UNLEARNING — What Remains When the Mask Drops - An El Juego Experience

“There comes a time when you have to pay attention to what’s going on inside. Instead of ignoring and escaping, you have to delve into what’s inside. This is what I like most about El Juego.”  Christian Byfield (Entrepreneur and Travel Influencer)

A weekend in the Scottish Highlands to put down the roles you play, meet what’s underneath, and discover what happens when you stop defending your past and start playing with it.

What if what holds you back isn’t your story, but how you relate to it?

Most of us carry a version of ourselves we’ve spent years perfecting. It’s polite, capable and composed, and it’s exhausting to keep up. Unlearning is a weekend to set that version down and see what’s left.

El Juego creates spaces for the conversations we usually avoid. Here, the best and the worst of you are equally welcome, as long as you are willing to take responsibility. Vulnerability becomes freeing, laughter becomes medicine, and tenderness and confrontation sit side by side. 

This isn’t a lecture or a programme you sit through. It’s lived, felt and co-created, and it’s often surprisingly funny.

The weekend

Friday evening: Arrive, settle in and share a welcome dinner. We open with an intention-setting circle and time for your questions.

Saturday, a full day of play: We begin with jueguitos (“little games”) to break the ice and build trust. From there we move into free-style: a spontaneous co-creation where the group’s needs set the direction. Nobody knows in advance where it will go. The facilitators respond to whatever arises, using tools that range from a stick and a mattress, to a hug, to a conversation with your great-grandfather.

Sunday morning: Closing circle, gratitude ceremony and a goodbye lunch.

Your facilitators: Nadia Bucharski & Aleksandra Laflamme

Aleksa is a doula, so she accompanies beginnings. Nadia has walked through grief and loss, so she knows endings. Together they hold a simple truth: growth needs both death and rebirth.

As mothers and pillars of the El Juego community, they bring a mix of directness, humour and maternal instinct. They’ll help you see your contradictions, laugh at them, and take real steps towards something new.

About El Juego

El Juego is an international community that has been living and playing together since 2016. Its approach is interdisciplinary and non-prescriptive, rooted in personal and collective experimentation. You can find out more at www.eljuego.community.

The space

Aurora Borealis is a warm, characterful farmhouse retreat near Inverness. The group has the whole house and grounds to itself for the weekend. All meals are prepared by the kitchen team, so please tell us about any dietary requirements when you book.

Who is this for?

This weekend is for anyone who feels they’ve outgrown the mask but isn’t sure who they are without it. No experience is needed, only a willingness to show up honestly.

Registration

When you choose your ticket, you'll be redirected to a form to fill in and book a call with Aleksa or Nadia, in order to confirm whether this retreat is right for you, and to let you know what you are in for!  We would love to have a call with you to invite you in, and tell you more about the retreat, and see if it's right for where you are at in your life.  

Questions? 

Message Aleksa on WhatsApp at +57 313 585 6427, or email info@eljuego.community. 

“A return to what really matters. An experience of unconditional love, of being fully oneself, of belonging without having to prove anything. Never in my life have I felt so alive, present, and so free.”

Lucille (Medical biologist)