Menu
11-18 July 2026
Conference Centre DE POORT – Groesbeek – Netherlands
Welcome to our Summer Seminar with Carsten Dohnke and Dewi De Waele
You can join a 3-day, 5-day or 8-day retreat.
Arrive within yourself and experience days of vitality, healing, and meditation in the silence of Poorte. For beginners with a deep passion for bodywork and meditation, as well as advanced Tao practitioners
Our aim is to make the essence of Taoism tangible in all its aspects and, during this week, to create an inner space for stillness as well as for personal and spiritual growth. Once again this year, the practices of Inner Alchemy are at the heart of the seminar. To support this practice in the best possible way, we have chosen Shaolin Tendon and Bone Marrow Qigong as an introductory course.
Inner Alchemy is considered an exceptionally effective method for healing, well-being, inner strength, and for unlocking unexpected potentials. Physical and breathing exercises in nature, silent meditation, and Taoist healing treatments round out each day and provide an effortless entry into the guided meditations.
Course 1: Shaolin Tendon and Bone Marrow Qigong (July 11)
This day strengthens your inner power and presence. With the effective and easy-to-learn form of Shaolin Qigong, you will gain stability and guide fresh Qi into your tendons and bone marrow. Combined with the renowned Bone Marrow Breathing and a meditation to activate your primal force in the abdominal center, the Qi penetrates even deeper within and becomes refined. Bone Marrow Breathing also supports the healing of fractures and old injuries. A simple lying variation allows you to continue the practice at home. This day builds an ideal foundation for the following courses.
(All movements will also be repeated during the following days)
Course 2: Fuion I – Returning to Inner Peace (July 12-13)
In this course, we step out of the shadows of everyday life and open the door to a reality beyond worries and burdens. The practice of Fusion I – the Fusion of the Five Elements – is an ancient form of Inner Alchemy, a treasure of Taoist wisdom. It leads you deep into the mysteries of your own energy and allows you to experience a quiet, inner transformation.
“From the shadows of everyday life arises a pearl of light – peace, clarity, inner strength.”
With gentle awareness and the power of your mind, you gather, purify, and refine the Qi of your inner organs until it condenses into a radiant pearl of light and Qi. Within this inner radiance, a state of peace reveals itself – a profound sense of being nourished, as if carried from within.
Course 3: Fusion II – Compassion Meditation & Inner Energy Channels (July 14)
On this day, the focus is on Compassion Meditation. You will experience how your Qi condenses in the abdomen into a radiant pearl, which you consciously guide through the cycle of creation. Along its journey, the powers of your organs intertwine with their inner virtues – until a state of pure compassion is born.
Furthermore, you open the subtle inner energy channels that run from the pelvic floor through the body’s core to the crown of the head. Harmony then flows through your entire body, and you experience a living connection with the forces of the cosmos. A feeling of peace, safety, and quiet vastness arises. Combined with meditations of self-acceptance this allows you to “truly come home in yourself and your body” – and you approach Inner Alchemy with a heart that has become clear and spacious.
The first step of Inner Alchemy is easier than it seems. It leads to the emergence of a deep inner balance – in a way that many people know only as a memory of carefree days in childhood.
Whether you’re new to the practice or already seasoned, Course 1 and Course 3 are open to all – while a certain degree of experience with body movement, meditation, and self-reflection is recommended. What truly matters is your curiosity and eagerness to delve into this transformative experience.
course 4: Higher Inner Alchemy – Kan and Li (July 15-18)
In “Kan and Li” the love of our heart merges with the energy of the kidneys and libido – “fire and water unite”, as the Taoists 
say. This creates a refined Qi, which like an “inner vapour” nourishes and rejuvenates each of our cells from within and carries the practitioner into higher states of consciousness. Deep inner contemplation, the dissolution of the physical body, the slowing down of the aging process and inner healing are the central themes. “Kan and Li” is also called the “marriage of soul and spirit”. The depth of this course has a life-changing effect on many participants.
Conditions of participation in Course 4– Kan and Li: 2 years or more experience in Taoist practices, inner Qigong, other meditation or longer silent retreats.
In the Inner Alchemy of Tao, the practice of “Kan & Li” becomes the basis for the development of higher forms of consciousness. It is the inner marriage of soul and spirit, the union of heaven and earth, and it touches our innermost longings for wholeness and harmony.
Mind power moves into a dance, and Qi transformed into a sparkling vapour flows along special meridians – a centrepiece of Taoist meditation that enables profound processes of inner transformation.
Carstens partner Dewi De Waele will assist during the summer week – for co-teaching, Qigong, support & optional coachings, and more …
There are several possibilities to participate in the retreat.
The 8 day-retreat price without accommodation:
(All prices are subject to change)
Early bird (until 10 April):
Course fee € 680
Normal price:
Course fee € 780
3-day 5 day course:
3 days, course 1 and 2 (Shaolin-Qigong & Fusion I). (Course fee € 325)
5 days, course 1, 2 and 3 and first day Kan&Li (Course fee € 540)
(All prices are subject to change)
Once we receive your registration, we’ll send over your invoice. Just make sure to settle the payment within the specified time frame to secure your spot.
(Regarding early bird price: Please remember, if you miss the payment window, any early booking discounts will unfortunately expire.)
Dates and times
We start on July 11th at 10:00 am (from next day on 9:30) and finish on July 18th at 5:00 pm. Specific timings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be arranged collectively.
We recommend to arrive 1 day earlier for a relaxed and mindful start of the retreat.
Please note that teaching sessions will run from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and from 3:00 pm to 18:30 pm, totaling approximately 6 hours of classes daily. However, these timings may be subject to adjustments once meal schedules are finalized.
Language Teachings are in English
ACCOMMODATION
Conferentieoord De Poort Groesbeek
Conferentieoord De Poort
Disseltsebaan 34, 6561 KC Groesbeek
The Netherlands
https://www.depoort.org/
To ensure your place in the course, secure your spot early, as this guarantees your reservation.
We offer various options to make your stay as comfortable as possible:
Single or shared rooms
With private or shared bathrooms
Camping (bring your own tent, caravan, or camper)
Flat rate for: No room /staying outside De Poort (excluding breakfast but includes lunch, dinner, coffee, and tea – flat rate, see price list below).
Regular accommodation includes overnight stay, breakfast, lunch, dinner, as well as coffee and tea.
Accommodation, special meals, and any additional requests can be booked separately and directly on the De Poort website
Accommodation prices:
(All prices are subject to change)
7 days single room:
€869 (shared bathroom)
€940 (private bathroom)
7 days camping (tent/van):
€ 621
Flat rate when you stay outside De Poort 7 days:
(no room, includes lunch, dinner, coffee, and tea – flat rate).
€ 547
______________
4 days single room:
€ 455
€ 491
4 day camping (tent/van):
€ 332
_______________
3 days single room:
€ 318 (shared bathroom)
€ 341 (private bathroom)
3 days camping (tent/van):
€ 235
Any additional questions regarding accommodation, please contact the friendly staff of De Poort (Moniek): Tel: +31 24 397 12 04
Stay centered and connected.
Subscribe to our newsletter
for mindful updates.
Entdecke Dein wahres Potenzial
