THE WAY OF LOVE

RETREAT

A path of embodied, radical &
revolutionary love

The Way of Love Retreat explores love as the most powerful and transformational force in this universe — weaving together somatic practice, vocal alchemy, kirtan, relational dyads, and meditation.

This is a journey into the healing power of community, a deep healing of the bonds between men and women and the activation of who we are as Warriors of Love.

Cultivating the Warrior Heart is essential at this time. As forces of fear, distortion, and disconnection grow louder and more visible, we are called into greater service, greater power, and greater love.

For ourselves.
For one another.
For this earth.

The year of the Fire Horse is dawning, it’s time to blaze a new path.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”


Martin Luther King Jr.

Vocal Alchemy, Sound Healing
and Kirtan

Vocal Alchemy

Through Vocal Alchemy, we explore the healing power of sound and vibration to awaken the spirit, open the heart, and create a deep experience of human connection.

You do not need to be a singer to participate in this work. Vocal Alchemy is a freeing and accessible exploration of the voice that anyone can enter into.

As we work with the voice, we will move through a series of embodied and relational practices that offer a direct experience of the amplified power of community, the transformational frequencies of the human voice, and the deep remembrance that awakens when we sound together.

Kirtan

Kirtan is the collective singing of ancient, sacred mantras. These sounds have been carried through generations and are rooted in the understanding that all of life is vibration — that everything in this universe is, at its essence, sound.

Each mantra holds a specific resonance that affects the heart and mind. When we sing together, we begin to shift. Our voices weave into one field, amplifying the vibration and opening space for deep inner transformation.

In this shared sound, personal healing and collective alchemy naturally unfold.

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”—


Rumi

Somatic + Embodiment Practices

Many of us learned very early how to manage overwhelming experiences by leaving or checking out of our bodies.
We learned to numb, contract, freeze, and cut ourselves off from difficult sensations and from parts of ourselves.

These adaptations may have helped us survive. But when we shut down our capacity to feel difficult emotions and sensations, we also dull our capacity for joy, beauty, love, and real connection.

Becoming a Warrior of Love means reclaiming the full range of our humanity — rediscovering the vitality, open-heartedness, and life force that live beneath these protective patterns.

It means learning to stay present with what we feel — to meet the shadow, to feel what once felt unbearable, and to allow life to move through us without shutting down.

Through somatic practices that support nervous system regulation and embodied presence, we gradually build the capacity to feel more while remaining grounded and connected — to ourselves, to one another, and to life itself.

Cultivating this kind of embodiment may be one of the greatest offerings we can make — to ourselves, to our relationships, and to the work we are here to serve.

Dyads, Relational Practice & Group Process

Through guided dyads and facilitated group processes, we create spaces for honest reflection, deep listening, and witnessing.

We step out of isolation and into the real work of stripping away the masks and protective layers that create barriers between who we truly are and how we show up with the people in our life.

Relationship is where everything becomes real. It’s where our patterns surface, where our barriers and blocks to love become visible and where we can experience in real time the transformation that becomes possible through deep and meaningful connection.

Healing alone has brought you this far. Now it’s time to experience what becomes possible in tribe.

MEDITATION

Dropping out of the mind and the hustle and into true stillness is a radical choice these days. It’s needed now more than ever.

In the stillness, we find clarity for our lives. In the stillness, we remember who we are. In the stillness, the noise and distractions fall away and we reconnect with ourselves and our own still small voice.

In a world designed to fragment our attention, returning to presence is both a practice and a radical act of our free will.


…with a special workshop by Dada Nabhaniilananda

The Secret of Meditation

In this exercise we will adopt a simple shift in perspective which creates the feeling that we are already in an intimate relationship with our divine creator. Then our meditation feels less like homework, and more like a love story.

What you will Experience

• A deep invitation into the heart

• An activation of the healing and transformative power of Love

• Exploration of different pathways into embodiment and wholeness — through the voice, through the body, through connection, through nature, through stillness, and through the sacred

• Meaningful human connection, transformational group processes and the healing power of community

• Healing, activation, and empowerment around who you are and how you are called to serve in this world

• A space to explore what it means to live as a Warrior of Love in a time when the world is deeply in need of courage, compassion, and heart-centered leadership

• Guided relational exercises that cultivate deep listening and authentic connection

• Meditation and moments of stillness and presence

• Time in nature among old growth trees and beautiful rose gardens

• Spacious moments for rest, reflection, and integration

• A supportive community exploring what it means to live as Warriors of Love

Testimonials

  • The Way of Love weekend retreat with Mark and Tatiana was truly a heart-opening experience for me. The blend of somatic grounding embodiment techniques and self-exploration, paired with uplifting and expansive kirtan practice, really offered a wonderful sense of balance. It felt amazing to share moments in the group while also having the space for quiet reflection after those deeper, transformative discoveries. Being surrounded by the breathtaking natural scenery was nourishing in itself, and the meals made with such care and love only enhanced our experience. What stood out most was how Mark & Tatiana wove together the intentions of everyone present. Each person came for their own unique reasons, yet we felt a profound unity in our common goal: to open our hearts, deepen our self-love, and connect with the divine presence that embodies love. It's truly beautiful how, in sharing our journeys, we can uplift and support one another.

    Alexis  

  • It was a harmoniously woven weekend — a tapestry of beauty, authenticity, and song. Mark & Tatiana held the space with impeccable grace & fluidity Responding to the rhythm of the group, shifting the flow with intuition and care to meet what was most alive in us. Together we created a sanctuary — a shared field of tenderness, courage, and belonging. In that circle of safety and truth, hearts opened, voices rose, and love overflowed. My cup was brimming — spilling over with gratitude and wonder

    Lexi

  • Attending this retreat was such a powerful experience for me. Even a week later I am still processing everything that opened and moved within me. From the moment I arrived, I felt so welcomed into the circle and held with such love and acceptance. Because of the safety and support created by Tatiana and Mark — and the entire group — I was able to fully embrace the experience. There were many tears, but also so much joy and a deep feeling of release. Although Emma and I were each on our own journeys through the weekend, sharing the experience with her was truly the icing on the cake. I’m so grateful she invited me. One of the most beautiful parts of the retreat was the music. I absolutely fell in love with kirtan. The way music can move us into a place of love, connection, and renewal is extraordinary. Since returning home I’ve already started reaching out to kirtan groups in Victoria, hoping to find a regular gathering that calls to me — though it will be hard to match the magic of the one we experienced together. I am deeply grateful for the loving presence that was held throughout the weekend and for the encouragement to open my heart and step onto a renewed path filled with love.

    Nicola

  • I loved everything about this retreat - from the beautiful alter and welcoming embrace of the hosts, to the meaningful explorations of individual and relational hearts to the joyful connection of mantra and ecstatic dance. Tatiana and Mark created a safe and loving container that invited vulnerability and connection. It was magic of the best kind.

    Monika

  • I was fortunate enough to attend a recent retreat offer by Tatiana and Mark. The theme was The Way of Love, and each of them brought their own amazing, heart-centred gifts, skills and knowledge of spirituality and embodied healing and offered these with intense compassion. I enjoyed the rich variety of practices on offer: everything from Bhakti-drenched kiirtan and guided meditation, to stress-busting adult lullabies, to specific body-centred practices to facilitate emotional release and so much more! The food was exceptional, too! They also chose a beautiful retreat site, which added so much to the experience. I wouldn’t hesitate to attend another one of their retreats!

    Gaye

  • With kindness and open-heartedness, Mark and Tatiana create a unique space of depth, vulnerability and authenticity. Not only did I walk away from their Way of Love retreat with a deeper understanding of parts-informed somatic work, but I was able to welcome home - and shower with love - aspects of myself that I’ve been ignoring, or have locked away for years. This has made a positive and very significant impact on my day-to-day lived experience

    Shaun

  • Over the past while I’ve been longing to reconnect with my heart, and I began to notice that singing was one of the few things that truly opened that door for me. Being part of this kirtan was unlike anything I’ve experienced before. There was such a depth of nourishment and connection in the music and the space that was created. Something about singing together in that way softened me and brought me closer to myself. The reflections shared about the heart and the path of opening to it touched me deeply and stayed with me long after the gathering ended. I left feeling expanded, inspired, and reminded of how powerful music can be as a bridge back to the heart.

    Jordan

  • I didn’t expect how powerful the experience of singing together would be. What unfolded felt like something much deeper than simply making music. There was a sense that our voices were weaving something alive in the room — opening hearts, dissolving barriers, and bringing everyone into a shared field of connection. Through the practice of Vocal Alchemy, I felt my voice become a pathway into places inside myself I don’t usually access. At times it was joyful, at times emotional, but throughout it all there was a feeling of being held in a collective resonance that was incredibly healing. I left with a deeper relationship to my own voice and a renewed appreciation for the transformative power of singing in community. It truly felt like medicine.

    Christina

You’ll return home ready to step into the year of the Fire Horse — grounded in your body, guided by your heart, and alive to the deeper life calling you forward as a
Warrior of Love.

Retreat Centre, Logistics and Investment

This retreat will be held at the beautiful Linwood Retreat Centre in upper Roberts Creek.

Tucked into the forest and surrounded by old-growth trees and gardens, this heritage manor-style home offers a rare kind of quiet and peace.

There are a number of beautiful bedrooms and we recommend staying with us on site if you are able. You are also welcome to join from another location.

Logistics and Investment

Dates
May 22–24

Location
Linwood Retreat Centre
Upper Roberts Creek, BC

Investment
Full Retreat (includes accommodation)

Early Bird — $850 until April 15
Regular — $950

Commuter Pass (no accommodation)

Includes all retreat sessions and meals

Early Bird — $450 until April 15
Regular — $550

If cost feels like a barrier, please reach out. A limited number of partial scholarships and flexible payment options are available, and we are happy to explore what’s possible.


Includes:

• All retreat sessions, ceremonies, and guided practices
• Nourishing vegetarian meals throughout the weekend
 Friday dinner
 Saturday breakfast, lunch & dinner
 Sunday breakfast & lunch
• Accommodation (for full weekend participants)

Meet the Facilitators

Tatiana Speed

Tatiana Speed is a certified Somatic Practitioner, Movement Therapist, Temple Guide, and Musician devoted to helping women reconnect with their bodies, awaken their authentic self-expression, and create lives that nourish, inspire and bring them alive.

Her work weaves together somatics, expressive arts, mythology, and feminine spiritual practices to support women on their journeys of healing and self-discovery. Having healed from a seven-year chronic health crisis using the very tools she now teaches, Tatiana brings deep empathy and lived experience to her offerings. She creates nurturing, transformative spaces where women can grow, reclaim their wholeness, and step into their true power.

Mark Benson

Mark Benson is a men’s coach and somatic practitioner with over 25 years of experience in meditation, yoga, and men’s work. His journey began as a yogic monk, where he spent ten years in a monastic setting devoted to exploring and cultivating the depths of the Self.

As a certified Arca Men’s Facilitator, yoga instructor, lifelong meditator, and international kirtan musician, Mark guides men to reconnect with their purpose, embody the strength of loving masculine presence, and live with clarity and integrity. His coaching blends spiritual practice with grounded embodiment, offering men a pathway back to themselves.

Together

Together, Mark and Tatiana bring their work into a shared field of transformation, bridging men’s and women’s experiences into the greater path of radical transformational love. Their work explores the healing of the masculine and feminine, relationship, cultivating wholeness in ourselves and community. Through the path of divine union and heart-centered awareness, they guide others in remembering wholeness and reweaving a culture rooted in love — for ourselves, for each other, and for the Earth.

We are honoured to have our Yogi friend Dada Nabhaniilananda joining us for the retreat

Dada Nabhaniilananda, originally from New Zealand, is a Yoga monk, an author, a musician and a keynote speaker. He currently lives in Silicon Valley, California where he runs programs on meditation and creativity for Google, Apple and other organizations. He’s an amazing human being.

The Way of Love Retreat
Schedule

May 22–24

Friday

4:00— 5:00pm — Opening Ceremony
6:00-7:00pm — Welcome Diner
7:00-9:00pm — Kirtan & Vocal Alchemy

Saturday

7:00–8:00am — Meditation
9:00–10:00am — Breakfast
10:00am–12:00pm — Community Practice
12:00–1:00pm — Lunch
1:00–2:00pm — Silent Reflection / Integration Time
2:00–4:00pm — Community Practice
4:00-6:00pm — Vocal Alchemy & Kirtan
6:00–8:00pm — Dinner
8:00–9:30pm — Community Practice & Sacred Chant

Sunday

7:00–8:00am — Meditation
Short 15 minute break with refreshments
9:15–10:30am — Community Practice
10:30–11:30am — Brunch
11:30am –12:30pm — Closing Ceremony