06/08/2025
💜🌱
Family Yoga Retreat
July 23–28, 2025
European Temple of Yoga Light
The Art of Shared Development of Children and Adults
Dear parents, dear participants of the Family Yoga Retreat,
Welcome to a space where perfection is not required—only presence. A space where we do not learn how to "fix" our children, but how to connect with them.
Teaches us—parent and child are communicating vessels. There is no separate development. There is no true upbringing of a child without self-upbringing of the parent. There is no peace in the child if unrest echoes within the parent.
Once, we organized yoga retreats only for children. Today we know: working with children in isolation yields minimal results. Because children learn from the field. From relationships. From every look, every breath we take.
That is why here—we practice together. We breathe together. We laugh together. We learn together. This is the essence of family yoga—shared presence in awareness.
Let me remind you:
Raising children is like tuning an instrument.
If the strings are too loose—there’s no sound. If they're overtightened—they may snap.
So, we seek neither permissiveness nor harshness.
We seek present and conscious guidance, born from an understanding of the child’s nature, age, and the nature of the moment itself.
How do we raise children?
First and foremost—through our being—with the healing energies of presence.
Through example. Not by what we say, but by what we are. Children do not listen to our words. They listen to our vibration—are we in tune with ourselves?
Therefore, our first task is to be in harmony with ourselves. To “tune” ourselves each day—through breath, through meditation, through silence, through movement.
Upbringing does not begin with the sentence, “Don’t do that.” It begins with the question: Am I living what I want to pass on to my child?
Parenting is not a task—it is the joy of continual growth. It invites us to grow into what our children deserve to look up to.
That’s why retreats like this are so precious. Because here, we do not learn how to control a child—but how to become aware of our own reactions, how to nurture the space of understanding.
A Clear Framework
When a child makes a mistake, we do not look for someone to blame—we seek understanding. By gently taking their hand, we show them a more acceptable way to act.
Children need a framework—what they may and may not do—because within that space, their sense of safety grows.
Children feel safe when they know the boundaries—they don’t limit their freedom, but provide clarity and orientation. A framework is not punishment, but love translated into structure—helping them recognize what is acceptable and what is not; what is safe and what is not.
When children know what they can and cannot do, they develop a healthy inner sense of security and confidence. Within such a field of clarity and warmth, their personality grows freely—yet responsibly.
And when a child withdraws—we don’t rush them. We give them space to return to themselves.
In yoga we say: everything has its rhythm. Even the seed knows when it is time to sprout.
Our task is not to pull the plant to grow. But to give it light, warmth, and silence.
And to simply be there. With patience and love. Without the need to be perfect—just present enough.
That very presence—in practice, on a walk, in an evening embrace—becomes the deepest form of guidance.
When a child shows aggression, they are often expressing inner unrest or helplessness they cannot yet verbalize. Instead of responding with punishment or shouting, it’s important to stay calm and become a mirror of stability. The parent’s response should be: “I see you’re having a hard time—let’s find a solution together.”
A calm and compassionate approach teaches the child how to handle emotions in a healthy way.
Dear parents, be gentle with yourselves.
We are learning together. Making mistakes together. Growing together.
Children do not ask us to be perfect. They ask us to be there. With them. And for them.
Because when we are present—they, too, become more aware.
When we are in harmony—their behavior transforms.
Shared engagement of parents and children leads to visible and meaningful developmental progress.
Let this retreat not be just an experience—but the beginning of a new habit of growing together.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for choosing presence.
Thank you for believing in the power of connection.
May there be love within us and harmony with our surroundings.
Predrag Nikić
