Transformational Connection is like a 'relational meditation'. The focus isn't on following the breath, but on bringing a meditative quality of awareness to the space between people.
In the practice, we shift from storytelling, analysis or advice-giving to a shared curiosity about our in-the-moment experience. The simple question we explore together is: "What's it like to be you, right now?"
The practice often leaves people feeling more alive, more expressed, and more at home in their own skin.
To foster a container of depth and trust, the main week-long immersion is designed for practitioners with 10+ hours of experience with Transformational Connection or similar practices. This allows our group to start from a shared foundation and explore the practice together more fully.
The intensive takes place within a wider community setting. During the week, you'll share the space with other Garden residents who are engaged in their own creative and collaborative projects.
We'll also host three open 90-minute sessions during the week, welcoming any Garden residents on-site who'd like an introduction to the practice.
This week-long immersion will include approximately 18 hours of facilitated Transformational Connection practice with John. The sessions will be woven into the rhythm of the week, with a mix of morning and afternoon sessions, allowing plenty of time to integrate, rest, and connect informally outside of the sessions.
John Thompson
John is the co-founder of Transformational Connection. He has trained and certified hundreds of facilitators, and is also an Integral Master Coach and a Master NARM Facilitator. Previously John ran an elite tennis academy based on Integral Philosophy, authored award winning papers in the field of personal development and started an internationally famous project for street children in Delhi. John’s kindness and empathy are equal to his fierce heart and his passion to uncover what’s most important.
The Garden is a non-profit living research institute in the lush, mossy forests of northern Portugal. Through a co-created residency program, this curated experiment explores radical ways of sharing existence. The space is both structured and wild, designed for embodied practice & shared inquiry.
We follow a weekly rhythm with set arrival and departure days, shared meals, workshop blocks, and protected hours for stillness and quiet.
Plant-forward meals on weekdays Wide selection of accommodation 9 hectares of bio-diverse forest 200sqm dance & embodiment space Jam space full of instruments Gym // hot tub // sauna // lake // cold plunge // yoga platform // forest nooks Co-working zone // 2000 Mbps dual fiberoptic internet