Kairos Journeys: Ascension Retreat
September 13th - September 20th, 2026 • Lefkada, Greece
A spiritual luxury retreat on the Ionian Islands, inspired by the ancient Greek understanding of time
The theme for this retreat is: Ascension. Not ascension as an escape from life, but as a return to our highest and most authentic frequency. Before we rise, we root. Together you will explore what it means to meet yourself honestly, layer by layer. Beyond conditioning, expectations and old survival patterns. Beyond the constant noise of everyday life. Returning to what is essential.
This is not a retreat of toxic positivity. There is no bypassing. Gratitude is not forced. This is a space where all parts of yourself are welcome. The light and the shadow. The joy and the grief. The strength and the vulnerability. Because true transformation happens when we stop trying to become someone else and begin remembering who we truly are.
-
◯ Nervous System Reset
Lefkada itself does this work. The silence between olive trees. The rhythm of the Ionian. The pace of an untamed island where nature still leads. The body recognises a slower frequency and begins to operate from rest. Our practices simply support what the island has already started.
-
◎ Soft Power
The kind of strength that doesn't force or chase, but magnetises through presence. Practices designed to help you locate it in your own body — and to trust what you find there.
-
△ Inner Clarity
Most of us know what we need. We just can't hear it over the noise. Quiet hours, intentional conversation and embodied practices clear enough space for the answer to surface on its own.
-
≈ Grounded Self-Connection
Coming home to the body — through breath, through movement, through the warm Ionian Sea. Not a concept. A felt shift. The kind you carry back with you.
-
◐ Community Without Pressure
Ten guests, gathered with intention. Long-table dinners, shared swims, conversations that go where they go. Women come solo here often — the field is held for that. Connection is offered, never demanded.
-
✦ Space to Do Nothing
Ten guests, gathered with intention. Long-table dinners, shared swims, conversations that go where they go. Women come solo here often — the field is held for that. Connection is offered, never demanded.
The ancient Greeks had two words for time
Chronos is the time of clocks and calendars — sequential, measurable, relentless. It's the time that fills your inbox, fragments your attention, and keeps your nervous system humming at a frequency it was never built to sustain.
Kairos is the other kind. Qualitative time. The right moment. The pause where the body finally drops its armour, the breath finds its full length, and you begin to hear — beneath the noise — the quieter voice that has been with you all along.
Kairos Journeys is five days of the second kind. A homecoming to your body, your intuition, your essence. Not a programme to fix you. A field gentle enough to let what's already true rise back to the surface.
"True transformation happens when we stop trying to become someone else and begin remembering who we truly are."
- Leonie Lepenos
The Program
A constellation of practices, gatherings and quiet hours — woven through the week as the energy of each group invites. The detailed flow is shared closer to the journey itself, as we intentionally allow space for it to unfold naturally over the coming months.
Where nature is our greatest teacher
There are places where Kairos reveals itself more easily. The Ionian Islands are among them. Perhaps it is the rhythm of the sea, the ancient pathways crossing the mountains, or the silence between olive trees that have stood here for centuries.
Or perhaps it is simply that nature still leads here. Lefkada remains untamed, powerful and deeply transformative through breathtaking beauty.
It is the island where our founder Leonie Lepenos spent her childhood summers, where her family roots run deep, and where life repeatedly brought her back during times of profound personal transformation.
Today Lefkada serves as the home of Kairos Journeys. Not as a destination. But as a teacher itself.
1hr
From Preveza airport to your villa
No ferry
Bridge connects island to mainland
22–28°C
September & October temperatures
Unspoilt
Pine forests, white cliffs, wild beaches
Ready to book?
Come join this spiritual journey, dressed as a holiday.
A retreat led from the inside out
Kairos is shaped by Leonie's twelve years of practice in embodiment, breath and somatic well-being — a lineage carried forward by a small circle of trusted teachers from her international network.
Douglas holds the operational side: the villa, the meals, the logistics, so that everything you arrive into has already been thought of.
Expect a deeply nourishing week of movement, meditation, energy work, nature immersion, meaningful conversations, rituals, sea, stillness, wholesome food and spaciousness…in togetherness. All designed to support a sustainable shift in how you relate to yourself, your energy and your life.
Spiritual Luxury Villa
The retreat takes place in a carefully selected private villa on the island of Lefkada, chosen for its setting, its beauty and its sense of quiet seclusion.
Overlooking the Ionian Sea, you can expect open space, beauty, and the rare feeling of being completely immersed in the timeless landscape of the Ionian Islands. With spacious terraces, elegant interiors and panoramic views that invite a slower rhythm of living.
Natural materials, Mediterranean light and thoughtful design create an atmosphere that feels both refined and deeply connected to the landscape.
Meet your hosts
-
Embodiment guide · Lead host
Berlin-born with deep family roots in the Ionian Islands, Leonie has worked for over twelve years as a healer and guide in holistic well-being — from private clients in Los Angeles and Paris to meditation circles at Soho House. She is the founder of MAATÏ MAATÏ, the spiritual luxury house featured in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. At Kairos, she leads the daily practice and curates the small circle of teachers who shape each retreat. Her work is quiet, embodied, and rooted in returning women to their own knowing.
-
Hospitality · Behind the scenes
Douglas grew up in Dingle on Ireland's Atlantic edge and brings more than twenty years of hospitality to Kairos. He works behind the scenes — villa, logistics, transfers, the small details — so that Leonie and the teachers can hold the practice without interruption, and so that you can arrive and let your shoulders drop.
Dates
September 13th - 20th, 2026
(A 5-night program with 7 nights' accommodation included, fully held.)
Pricing
-
2.800€ per person
Double occupancy, shared bathroom. All meals, programming, and excursions included. Secure your place with a 30% deposit.
-
3.200€ per person
Double occupancy, private ensuite bathroom. All meals, programming, and excursions included. Secure your place with a 30% deposit.
-
3.800€ per person
Single occupancy, ensuite bathroom. All meals, programming, and excursions included. Secure your place with a 30% deposit.
-
This retreat is designed as a 5-night immersive program (Day 1 arrival, Days 2–5 guided experiences, Day 6 integration and self-reflection), while your accommodation is reserved for the full 7 nights at no additional cost. This allows for greater flexibility with flights and a more spacious arrival and departure experience.
The first and last days are intentionally kept free, making it possible to arrive or depart one day later without missing any essential parts of the journey. All key experiences take place during the core program days, and we ensure the process is fully integrated and energetically complete for every participant before departure.
-
More than 60 days before the retreat: Full refund of your deposit, no questions asked.
30–60 days before: 50% of your deposit is refunded. We understand — sometimes the timing isn't right.
Less than 30 days before: Your deposit is non-refundable, but we'll do our best to fill your place. If we do, you'll receive a full refund.
Remaining balance: Due 6 weeks before the retreat. Refundable in full if cancelled more than 30 days before.
What’s included
7 nights luxury villa accommodation (2 extra nights included free)
Daily yoga & movement classes
Creative workshop sessions
Guided hike through pine forests
Airport transfer (group)
All meals by private chef
Herbal infusions, seasonal teas, juices & Greek coffee
Boat excursion to hidden coves
Sound bath & evening sessions
Welcome pack & retreat materials
What’s not included
Flight to Preveza (PVK) or Athens
Travel insurance (recommended)
Getting there
Lefkada is connected to mainland Greece by bridge — no ferry, no waiting, no seasickness. One of the easiest Greek islands to reach.
Option 1: Fly direct to Preveza (PVK)
Seasonal direct flights from London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol, Copenhagen and more land at Preveza/Aktion airport — a short drive from Lefkada. Step off the plane, and the Ionian air hits you immediately. We arrange a group transfer to the villa. Direct flights typically run May through October — check availability for your dates.
Option 2: Fly into Athens+ scenic road trip
For those coming from the US or anywhere without a direct Preveza route: fly into Athens, then choose your own adventure. The 4-hour drive west is one of Greece's most beautiful road trips — through mountains, past Delphi country, and down to the Ionian coast. Rent a car and make a day of it, or we can arrange a private transfer. Some of past guests say the drive is where the retreat begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Fly to Preveza/Aktion airport (PVK), a short drive from Lefkada. Seasonal direct flights from London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol, Copenhagen and more operate May through October. From the US or other cities, connect via Athens (4-hour scenic drive) or Corfu (3-hour coastal transfer). We arrange group airport transfers for all guests. See our Getting Here section for full details.
-
Not at all. Our sessions are designed for all levels, from complete beginners to experienced practitioners. The emphasis is on movement, breath, and presence — not advanced poses. If you'd rather swim or read on the terrace during a session, that's entirely welcome too.
-
Yes — and many of our guests do. The retreats are designed to feel held for women travelling solo, while remaining genuinely welcoming to couples, friends and men who arrive in the same spirit. The shared room option pairs you with another solo guest of the same gender. Most people leave with friendships that outlast the week.
-
Our private chef works with fresh, seasonal Lefkadan ingredients and can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and other dietary needs. Just let us know when you book and we'll make sure every meal works for you.
-
Kairos Journeys are alcohol-free by design. The work we do here — embodiment, nervous system regulation, real inner shift — is honoured by clarity. Meals are paired with herbal infusions, seasonal teas and Greek mountain water. We promise the long table is no less rich for it. Many guests notice their sleep, energy and emotional steadiness deepen quickly without it.
-
A 30% deposit secures your spot. The remaining balance is due 6 weeks before the retreat. Full refund if cancelled 60+ days out, 50% refund at 30–60 days, and within 30 days we'll do our best to fill your place. We recommend travel insurance for complete peace of mind. Full details are in our cancellation policy below the FAQ.
-
The schedule is a suggestion, not a demand. Mornings and evenings have guided sessions, but afternoons are entirely yours — swim, explore the island, nap, read, or do nothing at all. This is kairos, not chronos. There are no alarm clocks here.
-
September brings 24–29°C with long warm days, the sea at its warmest of the year, and the summer crowds already gone. Early October is similar but slowly softening — 22–27°C, golden evenings, the island slowing into autumn. Both are ideal for the work we do here.
-
Light, comfortable clothing. Swimwear. A light jacket for evenings. Walking shoes if you'd like to hike. We provide yoga mats, towels, and all retreat materials. A welcome pack with local products will be waiting for you at the villa.
Do you have any questions?
Get in touch with us below and we’ll get back to you ASAP!
