Ten years ago, during Avalon’s 21-day retreat, I caught my first clear glimpse of the map of awakened consciousness. Today, a decade later, those teachings have become deeply rooted in the living practice of my own life. What I have come to understand is that genuine transformation asks two things of us: the healing of our humanity and the awakening of our soul. One restores our capacity to be fully human; the other reveals the timeless essence of who we truly are. Neither is complete without the other. The greatest gift I have received over the past decade has been learning to take complete responsibility for my own life. Through direct experience, I have come to understand that everything appearing in the outer world is but a reflection of what resides within. It is because of this realization that, regardless of the challenges, uncertainties, or hardships that arise, I am able to remain grounded in a place of inner stillness and unwavering certainty. The gifts of this journey have naturally extended beyond myself. The wisdom I received from Avalon has become something I now share with friends, clients, and students alike. Within the map of transformation that Avalon offers, the path of soul awakening reveals itself with remarkable clarity. The depth of experiences and insights that have emerged from this journey has allowed me to live more fully from the truth of who I am—not merely as a personality, but as a soul—and to embrace more completely the meaning of being alive within this time and space. Such an experience is among life’s rarest treasures. It opens the door to the deepest understanding of existence itself. If you find yourself struggling amidst the challenges of life, or if you feel a sincere longing to seek truth and walk a path of inner discovery, I wholeheartedly encourage you to embark upon this precious journey.

There is a saying in Zen: “First, the mountain is a mountain. Then, the mountain is not a mountain. Finally, the mountain is a mountain once again.” I used to read these words and only half understand them. It took walking this ten-year path, under my teacher’s guidance, for me to finally realize — this is not philosophy. These are three stages that can only be understood by walking them yourself. The Mountain Is a Mountain Before I met my teacher, I had attended every kind of meditation course I could find — three days, ten days, even a twenty-eight-day retreat in India. I tried so hard, grasping at whatever I encountered. But each time a course ended, the state would dissipate. My meditation was unstable, my insights unclear. The harder I searched outside, the more lost I felt within. How deeply I longed, in those days, to meet a true teacher — someone with a complete system who could guide me forward, step by step, with precision, so I would no longer have to wander in circles. The Mountain Is Not a Mountain In 2015, I attended my first 21-day retreat at Avalon. It was a magical journey — for the first time, I felt my soul come home. The feeling was utterly real. Not a concept, not imagination, but a true, living connection with myself, aligned with my Higher Self. From that moment on, I stopped searching outward, because I finally understood: the grace of the Divine had always been there. My teacher had simply guided me to the place where I could finally receive it. I returned for the 21-day retreat again in 2016 and 2017. Under my teacher’s guidance, my consciousness continued to expand, and my awakened state grew steadier and steadier — resting in samadhi, resting in the Source. The self I had once believed myself to be dissolved, layer by layer, and a new self was rebuilt in its place. Then my teacher entered a six-year retreat. In 2023, I had the honor of inviting her to emerge, and she returned with a more complete and refined map of spiritual evolution — one that has made this path clearer than ever before. The Mountain Is a Mountain Once Again During the 21-day retreat in 2025, I began, quite naturally, to experience no-self. The mountain is still the mountain. Life is still this life. But my relationship with everything has completely changed. No grasping, no running away — simply, purely, here. The one looking at the mountain is no longer the same. Over these ten years, I have walked down many winding paths, and I have finally come to understand this: there are some roads you cannot walk alone, and there are some doors that only a true teacher can open for you. If you are where I once was — sincere, deeply longing for a breakthrough, yet always feeling that something is still just out of reach — I want to warmly invite you to give yourself these twenty-one days, and step into the guidance of Avalon. You do not have to find your way through these three stages alone, because the teacher has already walked them, and she is willing to walk them with you.

I have always known that I carried a lot of fear, insecurity and anxiety, but I could never find the root. Now I understand it and can face it directly. The possibility of liberation in this lifetime feels miraculous to me, and I am deeply grateful. My state already feels very different from before. I will keep practising, care well for my body, and allow myself to live with greater relaxation, ease and freedom.

I had always longed to truly return to myself, to come back to the self uncovered by anything. I cleared obstacles step by step, saw and recognized the self in everyday life. From non-acceptance to acceptance, from lovelessness to the capacity to love, embracing this process. After elevation, I am able to view all of life from a higher perspective, understanding that everything manifests according to what one needs. Apparently, everything I had been searching for was already within me. It all comes from me. I am all of this.

The 21 days of meditation practice felt like a sacred gift in my life, as if I had been reborn from the inside out. In the past I lived in constant tension with my ego and mind, seeking recognition, status and results outside myself. My attachments kept me trapped, and past hurts left me living under dark shadows. During these 21 days, I discovered that so much of this was the ego’s attempt to maintain its existence, while my True Self had always been waiting for me to awaken. I am grateful to Avalon and the team for their teaching and support in clearing inner shadows and negative energy. Throughout the retreat I kept learning emptiness and surrender—allowing the flow of life and whatever happens, learning what I need to learn and feeling what I need to feel. I came to see that everything is held within God’s arrangement, and that within me there is already enough great love and divinity to love and create everything around me. For me, this is a complete return to the source of life, true soul awakening and liberation. It felt like a gift of grace from God, filled with gratitude and love.

This was the longest period of solitude I have ever experienced. I discovered many forms of resistance and limitation within myself, which first had to be seen and then surrendered. I realised that the self I knew had largely been constructed in response to the needs of the external world. Because the outside world required the mind, my mind moved very quickly and found it difficult to focus; I was always thinking about what to do next and what result I should achieve. Yet I had overlooked our most powerful capacities—Consciousness and Soul. When they become one, life becomes simpler, deeper and more dimensional. Unity makes it easier to focus on each present moment: use the mind when the mind is needed, use the Heart when the Heart is needed, and stop constantly looking backward. Life becomes lighter, simpler, more direct and more sincere. This retreat also helped me understand the human part of myself. I could choose not to address it, but I saw how much it affects daily life. For example, even after reaching Universal Consciousness, the Divine Heart and entering Source through Being, I could still be frightened by a gecko. That showed me that the human level still needs to be addressed; otherwise a strong sense of separation can remain, and spiritual attainment alone does not resolve inner emotions.

Before the retreat, I felt I already understood a great deal intellectually, but I did not know whether I could truly apply it in life or how to practise consistently each day while remaining settled. This time, I found a way and also developed the determination to continue. The experience of connecting with the Heart moved me deeply. I learned to let the True Heart and Soul lead, to release the mind, empty out distracting thoughts and stop being pulled away by unconsciousness. I am learning to let go of the ego so the True Self and divine love can live through me. This is no longer an abstract idea but a commitment to my Heart. From this new beginning of the soul, I intend to make it increasingly stable. I am grateful for everything that happened and everyone I met, and for God’s grace and guidance that brought me here.

This retreat has brought me awakening on the path of spiritual guidance. After the retreat, I have become simpler and more pure. I have realized that I possess everything I need in my life; I am truly abundant. My experience reflects my authentic self, and in my simplicity, I find joy and freedom. I understand my heart now; in the past, I have been hurting my heart. Since childhood, I gradually suppressed and protected my heart. Now I see that the various situations and outcomes in my life were all a result of my struggle against my own heart. Furthermore, I have felt my heart; it is so soft, sensitive, and beautiful. When I quieted my mind and emptied everything, my heart became so pure, and I realized how simple I truly am. Finally, I found my heart. I deeply know who I am, and my presence here is not a coincidence. I am powerful and abundant within, and I can create everything from my heart.

I am very grateful to have participated in this 21-day retreat. It wasn’t until the third day that I realized this is a retreat about soul awakening, the retreat I had been waiting and searching for a long time. In the past, I practiced introspection using different methods, but this retreat made it clearer to me how each step of cultivation and every process leads somewhere and how to reach that destination. Although I have not reached the realm of “liberation,” during these 21 days of practice, I have awakened and reached an unprecedented inner state. I can now view life from a broader and higher perspective. I deeply feel that finding myself is so simple, so fulfilling, and empowering. I have never been separate from God; everything I have been searching for has always been here. After the collective healing, my mind was filled with distractions, and it felt difficult to navigate. I gradually understood that I still have some life lessons to face. Having come from a broken childhood and having wandered without a home, I realized, as I awakened to my true self, what the teacher meant when she said, “Home is not a place; home is a state.” Through this retreat, I have found myself, and I have returned home.

I am very grateful for the divine arrangement that allowed me to meet Teacher Avalon; it is a tremendous blessing. On the path of spiritual practice, I have always pursued enlightenment and liberation, but I had not encountered a teacher in my life until now. Teacher Avalon’s presence has made me realize that a true teacher must have both practice and realization to impart heartfelt guidance. Throughout these 21 days, the experience cannot be adequately described in words. Every breath carries the meaning of life. Each inhalation and exhalation continuously unfolds in the midst of birth and death, and I feel that every process occurs in a state of impermanence. I really appreciate that Teacher Avalon often says, “Be steadfast and focused.” This subtle change has helped me understand that “change” is a constant state. What seems like simple practice is not easy at all when deepening, as it reveals all my emotions—likes, disappointments… I cannot escape my own feelings. “Surrender” is also a profound realization; surrendering to the divine and to the universe is not just a breath; it is a mindset. I am very happy to have made some progress in the practice of awareness, consciousness, existence, and the source. My way of repaying the teacher’s guidance is to go home and persist in my practice, to be the best version of myself. I am grateful to Teacher Avalon!

In this retreat, I have reconnected with the most authentic and most beautiful version of myself. It helped me reconnect with the most beautiful version of myself, that free spirit. I have truly discovered how worthy I am. The feeling of living in love is really beautiful. Thank you, dear Avalon, for not only helping me understand the true meaning of life but also for bringing me back to myself. I love you so much; your presence in my life has made a difference. This year, many things have happened to enhance myself, and with your help, I have returned to myself more quickly. Before the course, I understood that my lesson was how to love myself more. I felt worthless, filled with worries and fears. After the course, I realized that all of this was created by my mind, and I understood how worthy my true self is. I discovered my authentic self and enjoy being with myself, no longer easily swayed by external things. I can see what kind of issues are contained within my thoughts and am not carried away by them; I understand that they are just thoughts! The best experience is the feeling of being present every day, which is beautiful. One day, my awareness of my true self awakened to a state where my entire mind was alert, and the voices of my thoughts became very quiet. After about ten seconds, when I recalled my thoughts, I found I had forgotten them. My awareness and consciousness were so awake. I just need to move toward this goal, and that’s okay. In that moment, I felt fulfilled, with no worries at all. Every day is a new starting point, and there is only one thing to do in each moment: the task at hand. I am deeply grateful.

The course has allowed me to delve deeply within, experiencing everything in a completely silent inner space. In this entirely quiet personal world, my thoughts fluctuate, and I learn to become clearer in transcending and understanding my inner self. The 21-day challenge was immense. During the first week, all the learning went smoothly, but as I progressed, challenges and difficulties began to surface. I constantly overcame and transcended my inner struggles, feeling a significant enhancement in my abilities and perseverance. Avalon’s daily teachings are a sacred transmission, and every word is immensely helpful for life. The realizations allow us to understand the essence of life and the meaning of practice. Each teaching and each step is very clear, guiding us to walk each step with understanding and clarity, producing quick results. All the guidance enables us to grasp profound insights that may take a lifetime to comprehend, insights that cannot be attained through any other teachings. Avalon’s rigorous, clear, and sacred guidance led to tremendous achievements in just 21 days. My personal awareness has awakened, and my sensitivity and insight into everything have enhanced. With my thoughts in tranquility, I am very sensitive to life, focusing on the experience of life; my vision has become brighter, more beautiful, and luminous. I have realized a broader consciousness, and my perspective has expanded, feeling a deep oneness with everything around me. I am filled with joy and moved by this unity. The expansion of consciousness has also fostered a greater intimacy between people, eliminating the feeling of separation; everything is unified with myself. The awakening of existence has led me to feel a deeper, thicker, and higher sense of self; my body is filled with energy, and my hands are brimming with vitality. This will greatly assist me in helping others, offering blessings, and transmitting energy. My sense of existence is strong, and I feel my inner energy has significantly intensified. My existence and soul are very real and powerful. The 21 days of learning have been tremendously beneficial for becoming a healer. I have gained greatly in perception, sensitivity, empathy, and the ability to feel others.