Joy for Life Retreats

Dear Friends,

I love our Joy for Life retreats! I have structured these week-long events according to my personal quest for truth, especially in two fields: health and clarity of mind.

Green smoothies belong to the healthiest foods available to humans. They are also delicious and easy to prepare. If added to anyone’s existing meal plan, green smoothies can serve as a perfect bridge from the standard American diet to a more nutritious way of eating. It is my dream, to introduce green smoothies to every family on this planet. In more than five years of daily consumption of green smoothies I have discovered various delicious combinations of them for any occasion. At the Joy for Life retreats I have an opportunity to share my best recipes with other people. I love preparing most of the green smoothies at our retreats with my own hands.

The discovery of The Work of Byron Katie many years ago has completely changed my life. Through the years I have felt that I am becoming truer to myself, a stronger and happier person. Three years ago I was fortunate to meet Thomas Compton, a big enthusiast of The Work of Byron Katie. Valya and I began to join his free meetings in our hometown Ashland. Tom was able to bring The Work into our everyday life. Since the very first meeting, I have learned that Tom means every word that comes out of his mouth. I watched people coming to these meetings with sorrow, all kinds of problems, and even depression. After a 90 minute dialogue they were leaving refreshed, transformed and smiling.

We can’ t remember now whose idea it was to start holding retreats. Naturally I shared green smoothies with the group. While watching people at the meeting drinking green smoothies and doing The Work, the idea of creating a combination of the two was born. Sergei joined us with his wild edible walks, salsa dancing and other adventurous activities. I witnessed many times how green smoothies change people's health forever. I also observed how The Work transformed people for life. That is how the name Joy for Life appeared.

Originally, we planned to have one retreat per year. However, our participants liked it so much that soon demand started to grow. Several people returned to our retreats for the second and third times. Now, two years later, we have just finished our eighth retreat, which took place in Canada. It was a healing and life-changing experience. Valya has made a short documentary about this retreat; we invite you to watch it:

We now receive invitations from different countries to conduct more Joy for Life retreats. In April we are holding a retreat in Australia. We are also invited to organize retreats in Holland and Sweden in the spring of 2011.

In this letter I wanted to share with you my personal feelings about the Joy for Life retreats. Tom, Sergei, Valya, and I put our hearts into it, attempting to make the best possible program for everyone. I would like to share this amazing program with many people. That is why we keep our price as low as we can. You may find more information on our website: www.joyforliferetreat.com. We hope to see you there!

In health, Victoria