Radical Honesty 8-Day Intensive Retreat
Transform Your Life by Telling the Truth and Living Out Loud
SyVilla, Parkano, Finland | 4-12 June 2024
Led by Certified Trainers, Tuulia Syvänen and Pete Jordan
“The 8-Day workshop is an experiential course in living out loud, increasing your capacity for intimacy and creativity, and living your life on purpose, instead of residing in the jail of your mind and reacting to life’s circumstances while believing you’re in control.”
– Brad Blanton, Radical Honesty founder
- Do you ever dream of being heard and fully seen?
- Do you yearn to be in real connection with yourself and understand your emotions?
- Do you want to improve your relations and the way you connect with others?
…but so far you’ve been holding yourself back, limited by your fears, shame and other emotions, which you can’t always identify. You’re stuck in your reactive mind and disconnected from the body.
Yet if you’re ready to transform your life, join us for
8-day intensive Radical Honesty workshop in our beautiful retreat center SyVilla in Parkano, Finland!
Here’s what you will experience:
Authentic Connection
The key to intimacy is honesty. Learn the core honesty skills as a way to transform yourself and your relationships.
Transformational Communication
Clear and direct communication is a game-changer. Learn the tools to resolve conflict both within yourself and with others.
Self-expression & Self-compassion
Discover what wants to be expressed moment-to-moment while cultivating the tools for self-compassion.
A Supportive Environment
There are so few places where you can be your FULL self. Use this supportive environment to discover who you really are in the moment and emerge a changed person.
The Immersive Experience
There’s nothing like the full-time, communal experience of a Radical Honesty immersive workshop. To really see yourself anew, notice how you’ve held yourself back, and relearn how to connect authentically with others, you need time, community, and great facilitators.
Who is this for?
Anyone! You don’t need to have any previous experience with Radical Honesty.
However, if you:
- desire more depth and presence in your life – especially in relationships
- feel like you’re stuck in life, found yourself asking: what do I truly want?
- struggle with being present, want to live more in the moment
- are a recovering people pleaser, sick of being quiet and prioritizing others before you
- are in a moment of change and transition: divorce, career shift, grieving
- need to work on accepting your body and love yourself fully
- want to learn how to set healthy boundaries
- yearn to heal your relationships with full-body forgiveness
The 8-day intensive workshop may be especially benefitial for you.
How do we work?
Throughout your 9 days at the workshop, Tuulia and Pete will lead the group through a series of learnings in Radical Honesty, including:
- honesty skills training,
- lectures,
- paired and group exercises,
- hot seat work,
- couple’s work,
- meditation and movement,
- naked work,
- and life stories.
Watch this video to hear us (and others) talking about the RH 8-day intensive workshop:
About your trainers:
Pete: I am the only certified Radical Honesty trainer in the Benelux countries. Working alongside my (romantic and business) partner Tuulia, I organize and co-lead RH workshops around Europe. Workshop participants have told me I have great listening and observing skills. I enjoy continually improving these skills as I support others to live happier, freer lives. A major breakthrough for me was having honest talks with my ex-partners and family members. I have broken the traditions of my childhood family and began to talk about things I was too afraid and embarrassed to talk about.
Tuulia: I am a certified Radical Honesty trainer from Finland and have led the most Radical Honesty workshops in Europe, by now around 100. For two decades, I held leadership positions at international, non-profit organizations that are concerned with social and environmental justice issues. I grew up in a dysfunctional family where expressing feelings of any kind (both negative and positive) was frowned upon. I became passionate about self-expression and self-awareness, and learned the importance of me setting my boundaries and of me speaking up. I’ve changed my life for the better by practicing Radical Honesty. I have more loving, honest and evolving relationships in my life (especially those with my son, my parents and my partner).
What Brad Blanton says about our trainers:
“If you do a workshop with Tuulia, it’ll change your life. […] Pete is a calm, level-headed and compassionate trainer. He’s a good listener and has a great ability to stay present and focused.”
In the beautiful SyVilla you will:
connect in a deep way with others. Talk about the things that are shameful or embarrassing or difficult for you to talk about. Experience compassion. Learn to express whatever arises in you in the moment: excitement, fear, anger, attraction, appreciation, embarrassment, happiness. Experience the sensations in your body as they arise. Learn and practice being present in the here and now. All by enjoying Finnish saunas and the nature of Perkano!
ARE YOU READY TO TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE?
The program
Daily Schedule
- Morning: Conscious movement (20 min), meditation (20 min), breakfast, followed by morning session of teaching, group discussions, and paired exercises.
- Midday: Healthy lunch and a restorative siesta.
- Afternoon: “Hot seat” work, further teachings, meditation, movement/dance, and more small group exercises. Around fifth day: naked work.
- Evening (around 8pm): Dinner, followed by individual life story sharing sessions (approx. 45 mins per person).
Key workshop Elements
- Life Stories. By the time the workshop has ended, each participant will have told their own life story and will have heard the telling of everyone else’s. Each person will also receive a copy of the video recording of them telling their story. They can later watch their video with their parents, (ex-)spouses, siblings, lovers and friends with whom they have unfinished business in life and use the video-watching as a way to start honest conversations.
- Naked work. On about the fifth day, we’ll all get naked. One at a time we’ll stand in front of the group and talk about what we like and don’t like about our body. We’ll also tell our sexual histories: when we first discovered we were a sexual being, when we first masturbated, whether we prefer doing it with men/women/vegetables/minerals/etc., how many partners of each gender we’ve had sex with, our favorite and least favorite sexual experiences, and so on. Though likely embarrassing, this honesty, facilitated by expert coaching and group support, helps us face and overcome shame and fears. This exercise, often misconstrued as “sexy,” instead focuses on the suffering caused by hiding these aspects of ourselves. Those who are most apprehensive often experience the greatest transformation!
- Reviewing videos of naked work. Each person will sit in front of a television screen and observe their video, while receiving feedback about it. For some, this is even more intense than the original experience. Yet, this willingness to face discomfort can lessen shame and foster compassion for ourselves and others. And then, most likely, we’ll appreciate ourselves and others for doing this work and live more fulfilling lives with less shame about ourselves and our bodies. Just as with the life story video, each participant will receive a copy of their naked work video to share with others in his or her life. (And the original files of those recordings will then be deleted.)
As you can imagine, by the sixth or seventh day, people will have gotten to know themselves and each other pretty well. What happens—and it happens again and again with very diverse groups of people—is pretty much the same each time: Everyone falls in love with everyone else. Now, isn’t that a hell of a thing? Imagine all the time and energy we have wasted putting on acts and pretending who we are in hopes that others would love us for our performance, when actually what we needed all along was to drop the act and tell the truth—and be ourselves!
Transformation is often uncomfortable – which is why you will spend 9 days and 8 nights…
…in the villa! SyVilla, our beloved retreat center beside the crystal-clear Lake Kovesjärvi, offers a unique blend of history and natural beauty. Step into the carefully renovated, historical main building, or find lodging in a charmingly converted barn. Enter gatherings in the spacious kitchen and event area, then relax on the rain-covered terrace. Experience traditional Finnish saunas – a cozy smoke sauna, a lakeside wood-fired sauna, and even a smoke sauna by the water. Indulge in the warmth of a wood-burning hot tub or jacuzzi, or wander down to the sandy beach, lakeside hangouts and our own little private island.
Leisure time is yours to define. Fish from the shore, take a refreshing swim, or simply soak up the sun. Cozy fire pits await for starlit evenings, and bikes are ready for exploring the surroundings. Test your skills with SUP boarding, frisbee golf, croquet, or basketball, or unwind with a friendly board game challenge. For the adventurous, horseback riding is available nearby.
Our expansive property in Parkano has 170 meters of lakefront and is 11 kilometers from the city center. We’re located 80 kilometers north of Tampere and 260 kilometers north of Helsinki, and we can arrange transport for you from the railway station (17 kilometers away).
Lodging
The accommodation will be in two-person bedrooms or you can choose to stay in a 3-person bunk bed room, a wood Hammock (Tentsile), yurt, or bring your own tent.
Read more about Syvilla here
What Participants say about our Radical Honesty 8-day workshops:
“I judge this workshop to be one of the best things I’ve done so far in the area of life improvement (and I’ve done some). I feel tempted to say ‘life changing’ as I now navigate through the world with a sense of freedom & expansion unknown to me before. I felt very safe & seen during the entire, very intense time. I judge Tuulia & Pete to be highly competent coaches and inspiringly authentic.”
Silke
“After having already done a few Radical Honesty workshops, the 8-day intensive went much deeper and showed me even more than before what stories I tell myself to make myself unhappy. By being in this environment for a longer amount of time and with the closeness created in the group, I took a big step in knowing who I really am and daring to show myself.”
Arjen
“I attended two intensive 8-day retreats with Tuulia and Pete. Both have been very powerful experiences that changed my life profoundly. I cried, laughed, shook, danced, shouted, cuddled, whispered, sang. I told the story of my life and was naked with people I had met only a few days before. And I survived. And I fell in love with these strangers. And I fell in love with myself. Today, I breathe and live more freely. Thank you.”
Anna
Investment
Early Bird
- Double room
- Yurt
Valid until: 30 April 2024
Early Bird
- 3-4 person rooms
- Tent
- Camper
- Tentsile (wood hammock)
Valid until: 30 April 2024
Regular Price
- Double room
After 30 April 2024
What will you get in this price?
- 8 day intensive workshop: exercises, coaching by certified trainers, transformative group process
- accommodation in a forest villa
- daily sauna access
- healthy vegetarian/vegan meals
- snack available at all time
- follow up & integration call
- ongoing support of the group to Live Out Loud
The price does not include travel to the location, however we can coordinate a taxi van for the participants to and from Parkano railways station.
Kindly bring your own sheets & towels. Alternatively, you can rent sheet and towels at the location for 20 euros, paid in cash on arrival.
More information: single rooms, financial support, cancellations
- We have a single room available for additional fee of €120. Email us in case you want to book it.
- In cases of financial hardship, we are willing to create longer payment schedules. Please get in touch with us and we’ll work out a solution together.
- Cancellation terms: Please note that we do not offer refunds. However, you can transfer your ticket to another person. Let us know via email if someone else will fill your spot. We advice you to have an insurance covering the fee in case of a cancellation due to sickness.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the workshop begin and end?
The workshop will begin at around 17:00 on Tuesday 4 June and will finish at around 13:00 on Wednesday 12 June. We do recommend arriving a day early in order to land and get grounded before we start the intense work. If possible, take a day off work and any intense duties after the workshop.
Who can participate?
Anyone! No prior experience with Radical Honesty is required. You will, though, have to agree to the workshop’s commitments: to keep confidentiality, to tell the truth, to support others in telling the truth, to be on time and present, to allow the trainers to coach you and to ask for what you want. We also recommend you read Brad Blanton’s books Radical Honesty and/or Practicing Radical Honesty before the workshop.
Team
The workshop leaders will be certified Radical Honesty Trainers—and married couple—Tuulia Syvänen and Pete Jordan.
Commitment
Everyone at the workshop will be expected to commit to participate in every session, including the naked work, body movement, meditation and telling of life stories. If you have any concerns with any of the program, we are happy to discuss those concerns with you.
How and when does one register?
We expect this workshop to be fully booked (as have the other 8-day workshops we’ve organized and/or led in Finland, Germany, Italy and Spain).
So, if you want to attend, we suggest that you book your spot sooner rather than later. To sign up or to receive more information, please write to: info@HonestyEurope.com
How to get there?
Take the train from Helsinki to Parkano. The train departs about every two hours and the trip takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes.
From Helsinki airport, first take the commuter train to the Tikkurila station and then from there take the train to Parkano.
There is also a bus connection from Helsinki to Parkano, which is cheaper though takes about 90 minutes longer than the train connection.
From Parkano, we will r organize a large taxi van.
You can also cycle or drive to the retreat site (and if you do drive, we will probably ask you to carpool with others).
Can I arrive early or stay longer?
Sure! We invite you to take longer holidays by the lake. You can arrive a day early or stay a day or two later in this lovely retreat center for €80 per night. You can relax and enjoy the peaceful nature, sauna, hot tub, jacuzzi and swimming. If you have a car, you can visit the national parks and amazing old forests in the region. The fee includes breakfast and help yourself meals. The retreat center has several buildings, three kitchens and wood tent (Tentsile).
Get in touch with us in case you want to take up this option!
Do you have a support fund?
If paying for this retreat is a financial challenge to you, then please be aware of the existence of the Honesty Europe Support Fund, which offers financial support to those who otherwise could not afford to attend Honesty Europe’s workshops and retreats. Read more about the Support fund here.
Do you provide support for BIPOC?
If you are low income and are black, indigenous or a person of color (BIPOC), you can request a discount from us. Message your request to us at: info@HonestyEurope.com Note: we might take a few days to answer your request.
What are the workshop agreements?
(required for participation)
In this workshop, we will strive to create an environment and space where everyone feels safe to express their emotions, share their thoughts and experiment with each other. Therefore, we require all workshop participants and workshop leaders to agree to the below agreements.
On the first evening of the workshop, we will devote time to discussing each of the agreements and addressing any questions anyone has about them before we actually agree to them. If you have questions or concerns about any of this, please contact us at: info@HonestyEurope.com.
So, are you ready? Read the workshop agreements
Brad Blanton—Radical Honesty founder—says this about the 8-day intensive workshop:
“In our workshops, we get together to make some agreements about what we will do together for the next nine days. One of the most important agreements is that we will tell the truth to each other completely for the next nine days. If that was all that occurred, and there were no other agenda whatsoever, the course would be powerful because the power of that agreement alone is incredible.”
1. I agree to tell my truth.
(You decide how much you want to share and we do invite you to explore going a bit outside your comfort zone in sharing.)
2. I agree to support others in telling their truth.
(Being willing to remain present and willing to hear others sharing.)
3. I agree to keep confidentiality.
(No sharing things about workshop participants to people outside the workshop without the participant’s consent.)
4. I agree to be on time and present.
(You’ll be on time for the workshop sessions and stay until the end of them. You’ll be physically present and do your best to also be mentally present (e.g. by leaving your phone outside the workshop space, etc.).)
5. I agree to ask for what I want.
(An invitation for you to voice and ask for everything you want. We do not guarantee, though, that you will get everything you ask for.)
6. I agree to take more than I give.
(Keep the focus on yourself rather than on others. You are allowed to speak, take time, take space and take care of yourself. We invite the others to do so as well.)
7. I agree to only consensual touch.
(No touching others without their permission; no physical violence.)
8. I agree to be led by the workshop leaders.
(Being willing to try out the proposed language in coaching situations and join the exercises during the workshop.)
The agreements are required for participation. We will discuss them together at the beginning of the workshop. If you have questions or concerns about any of this, please contact us at: info@HonestyEurope.com.
Ready to live out loud and be happy?
You are warmly welcome to join us on the journey to an honest life!
