Commit to going on daily short walks and going into a natural park for longer periods at […]

What is the difference between compulsive thinking and voluntary thinking, and how can we get out of the loop of repetitive thoughts that we don’t benefit from? How can meditation help us separate our ego from our true nature? Shastro shares his insights from a lifelong practice of meditation, explaining the ego’s role in obsessive thinking, desire to control the future, and why we identify with our thoughts.

What happens when we make big plans and life goals, and a year later we realize none of them got carried out? How can we avoid falling into patterns of perfectionism, how do we let go of ingrained ideas about how things should or shouldn’t be and simply live in the ‘now’? Read what Marije has to say about having cake for lunch, letting go of unnecessary planning and learning to love what is already there.