Sabbatical Announcement for 2025

Dear friends,

We want to let you know that we will be taking a sabbatical for the year 2025. This means there will be no International Gay Retreat or Intimate Connection Weekend during this time. The reason for this pause is that we need to dedicate our energy to a couple of other important projects in our lives.

We are considering returning in 2026, so if you’re interested in future events, please sign up for our newsletter through the contact form on our website. We’ll keep you updated and send an email if and when new events are planned.

As we take this break, we will deeply miss the incredible men who have joined us over the last 12 years, especially those who attended multiple times and became such an integral part of our community. Your presence, energy, and connections have meant the world to us, and we’re so grateful for all the memories we’ve shared together.

In the meantime, we’re excited to share that Hunter, from Spirit Journeys, will be organizing a Maria Magdalin trip in Europe in 2025, as well as hosting additional events in the USA. If this interests you, visit the "Spirit Journeys" page on this website or go directly to www.spiritjourneys.com for more details.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support. We look forward to connecting with you again soon!

Warm wishes,
Danny, Hunter & the GaySpiritFriends Team

IN SHORT: WHAT IS OUR WEEKEND ABOUT? 
Our carefully curated program delves into a spectrum of themes that resonate with the diverse experiences of GBTQ-men.
Whether you're navigating friendships, pursuing relationships, grappling with loneliness, healing from heartache, hooked on dating apps, longing for physical touch, or wanting to join into playfulness with other men, this weekend is designed to address these themes and the various facets of your journey.

THE PROGRAM
The program incorporates a balance of group sessions and leisure time to connect with each other. Guided movement practices, deep sharing, breath work, visualizations, journaling, personal contemplation, playful group exercises and buddy work are just some of the activities offered during the workshop.

No previous experience is necessary for any of the activities planned.
Loving and attentive instruction, guidance and support is provided throughout the workshop. All you need to do is to show up with openness and enthusiasm to fully participate in the group activities and take full advantage of the opportunity to be in the company of other GBTQ men in a setting free from pretense and superficiality. The foundation of all our retreats and workshops is a remarkable experience of intimacy, trust, nurturing, and honest communication which unfolds among the participants.
Our Intimate Connection Weekend is designed to help you open your heart, grow your capacity for intimacy, and build healthy, resilient relationships. Together, we will explore and release the things that keep us from having fulfilling relationships with other men. With the support of our brothers, we will unlock our minds and hearts and allow ourselves to love and to be loved.

Drawing on the latest discoveries of interpersonal neurobiology, somatic experiencing, evolutionary biology and positive psychology, we will explore such topics as:

- Cultivating Safety, Trust, Vulnerability, and Intimacy;
- Working through the Fears and Habits that Sabotage Intimacy;
- Creating Deeply Embodied Connection;
- Building The Foundations for Strong Relationships;

Our time together will be exploratory, embodied, experiential, and inspirational.
We will look deeply at ourselves and uncover the stories and wounds that keep us from living a free and joyous life. We will see through these stories and bring love to these wounds, freeing ourselves to be ourselves, our true selves.
The freer we are, the more open we are to others and the easier love can find its way into our lives. Nothing is sexier or more lovable than authenticity!
We will give ourselves and each other the safety and permission to open ourselves to pleasure, joy, and laughter. 

TIME SCHEDULE Intimate Connection Weekend 2024
The schedule may be subject to minor changes. No rights can be derived from this schedule.

ABOUT OUR ACCOMMODATION

The old stone farmhouse dates back to + / - 1650 and originally served as a syrup distillery. Nowadays the farmhouse is used as a holiday accommodation after thorough renovation.

The accommodation is situated on a hill with beautiful views over the meadows. It is located in Herve, in the triangle Maastricht-Liege-Aachen. The accommodation has a large capacity and an interesting layout of rooms and floors. It exudes nostalgia and atmosphere and has many surprising rooms and corners to discover. The property also has a large attractive workshop space, where we will withdraw for the workshops.

OVERVIEW OF ALL PRACTICAL INFORMATION