AwaKin Europe

Location: Salzburg, Austria

Duration: --

We stand at a rare moment in history—a time when multiple systems are simultaneously revealing their limitations. The political landscape reflects deep polarization, our ecological systems signal distress, and our social fabric shows signs of fraying.

Our collective orientation has long been fixated on external solutions—technological fixes, policy reforms, structural adjustments—while often relegating the inner transformation that must accompany outer change. As Einstein famously noted, we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that created them. The most profound innovations of our time may well emerge not from laboratories or legislatures, but from the transformed consciousness that sees with new eyes.

As old structures falter, we have the opportunity to ask: What new possibilities might emerge if we approach these challenges not from fear or ideological rigidity, but from the intelligence of the heart?

We invite you to join us for a retreat to explore what it truly means to lead with heart during these tipping point times—to stand in the clearing with profound presence and possibility.

AwaKin stands for awakening, but together. Without leaving anyone behind. Such a path represents a commitment to three essential dimensions:

  • Awakening the Mind — Cultivating wisdom, presence, and clarity that embraces our inherent interconnection.
  • Opening the Heart — Nurturing boundless compassion that responds to suffering with both tenderness and fierce love.
  • Engaging the Hands — Translating insights into skillful action that serve life in all its forms.

THE RETREAT

The heart's intelligence isn't merely personal—it's profoundly collective. When we gather in a field of shared intention, something greater than the sum of our individual awareness becomes possible.

To that end, our retreat will unfold around three axes:

  • ME: throughout our time together, we'll engage in personal practices from silent meditation and walks among the serene mountain backdrop. How do I skilfully discern between my inner voice and ego voice?
  • WE: we'll sit in circles, learn from each other's thought leadership, stories and experiences, and hold deep questions with a heart of not knowing. What can we do together than we can't do alone?
  • US: as heart coherence among individuals synchronizes, it creates a field effect and amplifies our collective capacity for wisdom and compassion. We won't know about what emerges here until we get there, but if the past is any precedent, we are ready to ride the waves of grace! What grows here?

Aligning with that inspiration, we will reflect deeply on how we might translate ancient principles into modern applications of reducing the myriad forms of suffering that now plague today's societies. Rather than approaching our global challenges as problems to be fixed, though, we'll explore them as invitations to evolve — personally and collectively. This reframe shifts us from a posture of anxiety and urgency to one of creative possibility and deep listening.

Together, we'll create a field of shared inquiry where the conventional boundaries between inner and outer, traditional and innovative, personal and systemic, begin to dissolve.

WWW -- Who, Where, When?

WHO: The AwaKin Retreat brings together an extraordinary constellation of wisdom keepers, change-makers and innovators from diverse realms of human endeavor. This year's invites include monastics, renowned spiritual teachers, an elected US Senator, a Grammy-winning musician, a Qi-gong master, a prominent Chinese entrepreneur and many leaders from the nonprofit sector, AI startups, and more! Check out the list of past participants -- and an early guestlist for this retreat.

WHERE: Nestled in the ancient embrace of Austria's Salzburg Lungau mountains, we'll gather at the 500 year-old historic Hotel Post, at the heart of Mauterndorf's market square. The sweeping landscapes of the Central Alps and warm hospitality of family-run facilities are an invitation to slow down and attune to the larger arcs of emergence. 

WHEN: The retreat starts on Sept 26th at 4PM (CEST) and ends on Sep 29th at 1PM (CEST). Everyone is required to be present for the full duration of the retreat as a commitment to the whole.

JOIN US

If you feel called to explore what it means to meet our world's complexities with both wisdom and tenderness, to serve from a place of wholeness rather than fragmentation, and to participate in translating timeless principles into tomorrow's skillful expressions, we would love to have you join this gathering!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Today's world is designed around cultivating the intelligence of the head and hands, but we have very limited spaces to understand and grow our hearts. If we can tap into the intersection of hands, head and heart and even go a step beyond to lead with our heart's intelligence, we can ignite the 'law of love' that Gandhi said would work with just as much precision as the laws that govern gravity and electricity. In this retreat, we aim to collectively ignite that intelligence of heart and reflect on its skilful application for personal and collective transformation. (For a bit of a flavor of the emergence, here are some glimpses from a recent gathering.)

This retreat is hosted by a group of ordinary individuals, who come alive in doing small acts of kindness. ServiceSpace volunteers behind this particular retreat have hosted thousands of circles and hundreds of Moved by Love retreats; moreover, they have supported many projects from DailyGood to Karma Kitchen.

  • Inspiring participants. Lots of great hearts are coming together!
  • Uncommon questions. For quick-fix, binary, either-or answers, we already have Google; we aim to hold questions to lean into its nuances first.
  • Noble Friendships. Our hope is to nurture a rich matrix of friendships among unlikely friends.
  • Volunteer Run. It's run entirely by volunteers, so there's no solicitation, pitches, agendas. Just practice of love.

It will be held at the historic Hotel Post. Tucked in the timeless air of Austria's Salzburg Lungau mountains, this 500 year-old, family-operated gem has housed a stunning cross-section of travellers and pilgrims, enterprising entrepreneurs, actors and sports magnates, politicians and even European royalty like King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Today, its heart and soul can be traced to current beloved chief landlady, chef, and matriarch -- 93 year-old Mother Mayr. Renovated over centuries with attention to preserving regional traditions and handcrafted furniture, the space provides a powerful container for our exploration -- where the majestic nature of the Central Alps, mixed with the rich cultural heritage of the town of Mauterndorf, offers a bright backdrop for our explorations in interdependence and transformation.

All ServiceSpace retreats are offered as a no-strings-attached gift, made possible by gratitude offerings from past alumni. At the end of all retreats, everyone has an opportunity to keep the chain alive and pay it forward with money, time or other expressions of wealth -- for future guests.

The retreat formally begins on 6:00PM (CEST) on Sep 26th (Friday), 2025. Please ensure you reach the retreat venue before that. If needed, outstation guests are welcome to arrive on the previous evening.

Retreat ends at Monday, Sep 29th @ 1PM (CEST). 

Please note that we ask all attendees to be present with us for the entire duration of the retreat. And during the retreat, you won’t have space to take other meetings or step out of the campus.

Through our time together, we will sit in circles to learn from each other’s experiments and challenges; hear and engage with some innovative speakers across sectors; engage in many group practices that nurture our collective inner transformation. Plenty of opportunities to engage the head, hands and of course the heart. Plus a few surprises!

Over last twelve years, thousands have joined from a wide-ranging backgrounds. Perhaps what brought them together was a simple organizing principle: We are not merely what we do, but who we become by what we do. If you resonate with the notion that inner change and outer change are intrixicably intertwined, and if you are moved to cultivate deep connections with kindred spirits, this retreat will likely speak to you! Beyond that, we'd recommend leaning in your heart's intuition -- more often than not, 'heart knows today what the mind will know tomorrow.' :)

To facilitate deeper connections, we limit the group size of our gatherings -- and give priority to project initiators who are anchoring local projects in their contexts.


Contact Us

This retreat is by invite only. If you have been invited by one of the hosts and have a question, do reach out anytime.