The ‘Embodying Deep Ecology Retreat’ took place from July 29th to August 2nd, 2025, at Schloss Hohenfels (Germany), thanks to a collaboration between the Life-on-Earth (LIONE) association and One Resilient Earth.
The Retreat was designed as an intergenerational journey of connection, regeneration & transformation for activists and changemakers eager to rediscover themselves, others, and the living world in profound ways.
This Retreat targeted those who feel stuck between a world falling apart and a new, beautiful world we can profoundly sense—a world we long to bring to life, yet aren’t sure how. It offered a space to explore and embody our role in birthing new realities where we all feel a deep connection to ourselves, others, and nature.
We shared tools for inner and outer transformation, so as to grow respect and care for all living beings. We had opportunities to explore emotions, the future, repair, regeneration, and co-creation—while building new relationships. We experienced nature in immersive ways through stories, art, and movement, and enjoyed time to rest and restore body and mind. With dedicated spaces for reflection, emerging questions, and insight integration, our time together helped lay the foundation for moving beyond “business as usual”.
Why Deep Ecology?
Our ecological crisis demands courage. Too many projects offer shallow fixes that merely shift damages and deepen injustices, ultimately undermining the wellbeing of all living beings. In contrast, Deep Ecology upholds the equal right of every being to live and blossom, emphasizing nature’s intrinsic value—a call originally made by Arne Næss.
At this retreat, we took it a step further and invited participants to reimagine Deep Ecology: to integrate ourselves fully into the planet’s ecosystems and nurture reciprocal and regenerative relationships. Together, we explored the root causes of the crisis and discovered what holds us back from taking action that addresses those very roots, thanks to transformative and embodied learning experiences. In collaboration with more-than-humans, we listened to plants, animals, fungi, and lakes as we journeyed through diverse landscapes within, around, between ourselves, and across time.
What did we do during the Retreat?
During the retreat, a vibrant group of 17 participants from diverse backgrounds met. We designed dynamic morning workshops, relaxed early afternoons, and engaging evening offerings by both organizers and participants. Our activities unfolded in the ancient rooms of the castle and the powerful nature in the gardens, nearby forests and lakes.
Following a spiraling path refined by One Resilient Earth, we had opportunities to explore, connect, feel, dream, repair, and create anew. We gained fresh insights through group activities, creative experiments, and shared reflections. We enjoyed invigorating yoga sessions, guided meditations, breath work, or shared art and activities. Moments of collective silence and self-led meditation offered space for quiet reflection, while facilitators provided one-on-one mentoring or coaching.
What did participants get from the Retreat?
We supported participants in reconnecting deeply with themselves, others, and nature; rethinking actions to embrace bolder, transformative paths; engaging in inspiring, co-creative processes; and becoming part of a supportive community that nurtures and regenerates itself.
They learnt methods to:
- Practice Deep Listening and storytelling to forge new connections
- Enhance emotional fluency and regulate your mind and body through somatic practices
- Develop Futures Literacy to make better-informed decisions in the present
- Engage in repair and regeneration with humility
- Boost your creativity for current and future projects
Where was the Retreat taking place?
Schloss Hohenfels is a vibrant, sustainable and spiritual inspired conference venue near Lake Constance, surrounded by a picturesque and energizing natural landscape. Steeped in history, it is dedicated to environmental stewardship and fostering consciousness, making it an ideal setting for meaningful and transformative events.
What did the participants say about the retreat ?
100% of the participants said they would recommend the retreat to others.
Most participants were thrilled by the depth, intensity and quality of the experience, which went beyond their expectations. Participants reported that the retreat helped them: connect to themselves and journey into themselves; expand their spirituality; grieve, release and heal; feel more grounded and resilient; and experience transformation, magic, joy, hope and imagination.
In their own words:
“The program was intensely full (of wonderful elements) and the environment that was created by the exercises, physical environment, care and expertise of the facilitators and the open hearted nature of the very multicultural and gender balanced participants, created and environment ripe for discovery, for release, for processing and for imagination.”
“A deep journey into myself and roots: past present future and relationship to self, nature and fellow humans. A deeply needed resilience anchor for impact work.”
“Unexpected, a perfectly designed pathway for a much needed inner work leading to great connections and joy. ”
“It was extremely [enriching] and created many options to get in contact with the shared ideas, the people, the beyond humans and with nature. I really got hope, energy and new ideas about what to do next.”
Who hosted the retreat?
Laureline Simon has been co-creating and facilitating transformative learning experiences focusing on climate resilience, regeneration, and deep societal transformation with One Resilient Earth since 2020. Before founding One Resilient Earth, she coordinated international cooperation initiatives focusing on climate change mitigation and adaptation for over 12 years. This included supporting international negotiations on climate adaptation, loss and damage and the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples platform with the UN. She also led an international research programme on climate adaptation cities of the Global South, and worked on disaster risk reduction with SEWA, a women-led grassroots organisation in India.
Boris Lebedev is a speaker, transformation consultant, and lecturer specializing in regenerative and sustainable topics. Through his work, he supports regenerative initiatives, teams and companies, empowering them through inspiring speeches and workshops. In his workshops he uses the combination of somatic practices, visionary thinking and nature elements. He holds a Master’s degree in Sustainability Sciences and is a member of the Young German Club of Rome, the TT30 group and Reinventing Society.
Isabella Pfoser has been designing and facilitating experiential learning spaces at the crossroads of sustainability, somatics, and resilience. With nearly a decade in social and environmental activism, she recognized the link between inner well-being and societal change. She represented Austria at COP26 & 27, worked with the UN, and studied political science and economics before focusing on somatics, breathwork, and mindfulness coaching. Her practice has helped her navigate high-pressure spaces, from climate negotiations to refugee shelters. Now, she shares these tools to support those in demanding fields in building resilience while driving systemic transformation.
Rūta Žemčugovaitė is a Lithuanian-born writer, facilitator, artist, and creative consultant based in Berlin. She is a co-founder of Sympoiesis Experience and Design Lab, where she investigates regenerative design practices and leads Regenerative Futures workshops where humans are invited to deeply connect with nature. Rūta holds a BSc in Psychology from the University of Stirling and has trained with the leading trauma healing experts in Costa Rica. She has facilitated trauma-informed workshops and retreats in Hawaii, Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany. She writes a Substack newsletter titled Regenerative Transmission.
Alois Reinhardt is a Swiss-born performer, artist, painter, choreographer, dancer and actor. From 2007 to 2011 he was engaged at the Deutsches Theater Göttingen, where he received the young talent award. This was followed by 15 years of professional experience at the Deutsches Theater Göttingen (2007-2012) as well as at the Theater Bonn (since 2013). Besides his creation in theaters, he developed live painting performances in different settings, and participated in projects with renowned dancers and choreographers. Since 2018, he has been teaching regularly as an acting lecturer at the Alanus Hochschule for Art and Society.
Sarah Queblatin is a regenerative design strategist who intricately weaves inclusive ecosystem leadership with awareness-based systems change methodologies for whole systems transformation. Her roles are categorized into three interrelated pathways: Soil, Soul, and Story. Drawing from years of experience as a social innovator and cultural creative, she engages in diverse activities, such as co-designing multi-stakeholder platforms with Indigenous wisdom keepers, cultivating healing permaculture gardens with displaced communities, facilitating expressive arts practices for cancer patients, and designing learning journeys for prototyping regenerative solutions with changemakers. Through her work, Sarah collaborates with nature and the creative process, offering gifts of remembrance of wholeness to herself and others.
Maximilian Schachinger, born in 1968, is the co-founder of the LIONE association, chairman of the advisory board of Schachinger Logistik Holding, managing director of 1-0-1 GmbH, and founder of the Council for Sustainable Logistics. He has dedicated his life to the sustainable transformation of our economic system and measures all his actions against this principle. Since the age of 14, he has been connecting with people actively engaged in the healing of society and nature. At that time, he co-organized a demonstration in Linz against the Seveso toxin alongside six others. In 1982 this group gave rise to Greenpeace Austria and Global 2000. As the recipient of 18 awards for sustainability and innovation, he serves on various juries. Maximilian lives wherever his work takes him, moving between Vienna, Zurich, and Bolzano.