EMERGENCE

Attune Your Highest Self Through the Alchemy of
Sound, Creativity, and Conscious Presence

A 4-Day Holistic Retreat for Awakened Seekers

West Tennessee | May 13 - 17, 2026

Step into profound transformation where sound, creativity, and conscious presence converge to recalibrate your being

Nestled in 400 acres of pristine privately owned land, just outside of Hohenwald, TN, this four-day retreat invites you to Experience an intimate immersion at the intersection of consciousness, creativity, and sonic resonance.

Through carefully orchestrated workshops and experiential practices, you will attune to frequencies of awareness that dissolve the barriers between your everyday self and your highest potential.

Using sound as a catalyst for expansion, visual and creative exploration as mirrors of your inner landscape, and the wisdom frameworks of consciousness calibration and empowerment dynamics, you will access states of being rarely touched in ordinary life.

This retreat is designed for those ready to move beyond surface-level wellness into genuine metamorphosis—where every breath, every sound, every creative gesture becomes an active portal to elevated consciousness. You will leave not merely inspired, but fundamentally recalibrated; not with borrowed concepts, but with embodied knowing of who you are capable of becoming.

In a sacred setting designed for transformation, you will work one-on-one with a guide whose 25+ years as a fine art and commercial photographer, combined with deep expertise in consciousness expansion, brings unparalleled depth and visual acuity to every moment of your journey—devoted entirely to your emergence and bringing seasoned wisdom, artistic vision, and specialized expertise to the work.

…and join me in May ‘26

By the retreat's completion, you will have experienced the alchemy of sound, the power of conscious creativity, and the unmistakable resonance of your own awakened presence.

Lovingly tended and fueled by unerring dedication by its founders Adam and Diane over the past three decades, Gray Bear Holistic Retreat Center, nestles in the lush, rolling forests of West Tennessee's picturesque hills.

This idyllic haven, a labor of love and dedication, provides the perfect backdrop for profound healing, deep relaxation, and boundless inspiration. Surrounded by nature's embrace and soothing whispers of the forest, each carefully crafted space within the center reflects the passion and care invested in its creation, making it a truly unique sanctuary for personal growth and rejuvenation.

Hosted in this richly warm, rustic retreat which seamlessly reveals the empirical healing of nature, pure air commands the awareness of breath and pure water reflects the overarching image of serenity.

The Retreat

Immerse yourself in a meticulously designed convergence where sound becomes a gateway to expanded consciousness.

Surrounded by pristine nature, you will experience daily multi-layered sound immersions with large gongs, singing bowls, drums, handpan, didgeridoo, vocals and other instruments—each frequency calibrated to attune you to higher states of awareness.

Woven throughout, you will engage teachings on consciousness calibration and empowerment dynamics, paired with practices in intentional seeing, creating a unified framework where sonic resonance, visual perception, and empowered choice converge to catalyze your emergence.

Wednesday 5/13 - Arrival

  • Arrive at Gray Bear Lodge between 3:00 to 6:00 pm and get settled in accommodations

  • Dinner: 6:15 pm 

  • After dinner, meet Gray Bear's Adam and Diane for orientation to the space, then gather for welcome and intention setting as we begin our four days together...

  • Followed by a 1 hour long Sound Bath Meditation

  • Alternatively: soaking in tubs, or… off to sleep

Thursday, Friday and Saturday

  • Early morning sitting practice / yoga (optional)

  • Wake up bell: 7:00 am

  • Breakfast: 7:30 am

  • Morning Workshop Class at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm

  • Lunch: 12:30 to 1:30 pm

  • 1:30 to 4:00 pm break time, ideal for hiking the trails, introspection, massage, bodywork, sauna, hot tub soak, hike to waterfall, rest, or gallery visit

  • Afternoon Workshop Class 4:00 - 5:30 pm

  • Dinner: 6:15 pm

  • Followed shortly thereafter by a 1 hour long Sound Bath Meditation (optional), or alternatively after dinner relax time, community, soak in tubs, evening walk or personal free time

Sunday 5/17 - Departure

  • Early morning sitting practice / yoga (optional)

  • Wake up bell: 7:00 am

  • Lite Breakfast: 7:30 am

  • Workshop Class and open Q & A: 9:00 - 10:30 am - organically revealing findings gathered during the previous days

  • Closing circle and intention setting 10:30 am

  • Lunch / Brunch: 11:15 am followed by checkout

All times posted are “…‘ish”. The serene environment, coupled with the group’s energy will ultimately drive the organic unfolding & natural flow of our time together. Therefore, please consider the above as a guideline, more to be revealed there.

Your Workshops and Guide

Marian Kraus Photographer
Marian Kraus Photographer and Sound Experiences provider
Marian Kraus Workshop Presenter
Marian Kraus Commercial and Fine Art Photographer

  • 1. Thursday Morning

    From Victim to Creator — Dismantling the Dreaded Drama Triangle (DDT)

    Step out of the patterns that keep you trapped. In this transformative workshop, you will examine the dynamics of the DDT—the unconscious roles we play as Victim, Persecutor, and Rescuer—and understand how these patterns limit your emergence. Through the lens of consciousness calibration and empowerment dynamics, you will explore how recognizing these patterns becomes the gateway to stepping into your authentic power as Creator. This session is foundational to the entire retreat: when you understand the mechanism of disempowerment, you reclaim agency over your life.

    2. Thursday Afternoon

    Resistance Versus Assistance — The Choice That Changes Everything

    Resistance and Assistance are not opposing forces—they are invitations. In this workshop, you will learn to recognize the subtle ways resistance shows up in your body, emotions, and choices, and discover how to pivot toward assistance and flow. Using proven frameworks and somatic practices, you will develop the capacity to feel the difference between contraction and expansion in real time. By the end of this session, you will have practical tools for navigating life's pivotal moments with clarity and empowered choice.

    3. Friday Morning

    Cymatics: The Visible Language of Sound

    Dr. Peter Guy Manners, an integral figure in early scientific research into Cymatics, the science of wave form phenomena, stated that: “Everything owes its existence solely and completely to sound. Sound is a factor which holds it together. Sound is the basis of form and shape.”  

    Discover how sound shapes reality itself through the science of cymatics. You will explore striking visual demonstrations of Cymatic patterns in nature, understand how cellular structures and water content respond to sonic frequencies, and experience firsthand the effects of the didgeridoo, gongs and other instruments on your body and consciousness. By combining scientific explanation with hands-on immersion, this workshop reveals cymatics as both a physical phenomenon and a gateway to transformation—showing how attunement to frequency directly impacts your well-being, clarity, and emergence.

    4. Friday Afternoon

    Being and Seeing in the Now — Photography as Spiritual Practice

    Your camera lens becomes your guide into presence. Drawing from the contemplative photography traditions of masters like John Daido Loori, David Ulrich, and Elliot Porter, you will learn to see with intention and authenticity. You will venture into the sacred landscape of Gray Bear, engaging in a meditation of perception—noticing light, form, space, and the subtle resonance of the moment. Your task: capture one to three photographs that embody your present state of being and the integration you've experienced during these three days. This is not about technical perfection even though we will explore some of those aspects as well; it is more about witnessing yourself and the world with awakened eyes in a present state.

    5. Saturday Morning

    Reflection Through Vision — Sharing Your Emergence

    Gather to witness each other's journey through sound, light and experience. In this closing forum, participants will share the photographs they've captured and the stories they reveal. Through guided discussion and authentic sharing, you will recognize the common threads of emergence, celebrate transformation, and integrate the full arc of the retreat—from drama and resistance to presence and creative vision. You will also receive constructive feedback on the technical aspects of your photograph(s). This is your opportunity to anchor the insights, practices, and embodied knowing you've cultivated into lasting change.

  • Born in Bratislava and shaped by a profound journey across continents, cultures, and inner transformation, Marian brings a rare synthesis of expertise to this retreat. His path—from escaping communist Czechoslovakia to navigating personal awakening through recovery and discovery—has cultivated deep compassion, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to human emergence. For over 25 years as a fine-art and professional commercial photographer, he has trained his eye to perceive subtle patterns of beauty, coherence, and truth. This visual mastery directly informs his sound work: he shapes each frequency with meticulous intention, designing soundscapes that dissolve old patterns and elevate consciousness.

    As a certified Gong Master, Level 2 Spring Forest Qigong practitioner, and coach trained in TED* (The Empowerment Dynamic) principles and teachings, Marian integrates ancient wisdom with modern consciousness frameworks. His mission is simple: create transformational spaces where sound, perception, and empowered choice converge to catalyze genuine emergence. In this retreat, you will work with a guide whose lived experience of transformation, decades of artistic mastery, and commitment to your awakening are utterly devoted to your journey.

    To learn more please visit his About page

In addition to the daily sound baths offered, some classes do incorporates sound-based elements and practices

Prices include all tuition, daily sound baths, yoga, meals, lodging and full use of facilities

Available accommodation options

Standard shared lodging in the Main Lodge

  • Dorm room with 4 twin beds available at $1,475 / person

  • Stained Glass room with 4 twin beds available at $1,475 / person

  • Jewelweed room with 3 twin beds available at $1,475 / person

Note: Dorm and Stained Glass ideal for all women/same sex as person walks through Dorm room to access Stained Glass

The Main Lodge hosts all shared lodging spaces. Rooms are clean, spacious with hand chosen quilts, comfortable, and cozy. Restrooms are on same floor, just outside of room. Rooms upstairs; walk down spiral staircase for breakfast or meditation

Rooms with double occupancy

  • Azalea room with 2 queen beds available at $1,505 / person

  • Sage room with 1 queen and 1 full bed available at $1,505 / person

Note: Large rooms located in the Main Lodge

Private Room

  • Indigo room with 1 queen bed available at $1,575 / person

Note: Indigo room is ideal for couple, special circumstance or private room in Main Lodge as needed

Signature Private Cabins

  • Mud Palace (SOLD OUT), Sunrise and Valley View, each with 1 queen bed available at Single occupancy $1,770
    Double occupancy $2,995 (= ttl. rate when a 2nd person joins)

Note: Lovely, modern with artisanal design, mindfully nestled into GB’s natural campus creating privacy while still a very short stroll to the Main Lodge, hot tub or bodywork facilities. Large bay windows, private 1/2 bath, queen bed. Can be shared with friend or enjoyed solo

Deluxe Private Cabins

  • Buddha Bungalow and Lotus Loft, each with 1 queen bed available at
    Single occupancy $1,860
    Double occupancy $3,085 (= ttl. rate when a 2nd person joins)

Note: Elegant simplicity, floor to ceiling windows bring the forest to you, private full bath, deluxe queen bed, organic splendor, spacious and silent. Bath robes provided

Premiere Private Cabins

  • Falling Leaf Temple with 1 queen bed available at (SOLD OUT)
    Single occupancy $1,875
    Double occupancy $3,100 (= ttl. rate when a 2nd person joins)

Note: Gray Bear’s newest addition: A one-of-a-kind portal to pure bliss. Dedicated to sacred rest it features: hand cut artistic creation with 16 meditation bays, queen sleeping, full shower, private bath, amazing softly filtered light, copper ring of balance. Sweet silence. Organic linens. Toiletries and Bath robes supplied

Forest Haven Shared / Two Person Cabins

  • Cedar and Pleasant View, each with 2 twin beds available, requires double occupancy
    Double occupancy $2,920 (each pays $1,460)

Note: Each requires minimum of 2 guests. Featuring sink and drinking water, large windows, lovely forest view. Short walk from the Main Lodge. The fully equipped bath house is very close and shared by these two cabins. Designed for two kind friends to share a cabin together with separate beds

Summer Cottage

  • Artist’s Way with 3 twin beds available at
    $4,270 (requires 3 people occupancy = $1,423 each person)

Note: Gray Bear’s original artist retreat cabin, located just outside the Main Lodge has a full private bath with claw-foot bath tub, luxurious bamboo outdoor shower immediately outside, sitting room, 3 twin beds upstairs in the sleeping loft

Examples of the lodging arrangements in the Main Lodge and Private Cabins

from $1,475.00

NOTE: All bookings are subject to final approval

from $1,770.00

NOTE: The Private Cabins are subject to limited availability, on a first come first serve basis.

Meals

All meals at Gray Bear are made fresh in house, with the main ingredient, LOVE

A table with dishes of cornbread, sliced vegetables, and leafy greens in bowls.

The staff at Gray Bear takes your health and the health of our planet into consideration with each meal by using fresh, organic ingredients, locally sourced. The meals are hearty, delicious vegetarian with many pure vegan and gluten free options.

Assortment of food on a table with fresh greens, various dips, sliced vegetables, and bowls of condiments.
Buffet table with trays of mixed vegetables and baked dishes

  • Breakfast options include farm fresh eggs & fantastic organic locally-sourced coffee made with Gray Bear spring water

  • For dinners, fish is served occasionally. If you have allergies or are on a special diet, we will do our best to accommodate you

  • Gray Bear composts all food scraps, tea bags and tissue / napkin type paper

Outdoor dining setting with a plate of vegan food, including a leafy green wrap filled with guacamole, topped with sour cream, and a side of assorted greens and sprouts garnished with a purple edible flower.
Plate of avocado vegetable sushi rolls with decorative greens and lemongrass on a patterned cloth
Decorated cake with the word 'Peace' in chocolate letters, topped with colorful edible flowers and surrounded by blueberries, kiwi, and strawberries on a purple plate.

Who is the retreat for?

  • Individuals ready to move beyond surface-level transformation into genuine consciousness expansion and empowered emergence

  • Those seeking to understand their highest potential and authentic presence

  • People drawn to the intersection of sound, vision, and creative awakening

  • Anyone ready to recalibrate their being through intentional practice in a sacred, supportive sanctuary

Sign on a tree for Gray Bear Lodge, indicating private property, surrounded by trees and pine needles, in a forest setting.
An altar with a Buddha image, candles, crystals, and religious artifacts by a window.
A group of people sitting around a table in a cozy cabin with wooden walls and a fireplace, sharing a meal. There are comfortable sofas and rugs on the floor, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Some people are seated at a lower table in the background, and soft lighting adds to the ambiance.

Why choose this retreat?

  • Attunement - Calibrate to higher frequencies of consciousness through multi-layered sonic immersion and guided awareness practices

  • Empowerment - Learn frameworks for recognizing patterns and stepping into authentic choice and personal agency

  • Clarity - Develop intentional seeing that illuminates your creative potential and life vision

  • Integration - Experience the convergence of sound, perception, and consciousness work within a single unified retreat

  • Depth - Work one-on-one with a guide whose 25+ years of visual mastery and consciousness expertise brings unparalleled presence to your journey

  • Transformation - Leave fundamentally recalibrated—not with borrowed concepts, but with embodied knowing of who you are capable of becoming

  • Plus…so much more

Portal to insight, clarity, inspiration and enlightenment

Learn more about the far reaching benefits of wellness retreats at Unplugging for Wellness: The Healing Power of Retreat Workshops in Nature's Embrace

Additional Photo Gallery

 FAQs

  • Gray Bear has 400 acres of forest land, numerous fresh clear springs, hiking trails, a wonderful wood fired sauna, a stone hot tub for soaking, a dedicated hand cut stone Watsu pool surrounded by tropical gardens, an amazing free-standing yoga room with state of the art rope wall.

    Prices includes all tuition, meals, lodging and full use of facilities.

    GB provides hand picked massage therapists for your retreat. Therapists are paid directly with check or cash. Reservations are taken with an old-school small community/info/sign up board in place on porch for guests to sign up as they arrive or during retreat. Rates vary according to length of session and modality, but are consistent with Nashville prices.

  • Gray Bear is a rustic retreat center with an emphasis of under promise - over deliver. And while rustic, hot showers are available and all towels and linens are provided. The rooms in the Main Lodge are large, clean and comfortable with restrooms immediately across the halls. Most rooms in the Main Lodge are shared double occupancy. The retreat center is for adults only.

  • No pets, drugs or alcohol. GB is firm on no alcohol, which includes wine. GB is a nonsmoking facility, which includes vaping. We believe in the power of the breath to bring health to the body. Enjoy pristine clear air filtered by thousands of trees.

  • Full payment will be required to hold your space.

    For cancellations from 8 weeks to 3 weeks out THERE IS NO REFUND, however we will credit your payment to another workshop in the same or following year. For cancellations within 3 weeks of the start of the retreat there is NO REFUND AND NO CREDIT. Your reservation may be transferred to another person. Cancellations must be received in writing.

  • Gray Bear is located near Hohenwald in the South West of Tennessee, and about a 9 hour drive from Chicago. The exact address will be shared prior to the retreat. The closest airport is Nashville, TN (BNA), about 1:45 h away.

“The knower of the mystery of sound knows the mystery of the whole universe.”

— Hazrat Inayat Khan

“Music is the mediator between the life of the senses and the life of the spirit.”

— Ludwig van Beethoven

“Ah, music, sacred tongue of God! I hear thee calling and I come.”

— Confucius