Come Alive is our most popular core program and the perfect place to begin or continue your journey in personal or professional growth and transformation.

People from all walks of life, backgrounds, experiences, lifestyles, and locations join us and most experience something profound.

We are grateful for the land and sea that sustain us.  We are deeply grateful to learn, live and play on 7 acres of forested land by the sea that is the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, a community of Coast Salish Peoples.  Our peaceful yet vibrant centre on Gabriola Island offers a natural environment that supports the exploration of our innermost selves and our relationships with others. It’s a special place where we can take back our lives and discover our potential.

The magic of Come Alive is in our unique history, renowned communication and relationship models, community dynamic, and oceanfront setting on Gabriola Island. With support and guidance, you will learn and practice the Haven models of communication, relationship and self-responsibility, through a range of opportunities for personal learning.  Group activities, discussions and experiences take place in both large and small group settings.

Come Alive is for me if…

• I want to deepen my self-awareness and move beyond self-imposed limits
• I’m ready to develop greater self-compassion and self-acceptance
• I want to experience the freedom of being my whole and authentic self – mind, body, and spirit
• I’m open to learning and practicing a transformative model for communication
• I want valuable insights to strengthen my health and well-being
• I want to break through self-limiting patterns and live the life I want
• I’m curious about myself and my place in relationships, community, and the world
• I want to rediscover joy and meaning in life
• I want more harmonious, loving and fulfilling relationships; I want to know what intimacy really is
• I am looking to improve my professional skills; to be more authentic as a leader, bolster my ‘soft’ skills, and develop better relationships with my co-workers.
• I want to shake things up and try something different… 

“For the first time, I felt comfortable in my own skin…”

Program highlights:

• 5 days in a serene oceanfront setting on Gabriola Island to focus on yourself.
• Opportunity to learn from, relate to, and deeply connect with others.
• A unique East meets West approach developed by a psychiatrist (Ben Wong) and a medical doctor and acupuncturist (Jock McKeen).
• Experiential learning through diverse methods: bodywork, breath, visualization meditation, movement, and cognitive skill development.
• A powerful approach to developing self-compassion and deeper self-awareness.
• 40 years of continued success with thousands of participants from around the world.
• Select expert program leaders, who are highly trained at The Haven and in their various professions.
• Unparalleled support and a high ratio of participants to leadership team.
• Opportunities to further heal and explore mind-body-spirit connection with onsite bodyworkers.
• A full schedule, complete with daily breaks for introspection, connecting with others, rest, relaxing in the oceanfront hot tub, exploring nearby trails, and more.
• Support to integrate your learning beyond The Haven through one-on-one coaching, online video meetings, and various local groups.

See what writer, mother, and school teacher Tracy Peternell shares about her experience in Come Alive in alive magazine’s February 2023 print and digital publication here. We hope this window in helps you imagine what Come Alive could mean for you! 

Investment:

Our Earlybird tuition price of $1490 is available specifically for this session to those registered and paid in full one month prior to the program start.  Full tuition is $1590.

We are offering private and shared room options.

You can find our cancellation policy here

Schedule:

• Breakfast 8:00 – 9:00am
• Morning session 9:15am to noon
• Lunch noon to 1:00pm
• Afternoon session 3:00 – 6:00pm
• Dinner 6:00 – 7:00pm
• Evening session 7:30 – 9:30pm

Afternoon and evening sessions can vary.  Your program finishes with lunch on the last day

Transportation:

If you are travelling to Gabriola as a foot passenger on the Gabriola Ferry a shuttle to The Haven can be requested.  Information on this option will be included in your pre-arrival email.

Recommended Resources:

Here are book titles that can complement and enhance your learning in this program. You can purchase when you are at Haven, or order online. Click to learn more:

• Being: A Manual for Life by Bennet Wong & Jock McKeen

Covid 19 Protocols and Mask Mandates:

The Haven is currently following the BC Provincial health guidelines which means that proof of vaccination is no longer required to register for this program.  Masks will no longer be required to be worn inside session rooms, while those who wish to continue wearing masks may do so.

Participants are required to self-monitor for symptoms of illness, and are asked to isolate from others when showing symptoms.

Review our current Communicable Disease Safety Protocols to keep us all healthy on property.

Admission requirements: The student must have the desire and ability to learn.  Must demonstrate a capacity for responsible self care, responsible self organization and sound mental health.  The student must understand and speak English.

This program does not require approval by the registrar of the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.  As such, the registrar did not review this program. What does this mean? Click here to learn more.