“Sun, stone, drought, silence and solitude: these are the five ingredients that, according to Mediterranean folk traditions, create the ideal habitat for the olive tree.”
Our goal is to create a peaceful environment where one's soul can enjoy the sanctuary of life on the Mediterranean Sea, the pleasure of breathing in the intact beauty of nature and the thrill of engaging in meaningful, joyful conversations and self-exploration, away from the noise of commercial culture. Our teachersare a remarkable and diverse mix of professionals who bring together their skills and passions to provide unique body-mind-spirit perspectives and analogies.
Our mission is to participate in the shift that is already happening on the planet. The broad Renaissance in thinking and alternative living is already here: depth, meaning and inner joy are within reach.
Making an inner shift in alignmentresults not only in personal transformation, but also opens the heart and initiates ashift in the ecological and spiritual beliefs of everyone around us. By gathering together we contribute to the world.
"Question: In order to realize the truth , is it necessary to be in a retreat situation, or can one realize it by doing work of a helping nature in the community? His Holiness:In general, if one can do both, it is best. I think this is the practical way to do it; for the greatest part of the year, we have to live in society, we have to lead a good life. We have to live properly, and be an honest, sincere human being. But for a few weeks, or two months, or three months, to make retreat, to forget other worldly business and to concentrate solely on one's practice, I think this is the very best way. If, however, someone has a special vocation for the hermitic life, if someone has a talent for living and practicing in isolation and can make a special effort to achieve good results, then of course it is a different question." Answers: Discussion with Western Buddhists,by H. H. Dalai Lama, ed. José Ignacio Cabezón
ABOUT US Olive Grove Retreats are a labour of love and a result of completing our personal “full circle” experience. We have been active in the massage therapy and bodywork field in Canada for the past 10 years. However, we were born on the Croatian coast, which is why we are fluent in the Croatian language and familiar with the culture. Yet, we have spent enough time in Canada and North America (just a year shy of 15 years) to understand and bridge the two cultures and the two climates. This project since its very beginning has been marked by numerous “coincidences” and an amazing serendipity in both the events and people involved. It is why we are convinced we have been guided into this (Yin) rather than leading (Yang). It could be that the difference between the “internal” climate we were born into (Mediterranean) and the climate we brought ourselves to (Ontario, Canada) played an important role in developing our curiosity about heat therapies and hot yoga. Or it could be that we simply missed the beauty of sea and islands we had known, and simply wanted to introduce it to as many people as we could, knowing it would bring peace and revival of body and mind to fellow lovers of olive groves. We believe in holistic, self-sustainable living, and our aim is to offer people the opportunity to experience a moment of silence and reflection about their lives.
We also believe in human touch, fair exchange of energy and resources (Chi), a non-invasive approach, breathing and a proper diet.
Homer called olive oil "liquid gold” and in ancient Greece, athletes ritually rubbed it all over their bodies. Drops of olive oil were frequently allowed to seep into the bones of dead saints and martyrs through holes in their tombs. Olive oil has been more than food to the peoples of the Mediterranean: it has been medicinal and magical, an endless source of fascination, the fountain of health and wealth. The olive tree was the symbol of abundance, glory and peace, crowning the heads of emperors and Olympic athletes. It is said that Athena (Minerva) and Poseidon (Neptune) contended for the honour of naming a certain city of Greece, and eventually agreed to settle the question by a trial of which could produce the best gift for the new city. Athena commanded the earth to bring forth the olive-tree. Poseidon commanded the sea to bring forth the war-horse. Athena's gift was judged the better, and the city was called Athens, hence the origin of the Olive Tree. Since then the olive tree has been a symbol of peace and healing.
"Olive Flower Remedy is for those who have suffered much mentally or physically and are so exhausted and weary that they feel they have no more strength to make any effort. Daily life is hard work for them, without pleasure." The Twelve Healers and Other Remedies, by Dr.Bach Olive Remedy has a special place among the homeopathic Bach Flower Remedies. It is the remedy for tiredness and exhaustion after an effort of some kind, such as hard physical or mental labour, or a long struggle against illness. When your reserves of spiritual and emotional energy are exhausted Olive helps to restore them. Negative Olive state shows as a drained energy body, when just getting through the day requires hard work and there is no room or affinity for even the smallest of life’s pleasures. This remedy helps to unlock and rebuild energy stores, and to revive the mind and spirit so that one is able to cope well and find one’s centre.
"Olive trees are important. They represent everything that roots us, anchors us, identifies us and locates us in the world -- whether it be belonging to a family, a community, a tribe, a nation, a religion, or, most of all, a place called home. ... We fight so intensely at times over our olive trees because, at their best, they provide the feelings of self-esteem and belonging that are as essential for human survival as food in the belly. At worst, though, when taken to excess, an obsession with olive trees leads us to forge identities, bonds and communities based on the exclusion of others..."The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Thomas Friedman
Olives were first cultivated in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean, in the region known as the "fertile crescent," and moved westwards over the millennia. Olive trees have an almost titanic resistance which makes them nearly immortal. Despite harsh and windy winters and long burning summers they continue to grow, bearing first tiny greenish-white flowers and then fleshy berries of a fruit that nourishes and heals. Italy and Spain are now the most prolific producers of olive oil, although Greece and Croatia are becoming more and more involved. Today there are over thirty varieties of olives growing in Italy alone, and each yields a particular oil with its own unique characteristics.
