Andreas's Inspiring Places
Melk Abbey
For over 1000 years the Benedictine monastery Melk has been a spiritual and cultural center of the Austrian province of Lower Austria. It can boast one of the world’s most significant libraries, which is also the location for the beginning of Umberto Eco’s famous novel “The Name of the Rose”. It is the venue of the first “Waldzell Meeting”, from 10 to 12 September 2004.
The Rongbung Monastery in Tibet
lies near the base camp of Mount Everest (photo). Before this imposing backdrop, the Europeans also quickly understand why the Tibetans feel like an integrated part of creation and never like administrators or even rulers. Not technology but he “Magical Rule” over the world was the suitable answer to the Tibetans’ difficult way of life.
To get a feeling of Tibet, please read my article “Tibet: Between Myth and Reality.”
Esalen
The classic of the New Age movement in Big Sur, California. Formerly a “wild” commune, today only the myth survives - and the beautiful setting over the sea is unique. The workshops have Gestalt therapy as their focus. The famous baths overlooking the sea were just rebuilt at a cost of 7 million dollars.
For more information, please read my article "Harvard - The Search for Consciousness and Success".
Omega
The campus is situated at a lake in Rhinebeck about 2 hours north of NYC and receives 25 000 visitors annually. The broad range of workshops of Omega include everything from “The Way of the Shaman” and “Emotional Alchemy” with best-selling author Daniel Goleman, to theater workshops with Hollywood star Alan Arkin. Big names also serve to help Omega's curriculum attract a broad range of people.
Tassajara
he first Zen monastery in the US lies in the hills of Carmel, California, and was founded in 1966 by the Zen Monk Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. In summer it is open for visitors and offers the unique opportunity to live and take part in meditation workshops with the monks, 50% of whom are women. For more information, please read my interview with Ed Brown, one of the leading Zen Priests and student of founder Shunryu Suzuki Roshi.
PDF - "Interview with Ed Brown ".
The “Prince Maurice” on Mauritius
The exclusive way to find back to yourself. If you want to feel like a Euro-millionaire for a week, a wonderful way to spend a lot of money quickly. You really feel as if you were on your own island, and you can jog for over 40 minutes and still be within the hotel premises. The arrangement of the rooms is impressive because of their tasteful decor, quality and materials, not with showiness and splendor.
The Bedouin Camp “Nueba" by the Red Sea
The economical way to find back to yourself. The dolphin mother Olin and her babies are famous. They have a special relationship with the Bedouins in the camp and come almost every day. The feeling when swimming in the ocean with a free dolphin cannot be duplicated by any theme park experience, not for any amount of money. And speaking of money, one week in Nueba with all meals costs approximately the same as a modest meal in the Prince Maurice, and you sleep in a sleeping bag under the open sky, under the stars, the sound of the sea in your ears. How do you find it? That’s a carefully guarded secret, of course...
“The Clearing” in the Wood Quarter (Waldviertel in Lower Austria)
The seminar building was built in 1987 by architect count George Thurn incorporating the most modern energetical knowledge and lies in an unspoiled private forest, not far from Rastenfeld Castle. Especially in a hectic and alien world “The Clearing” radiates an irresistible atmosphere. To me it is one of the most powerful seminar locations in the world…