About This Workshop

Addiction and compulsive behaviour rarely begin as conscious choices. They begin as strategies, ways of managing pain, disconnection, anxiety or grief that gradually take on a life of their own.

This workshop offers a space to begin meeting those patterns with honesty and curiosity rather than shame. It is not about fixing, but about seeing what is actually driving behaviour beneath the surface.

As a three-hour session, this is an introduction to the work. It can be clarifying, confronting and unexpectedly relieving; a first step into deeper awareness.

Drawing from shadow work and lived experience, the session moves between insight and direct exploration, so that you encounter something of your own experience within it rather than only learning about it.

What You'll Explore

In this introductory session, we begin to explore:

The Mechanics of Compulsion. Understanding how addictive patterns form, repeat and resist conscious intention.

Shame, Secrecy and Identity. Working with the hidden emotional architecture that sustains compulsive behaviour.

Shadow and the Unconscious. Meeting the disowned parts of the self that drive behaviour from beneath awareness.

Archetypal Patterns. Exploring the Lover, Warrior, King or Queen, Magician and Wise Woman as sources of strength or shadow.

Embodied Awareness. Moving beyond intellectual understanding into felt recognition and integration.

Is This For Me?

This workshop is for anyone willing to look honestly at patterns that feel difficult to change, whether that means substance use, behavioural compulsions, relational dynamics, or habits of avoidance and numbing.

No prior experience with shadow work or inner work is required. What matters is willingness; a readiness to be present with what arises.

It is also valuable for therapists, coaches and facilitators seeking a grounded, experiential perspective on addiction and shadow.

This workshop is not a clinical treatment programme. It is not suitable for those currently in acute addiction crisis or requiring medical intervention. If you are unsure, please consult a healthcare professional before attending.

For many, this workshop becomes a starting point, a way of sensing whether they are ready to go deeper into this work.

How the Space Is Held

This is an experiential session, not a lecture. You won't be asked to share more than you choose to.

The space is held with care, confidentiality and mutual respect. Everything shared within the group stays within the group.

The intention is honest exploration, not judgement, diagnosis or performance.

Going Deeper

For those who feel called to continue, Samyama also offers a three-day immersive retreat exploring this work in much greater depth.

Over three days, there is more time to move beyond initial awareness into sustained exploration, integration and real change, working more closely with patterns of behaviour, identity, and the deeper layers of the shadow.

Many participants choose to begin with this three-hour workshop before committing to the longer experience. It offers a grounded way to step into the work, and to sense whether a deeper journey is right for you.

Alternatively, Samyama can offer a tailored private retreat for this work, with flexible plans, dates, and a programme shaped around your specific needs and pace.

Practical Details

Duration: 3 hours (2:00 to 5:00 PM)

Frequency: Fortnightly Tuesdays, beginning 5 May 2026

Investment: IDR 350,000 per session

Booking: By completion of the form below

Location: Samyama Self Healing Centre, Ubud, Bali

What to Bring: Comfortable clothing, a journal, and an open willingness to meet yourself honestly.