Spirituality of the Body

The integration of the Spirituality of the Body makes the Kripa Model of Recovery the most sought after model in the world. This Recovery Programme emphasises the role of Spirituality in all of the Twelve Steps (from AA/NA).

The role of Meditation is also highlighted in the Eleventh Step: “Sought through Prayer and Meditation to improve one’s conscious contact with God, seeking the knowledge of God’s will and the power to carry that out” (from the AA Big Book). This much neglected dimension of Meditation, which is the seventh limb of Yoga, has become the foundation of the Recovery Programme in the Kripa Model.

This retreat is both for the beginning and ongoing meditators. There will be four periods of meditation a day to accommodate your level of practice. Mornings will be in silence through breakfast and lunch, with the afternoon opening to times of rest and solitude and a convivial dinner where you can get to know your neighbour.
This event takes place at Bonnevaux and offers an opportunity to discover the rich cultural and historical French and European heritage of the 12th-century Abbaye de Bonnevaux, as well as to explore the varied and natural beauty of the land which we cultivate as a model of ecological responsibility.

Rev. Father Joseph H. Pereira

Father Joe is the Founder Trustee of the Kripa Foundation, which is devoted to the care, support and rehabilitation of those affected by chemical dependency and its relationship to HIV & AIDS. He has meticulously designed and implemented the Kripa Module of rehabilitation addresses all dimensions of the disease: physical, mental, spiritual, and psycho-social. Born in 1942 in Vasai, Maharashtra, Fr. Joe holds a Masters in Psychology and Philosophy from University of Bombay, Licentiate in Divinity (Theology) from Bombay and Poona, Certifications in Counselling Theory and Practice (Carkuff Model) and expertise from the Hazelden Institute of Minnesota. He has been involved for decades with yoga, first as a patient, pupil and practitioner, then as a Certified Trainer and in later years as a friend, associate and an International Mentor of the Guruji B.K.S. Iyengar School of Yoga, Poona. He is Adjunct Professor in Yoga Philosophy and Psychology at various Indian universities and Catholic institutions and at the four regional Seminaries in Bombay, Goa, Pune and Nagpur. Father Joe has received several awards in his 42 years of helping the marginalized, including the International Yoga Journal “Karma Yogi of the Year” (2003), Mother Teresa Memorial National Award (2008), Padma Shri Award by the President of India (2009), and ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ was presented for over 50 years of uninterrupted yoga practice and service, and teaching in Canada since 1986.