Bile Winter Getaway 2024
7 days to reflect, recharge and renew (20.-26.1.2024.)
Join us in the quiet mountains of Bile near Mostar in Herzegovina, where herds of magnificent horses roam free.
Immerse yourself in reflection and make plans for your best life and the year ahead.
At the Bile 2024 Retreat, you’ll have the chance to recharge, reflect, and renew your spirit.
What is Bile Winter Getaway 2024 All About
Recharge
Embrace the winter season as an opportunity to turn inwards for self-discovery and growth. Let it’s beauty and quiet inspire you as you make plans for an incredible year ahead.
Reflect
Take time to reflect on year behind, its successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Use insights to gain clarity on what you truly want from the future and motivation to keep designing it.
Renew
Engage in activities that bring you joy and nourish your soul. Whether it’s curling up with a book by the fireplace or taking long walks in nature with free horses, allow yourself to find solace in these simple pleasures.
As the winter season settles in, it brings with it a unique opportunity to recharge and reflect.
Winter is a season of stillness and introspection, providing us with the perfect chance to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and reconnect with ourselves.
Rather than letting the colder months affect our motivation and enthusiasm for making new year plans, we can use this time to turn inward and find inspiration.
A transformative 7-day retreat where you can immerse yourself in the beauty of nature and embark on a journey of life design. Picture yourself surrounded by majestic horses, their gentle presence inspiring you to reconnect with your true self.
Guided by experienced facilitators Mirna Šmidt of Happiness Academy & Maja Živanović of Horses of Magic passionate about personal growth, this retreat will provide you with practical tools and strategies for designing a life that reflects your values and aspirations.
Through interactive workshops, reflective exercises, and meaningful interactions with horses, you will gain insights into yourself and learn how to navigate life’s challenges with grace.
Join us on this journey of self-discovery amidst the beauty of horses in nature’s embrace. Embrace this opportunity to recharge your soul while gaining invaluable insights that will shape the course of your future. Your transformation awaits amidst the beauty of horses in nature’s embrace.
Being totally present and engaged in the present moment, free from distraction or judgment, is the practice of mindfulness.
Horses, with their innate sensitivity and awareness, make ideal teachers of this technique. Engaging in mindfulness exercises with horses can lower stress and anxiety, enhance concentration, and encourage serenity and relaxation for both humans and horses.
Location of the Event
We will occupy a gorgeous little jewel of a quiet hotel in the mountains 25 minutes drive from Mostar.
The Zlatni Dol Villa welcomes you with a unique ambiance, seamlessly merging modern industrial elements and rustic details. This combination creates an atmosphere that is both inviting and contemporary.
You’ll have the full venue to yourselves, making it one of the best places to sleep in absolute quiet.
While we have a plan and schedule full of surprises and experiences, the event will be highly customized – those who apply will receive a short form to explore your needs and preferences both about the event outline and food preferences, and we will do our best to accommodate these.
About Mostar
Nestled in the heart of the stunning Balkan region, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a city that beckons with its rich history, vibrant culture, and enchanting landscapes. As we explore this remarkable destination, prepare to be captivated by the unique blend of Eastern and Western influences that define Mostar’s character.
Mostar is famed for its iconic Old Bridge, Stari Most, a symbol of unity and resilience. The city’s architecture reflects a fascinating fusion of Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian styles, creating a visual tapestry that tells a tale of centuries gone by. Mostar’s Old Bazaar, the bustling center of the city, invites visitors to wander its cobblestone streets, indulge in local delicacies, and admire the intricate craftsmanship on display.
What will days look like?
Find the more detailed outline of how the days will look like below.
However, as this is custom-tailored experience, the final design of the program will be adjusted to the needs and preferences of the attendees.
Morning workshops
2-3h of focused, guided reflection on different aspects of life (and life design)
Afternoons with horses
After lunch, we will set out to the mountains to look for free horses… and will have a moment with them…
Evening activities
- smth about what a cool ppl will come
Daytrip in nature
- jel da pisemo o kanjonu il ne ak nismo sigurno?
Evening visit to Mostar
- tu malo o mostaru, samo 3-4 recenice?
Food
Logistics & Fee
Location: 25 min away from Mostar, Herzegovina, in the mountains of Bile
Where to fly? You could land in Mostar, Sarajevo, Split or Dubrovnik.
From Sarajevo there will be around 1.5h drive to Mostar, and from Split and Dubrovnik around 2-2.5h.
We will be happy to help you organise the logistics of arrival – get in touch about it.
Who? 12 curious individuals
What is the fee?
For confirmations until 15.11.2023: 1250 EUR
For confirmations until 1.12.2023: 1350 EUR
Regular (after 1.12.2023): 1450 EUR
What is included in the fee?
- Accommodation in shared rooms
- Use of internal heated pool and sauna
- All food for 5 days of the event
- Educational program for 4 days
- Daily transport and expert guidance to visit herds of free horses
- One day trip in nature
- Evening trip to Mostar
- Transport from Mostar to the event location on arrival and departure
Not included: transport costs from your location to Mostar
Your trainer - Mirna Smidt
Mirna Smidt is an interpersonal skills trainer and coach, full of positive energy and passionate about creating impactful learning experiences.
She discovered the concept of flow through Csikszentmihaly’s amazing book while sailing on Whitsundays in Australia in 2009 – and spent two days with a nose in the book. When she got back to the real world – the enchanting world of snorkeling and sailing Whitsundays – it was to start exploring flow in practice, in real life.
Being a trainer already (Mirna has been a certified trainer since 2008, an NLP Master Practitioner, and holds a range of coaching and training-related certifications), she chose to shift her focus (and her whole career) towards the training in positive psychology.
It also led her to become one of the first people in Europe to complete a Master of Applied Positive Psychology at Anglia Ruskin, Cambridge (graduating on the topic of training of flow).
She is the founder of Happiness Academy, an initiative through which she is designing and delivering a broad range of positive psychology educational events and materials. Mirna also started Trainer’s Toolbox, a project through which she develops creative tools for trainers and coaches.
Apart from training, Mirna is in love rich in experiences and adventures – she is an avid traveler, a bookworm, and in love with the sea (sailing, diving, kayaking), nature, horses, and outdoor sports.
What is the first step?
Click on the button below and let me know that you are interested in joining!
*After you sign up, you will be invited for a personal interview, as we want to make sure all participants resonate with the values and approach of Happiness Academy and fit with the rest of the group.
Once the group is defined, you will also receive a detailed questionnaire about your preferences for activities, food, and program details, as the program will be tailored to your needs and preferences.
Frequently asked questions
What do the participants on our previous getaway say?
Here are a couple of words from our previous participants on Lastovo lighthouse getaway Build a Life of Flow.
“The Flow gateway for a fantastic experience that I would recommend to everyone! It did revolve around the topic of flow but it did touch on super important life tools like energy management, focus and challenges!
Mirna is an awesome trainer and having engaging discussions with like-minded people was truly a stimulating and eye-opening experience! Location was unparalleled and gorgeous and it really added to the topic!”
Edita Jurak, Biotechnology Assistant Professor, Croatia/Netherlands
“Perfect mix between new knowledge & forward-looking practice , self-reflection, awe-inspiring landscapes, supporting trainer & participants and flow-inducing activities, highly recommended!”
Francesco Portoso, Digital Operations Manager at Amazon Digital Music, Italy/Luxembourg
I am so happy that I said yes to this adventure! I left with a concrete plan to put in action for bringing more flow in the areas of interest in my life. I got more awareness of flow and its stages practically through all the activities we had there; I still have my insights close to me weeks after the getaway.
Overall I enjoyed the lighthouse and the landscape, I loved being surrounded by people with diverse backgrounds, having meaningful discussions, and having a lot of fun through various activities. It was the right balance between learning and fun.
Looking back I can say it was really a floooowy week! 
Ana-Maria Radu, Learning & People Development at Unicredit, Romania