The Creative Compassion Labyrinth Retreat in Gotland Sweden is something I will always treasure. The setting in the medieval city of Visby was idyllic. Experiencing the history of the people of Gotland, being introduced to the practice of walking labyrinths, and doing so in the company of fascinating, committed people was a rare privilege. Lars Howlett and Valarie Budayr have put together an unforgettable experience! Don’t miss it!

Valarie and Lars ran a deeply informed and well paced week exploring Gotland culture, history, places, labyrinths, art, religion, family life, stories, and how all of thes inspire and support a compassionate way in the world. The week (and their example) was beautifully specific to this place, and though I do not have any Swedish heritage that I'm aware of, its specificity was actually so helpful in showing how to bring it home to my community, my heritage, my cultures. The St. Clemens Hotel was a lovely, central accommodation with a marvelous breakfast and helpful staff. My fellow participants were a fantastic combination of perspectives and wisdom, as you can expect from compassion paired with creativity and interest in labyrinths, and the week fostered new ideas and collaborations going forward. So many thanks to Valarie and Lars for such thoughtful work!

Creative Compassion through the Labyrinth: A Swedish Midsummer Retreat was the best, most inspiring retreat I’ve ever experienced. Valarie is a wonderful storyteller, a generous soul with a joyful heart. I learned, played, and went deep. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience!

Thank you for this very special experience. It was so well organised and wonderful from beginning to end. The programme, the people, the accommodation, the island - it was a real path of discovery and enjoyment. I feel so energised and refreshed. Lars and Valarie led the group in a most caring, personal and relaxed manner and the whole week was informative, uplifting and really good fun.

Trip was highly enjoyable and informative. Great facilitation. Wonderful accommodations. I'd have only minor possible changes. Do the train tour. Give folks an overall picture of the old town early. Maybe not the walking tour. Do Trelleborg Labyrinth early. Maybe not three bus tours in a row but do one on Monday? Have someone from the of Sweden in Visby give an overview of what church life is like today and how labyrinths are (or are not) used. More about what happens in the churches we visited would be of interest to some. (I have a person--Anna Joung-- who is a priest in the Church of Sweden and was active in ecumenical circles for many years and lives in Visby closely St. Clements.