Private Retreats
Renew. Grow. Energize.
Get started with a Private Retreat with one of iamHeart's certified retreat guides!
To request a private retreat, click the button below. Please give us your name, form of contact, and any other information you believe to be relevant to your private retreat. This way we can pair you with the perfect guide!
What is a Private Retreat?
The most intensive form of the iamHeart training is the private retreat. On retreat one can dedicate themselves to the spiritual practice of opening and developing the heart through Heart Rhythm Meditation.
We draw upon an ancient spiritual tradition following the example of those masters, saints and prophets who have pioneered the method of spiritual retreats. The iamHeart retreat guides offer wisdom, experience, training, and presence to the retreatant. The retreat is conducted in solitude, in a specially prepared environment. The retreat guide spends two hours a day with you, first to offer a schedule of meditations for the day and later to review the day and discuss the evening program. This is an individually designed process according to your emotional state and spiritual stage.
Daily breath work, Heart Rhythm Meditation, sounds, prayers, songs, music, walks in nature, journaling, and talks with the guide are all tools in the process. You will be “on retreat” continually; even the breaks for meals and sleeping are part of the practice.
It is an unparalleled delight to be in your heart, immersed in love, for days at a time.
Robin Kalimi Carpenter began her daily practice of Heart Rhythm Meditation in 2002 and has since become a certified Teacher, Retreat Guide, Mentor, and Hurqalya Healer. She is an iamU graduate who teaches local HRM classes and leads a local HRM group. Robin has been a business professional in health insurance for 33 years, is married to Jack Carpenter who also practices HRM, and has two adult children.
“Personal retreats are the most integrative and fulfilling component of this path of the heart. I have taken a dozen or more personal retreats myself and share my love of this process by guiding our beloved retreatants. The energetic shifts and spiritual breakthroughs achieved on retreat are significant and amazing, giving lasting changes to the retreatant and thereby the world! It is a joy to me to experience the transformation of each retreatant.” – Robin Carpenter
Location: Bakersfield, CA
The retreat space is a lovely one-bedroom casita/guest house in the back yard of our home with a beautiful atmosphere. The casita contains a living room, small kitchen, bedroom and bathroom with shower. In the fenced yard there is an 11 circuit (Chartres) labyrinth, a patio area with a gas fire pit, and a fountain and rose flowerbed. The hummingbirds are plentiful! The gated community neighborhood is residential with hills and flat areas for walking, views of the mountains, and a nearby park with swings.
Bonnie has a deep reverence for retreat practice, as she began taking meditation retreats in her teens. She has been active in iamHeart for nearly 20 years, serving as Mentor, Teacher, and more recently became a Hurqalya Healer. Bonnie focuses on applying the power of breath and heart to address life challenges, accomplish goals, clarify purpose and to more beautifully serve our deepest ideals. She was certified as an iamHeart Retreat Guide in 2010 and has been actively guiding retreats ever since.
“My wish for retreatants is to deeply experience the One Heart within the Self, in a supportive space surrounded by Beauty.The depth of retreat practice leads to transformation in realization and in all arenas of life. Retreats are customized for you, through conferring with you and your iamHeart Mentor.” – Bonnie Colby
Location: Tucson, AZ
Bonnie is a university professor and specializes in water and environmental challenges and conflict resolution. She has lived and worked with indigenous communities on several continents, learning to appreciate the role of culture and ritual in spirituality. She is certified in Dr. Stephen Porges Safe & Sound Protocol, to assist with nervous system balance and wellness.
Bonnie lives in a rural neighborhood in Tucson with her husband Ted. The retreat space in their home has a spacious bedroom with separate entry and private bath, a large shaded porch with kitchenette, and access to nature trails through the surrounding desert. A dozen baby quail emerged from their eggs nested on the porch, to the delight of one retreatant. A mother bobcat has been raising her kittens on the roof this autumn. The sunrise and sunset vistas are inspiring.
Sherry is an iamU graduate and Hurqalya Healer.
“What I love about the personal retreat is that it is not a one-size-fits-all since your retreat is geared to you, your level of experience, your step of realization and your pressing needs. I will visit with you prior to your retreat about what your intention is whether it be a current pressing need such as health, relationships, purpose, furthering your spiritual growth, or healing heart wounds. Some of you may not be clear on your intention and that is okay too as Susanna and Puran have designed this process to naturally bring up what is needed and give you a breakthrough to a new level of realization. One beauty of the personal retreat is it is a safe place for you to address whatever is important for you so you can gain deep internal knowledge.” – Sherry Nelson
Location: Emporia, KS
My home sits on 80 acres in the Flinthills of Kansas. The retreat space is in a peaceful, quiet atmosphere. You have your own private space with a bathroom and small kitchen. There is a private entrance to come and go as you please for your outdoor meditations, or your free time to take a walk in the country, down to the river, or just sit on the covered patio. The space is small but wonderful to hold your expanding energy throughout the week.
I would love you have you come to Kansas for your personal retreat. Feel free to call me so we can visit, and I will do my best to answer your questions and address your fears or concerns. You have a choice of airports- Wichita or Kansas City where I will pick you up, so you will not have to worry about finding transportation from the airport to my home.
Susan is an iamU graduate and Hurqalya Healer. She leads local HRM classes in her community and enjoys hosting regional gatherings of New England Heart Rhythm meditators in her home. She has worked as a counselor in the field of education for over thirty years.
“In my experience, a personal retreat is the most powerful way to connect with and nurture the innermost yearnings of one’s heart. My goal as a retreat guide is to create a safe and sacred space for retreatants to enter into and deepen this most intimate relationship that they have with their hearts. I love being in the sacredness of the atmosphere the heart creates, and the intensity of deep meditation. I look forward to guiding, holding and sharing in this experience with each retreatant as they gently explore the beauty that lies within their heart, and discover the power to become more fully who they really are.” – Susan Shawn
Location: Beverly, MA
Beverly is a quaint New England coastal town and my home is situated approximately 1.5 miles from the ocean. My retreat space offers a cozy, sunlit room with a twin bed, desk, closet space for clothing, and a shared bathroom. I can transport retreatants to the beach for sunrise and sunset practices if desired. Retreatants can access our yard and private back porch and our quiet suburban neighborhood is nice for walking. For long distance travelers, the closest airport is Logan International in Boston. In the event that I am unable to pick you up at the airport, there is an express bus that runs hourly from a location nearby.
For long distance travelers, please fly in to Logan. I am about 30 miles north of Boston.
Christopher (or “Chris”) Neithamer is pleased to co-own hOMe PYM Psychotherapy, Yoga, and Meditation with his wife Caroline.
Christopher has had a long journey of self-exploration, personal work, and training that led him from the Reconnaissance Marines to meditation, energy healing, and yoga.
His primary specialty is Hurqalya Energy Healing in which he spiritually treats issues such as depression, infertility, diabetes, emotional wounds, and more. He teaches alignment-based flow yoga and Heart Rhythm Meditation. His teaching style is warm, down-to-earth, safe, helpful, and caring.
Christopher’s greatest passion is helping others discover their hearts, so that they can live peaceful, joyful, loving lives of purpose and intention.
Please Advise: Christopher is currently only holding Online Retreats!
Alistair Hafiz Beattie first came to Heart Rhythm Meditationin 1999 and is now a certified teacher, mentor, retreat guide and Hurqalya healer. He has worked in the community sector in England for over 40 years and is now a self-employed consultant, giving managerial and development support to community organizations.
Heart Rhythm Meditation changed his life and he feels he owes so much to his discovery of HRM nearly 20 years ago.
“It has been my privilege and blessing to be a teacher of Heart Rhythm Meditation. It is a gift to pass on the benefits of these wonderful practices to others and to watch them grow to become more of their true selves as a result.
The retreat is the most powerful and ultimately rewarding experience that a person can have. It is a unique opportunity for personal growth and the gift of harmony and connection to the divine source/energy – however one experiences it… each retreat is a wonderful experience for the retreatant and guide alike.”
– Alistair Beattie
Location: Somerset, UK
We are in Clevedon, a small town near Bristol. It is only a short walk from a beautiful coastline. The retreat space is next door to the bathroom/shower. It has a view of our back garden and trees. It is large enough to be comfortable with a bed, table, desk for writing, space to create one’s own altar and a wardrobe to hang clothes.
Our nearest airports for long-distance travelers are London Heathrow and Gatwick. Bristol is around 1 hour 40 minutes by train and trains run every half hour. A train service operates from Heathrow to London Paddington station, where you can catch the train to Bristol Temple Meads station.
For European retreatants, we are only 7 miles from Bristol airport.
Shu-Fang has an MA in Arts Criticism, and was a music producer with her own record label. She is a healer, a trainer for several energy based psychotherapy modalities and a Heart Rhythm Meditation Teacher, Mentor, Retreat Guide. She has published three books and hosts regular workshops and courses on meditation and energy psychology.
“My wish is to provide a sacred, tranquil, beautiful haven in the sanctuary of nature for anyone who is seeking to journey towards the Self and ultimately towards the One Being. I love supporting people going through deep transformation and shifting self-realization through HRM practices. Retreat is a sacred and special opportunity for remembering, reconnecting, and becoming…”
Location: Taitung County, Taiwan
This sweet little wooden cottage is surrounded by trees and birds on a mountain in the wildness, with a front view of Pacific Ocean and backdrop of Dulan Mountain. Occasionally you will meet Shu-Fang’s animal companions – two cats and two dogs when you are wandering in the farm.
The nearest airport is Taitung Airport. For international travellers, please fly into Tao-yuan International Airport, and transfer to a domestic flight to Taitung in Taipei Sung-Shan airport.
The flight is 1 hour from Taipei to Taitung. You can also take train from Taipei to Taitung, which take around 3-4 hours.
Private Retreat Pricing and Refund Policy: Private retreats with any of the retreat guides shown above are $250/day, which includes lodging and meals. 50% of the total cost of a private retreat is due at the time of booking, and the remaining 50% is due one week prior to retreat start date. If you cancel your retreat more than 30 days prior to start date, you will receive a refund of your full payment less a $25 administrative fee. If the retreat is rescheduled to a different date, the administrative fee will be waived. If you cancel less than 30 days but more than seven days prior to start date, you will receive a full refund less $250. If you cancel less than seven days prior to retreat start date, you will be responsible for 50% of the total cost of the retreat. No refunds or substitutions will be given to students who depart early from a retreat for any reason. If iamHeart or the retreat guide cancels a retreat for any reason, a full refund will be issued.
We understand that issues arise, and we appreciate your thoughtful advance notice of any cancellation.
