Open Level
29.6.–5.7.2025
Artis Umbria, Italy
In this retreat, participants get to know their core muscles and use their newly sensed body structure to unleash freedom in movement and creativity. While Kerstin explores with participants how to regulate the psoas complex muscle group to stabilise muscles and fascia, Fabiana helps them cultivate a deeper connection to their body through a combination of movement, reflection and mindfulness exercises.
Participants can either join both workshops to gain the most experience or book just one – The Psoas Connection or Embracing Joy – to enjoy more unstructured time during the retreat. Each workshop includes approximately 100 minutes of activity per day. The workshop Sparkles offers shared moments for all and is therefore included in every workshop booking.
In this workshop, the muscular system serves as a gateway to self-discovery. Our physical tissues hold the story of our state of being. Through movement and touch, we invite those stories to surface, shift, and transform. When we lose connection to our continuum of experience, sensation diminishes. We may not feel pain, but there is a lack of sensation. This workshop provides a pathway to reclaim that connection, awakening presence and freedom.
The psoas complex is a powerful, central muscle group that bridges stability, mobility, the autonomic nervous system, and emotional responses. It extends from the thoracic spine to the pelvic bone and then to the femur (thighbone), influencing many body systems: spinal alignment, knees, feet, breath, throat and jaw, abdominal organs, the nervous system, and emotions.
The psoas complex connects us to some of our core aspects. Releasing the psoas means stabilising what is close to the body’s central line and freeing the surrounding fascia and muscles. Greater balance and range of motion, deeper breath, an expanded range of movement, and a grounded physical presence in everyday life are the results. Subtle shifts allow for profound change.
This workshop can be booked individually or together with Fabiana Pastorini’s Embracing Joy.
Duration: Approximately 100 minutes daily
Dance has long been a powerful tool for self-discovery, allowing us to connect with our bodies, spaces, others, and our inner selves. It is a journey of self-expression, where we can uncover hidden emotions and thoughts and tap into our creative potential.
In this workshop, we will embark on a journey to redefine happiness as a state of being rather than a destination to be achieved. From Afro-Brazilian ethnic dance to trance dance, improvisation, and dance meditation – a combination of movement, reflection, and awareness exercises – we will cultivate a deeper connection with our bodies and the world around us.
By embracing dance, we transform our bodies, brains, and perspectives, leading to a healthier and more fulfilling life. We will use the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a framework to guide our exploration. This perspective allows us to explore our "energy body" as a key element for our physical, emotional, and mental health.
Together, we will dive into the world of dance to explore new ways of feeling, moving, and thinking that positively impact our overall well-being and happiness.
This workshop can be booked individually or together with Kerstin Kussmaul
’s The Psoas Connection.
Duration: Approximately 100 minutes daily
In Sparkles, Kerstin and Fabiana come together to co-create an open and supportive space for exploration and discovery, both in the studio and in nature. Each day, participants’ wishes, insights, and questions are gathered and woven into a dynamic, collaborative session involving everyone’s voice.
Donkeys, dogs, cats, or wildlife may offer their unique presence to inspire connection, calmness, and insight. Their intuitive responses and grounding energy can enrich the spark space, helping participants tune into the present moment.
Sparkles is not just about addressing curiosities – it is an invitation to deepen the retreat experience, integrating the wisdom and practices of both workshops into a shared, joyful, creative, and transformative journey.
“Creativity offers a path to happiness through self-expression, flow states, a sense of accomplishment, and emotional catharsis. Simultaneously, happiness is fertile ground for creativity to flourish, as it reduces stress, boosts problem-solving skills, and promotes social connections.” (Francois Coetzee)
Sparkles is included in the registration for both workshops!
Duration: Approximately 100 minutes daily
