Black Dragon Retreat 2026

Every year, once again, we take the leap — leaving, like Zhen Wu Da Li, our own inner kingdom in order to face what truly lives within us. On this path we may encounter the Five Dragons, just as Zhen Wu Da Li did on his journey to the North. His legend shows us a way of cultivating the Dao within ourselves, so that we may return to our own true nature. The Black Dragon stands for our natural desires.

How difficult it is to truly look at the habits that shape and control our daily lives. Food is deeply personal. Sleep feels non-negotiable. And yet, not all habits lead us toward balance and happiness. Often, they bind us. They chase us — like a dragon at our heels. Some people run from these dragons. Others turn around and begin to mount them. To mount a dragon rarely begins with joy. It usually starts with bitterness — with hunger, exhaustion, and the taste of failure. But this is how we learn. This is how Heaven slowly becomes part of our natural environment. This year, thirteen students chose to walk this demanding path with me. For two nights without sleep and three days without food, we turned around together and honestly observed what remains when so many beloved habits are taken away. It was not easy — and yet it was profoundly powerful. Many times I found myself on the edge of giving in, and then I looked around and saw eyes without doubt.

In this sense, I want to bow deeply and say thank you from the heart to everyone who joined.

And I want to invite all others to the next retreat at the beginning of 2027. It will be the first retreat by me held in nature, in Bavaria. If you feel called, please preregister early — you will then receive all information as soon as we begin preparing.