Die Resultate des Seminars

Hi Thomas,

It was indeed a life enhancing if not a life changing experience in many ways. So first of all a great big thanks for giving me the opportunity and for the invaluable challenges and discussions along the trek.

The most positive moment (was) without any doubt, the companionship formed during the trek! I am actually missing our discussions and the friendship that to me became so much closer through the experiences we shared. Our little group was very good, sufficiently different to drive interesting debates and still not too far apart to allow us to truly understand each other as well.

The environment is somehow very conducive, there is a different kind of energy present in the mountains in Mustang, which has made it easier to open up and use the opportunity for a genuine exchange. My key learning is the insight on how important it is to deliberately create opportunities to experience similar (radical) things; (…)it needs to be time dedicated to “explore…”

Practical learnings
a. Mind

Importance of giving enough space for the mind, working with it continuously and having powerful experiences to challenge the mind on a regular basis. (…)Thanks again Thomas for sharing that.

b. Soul

True awareness now about the trinity between Body, Mind and Soul. Under normal circumstances, one does not think too much about it but the experience helps a lot as it somehow, and don’t ask me how, made me very clearly aware of this holy triad!

c. Personal development.

Develop rituals and to celebrate things MUCH more than ever before. Our discussions have made it utterly clear to me, how important these things are.

d. Keep on working

on the holy Triad, trying to keep Body, Mind and Soul in harmony and to assign matters their “correct” values, in clear talk, let work dominate less. I believe never to have been particularly dogmatic, but our Trek, (…) has helped me to be even less dogmatic, and I will be working further on the topic!

e. Short term actions:

Honestly, the value of the journey is more in long term re-orientation of my mind-set. The absolute success-factor in our joint experience was
in the group dynamics.

We were blessed to have such a small and truly versatile group, the various discussions, guided or not, were invaluable. Technically specifically it is easy to recommend, as we could not have had a better ground logistics and organization. I definitely intend to (come back) to Nepal at some point in time, and I absolutely wish to be able to take advantage of AD and Pasang’s  superior services. They were just FANTASTIC!

Dear Thomas,
Sincerely yours

H. S. , Managing Director, Switzerland

Eine ganz besondere Reise

Als ich im Februar 2018, das erste Mal von der Seminar-Reise nach Nepal hörte, wusste ich: Dies wird meine Reise. Also nicht lange nachgedacht und angemeldet. Um ehrlich zu sein, ein paar Bedenken gab es schon. Für mich wurde es die weiteste Reise meines Lebens, dazu sind meine Fremdsprachenkenntnisse, incl. Englisch eher mäßig.
Ich habe den spontanen Entschluss nicht bereut! Alle meine Erwartungen wurden übererfüllt. Vom ersten bis zum letzten Tag war es für mich ein echtes Erlebnis.

In der kleinen Gruppe Mitreisender, waren schnell gute Gespräche im Gang. Der „Reiseleiter“ Thomas Oehler hat uns mit seinen eingebrachten Themen immer wieder dazu angeregt, auch über unsere eigenen Ziele während und nach der Reise nachzudenken.
Am stärksten haben mich die Begegnungen mit den vielen herzlichen und offenen Nepalis beeindruckt. Jeder hat mir auf seine Art und Weise gezeigt, wie wunderbar Nepal ist. Auch im stickigen und staubigen Kathmandu gibt es genügend Platz für Menschlichkeit und Glück.

Und wenn man die Millionenmetropole verlässt, dann kommt noch die fantastische Natur hinzu. Da brauchte ich kein Smartphone oder andere elektronische Ablenker (hatte ich vorsorglich schon in Kathmandu im Hotelsafe gelassen). Beim Wandern durch diese phantastische Landschaft war ich im Hier und Jetzt. Alle Gedanken an Arbeit und Probleme waren verschwunden. Ich war auf meinem Weg und ganz bei mir.
Die Tage im Kloster Serang waren ein weiteres Geschenk für mich. Ich weiß, dass es nur wenigen Menschen auf dieser Welt möglich sein wird, diesen Ort und diese Gemeinschaft so erleben zu können. Danke Thomas, dass Du dies möglich gemacht hast!

Nepal, seine Menschen und die Natur haben sich einen festen Platz in meinem Herzen und in meiner zukünftigen Reiseplanung erobert!

Erik Lehmann, Unternehmer, Leipzig

Für mich war der Trek ins „Hidden Valley“ 2018 die zweite Reise nach Nepal. Bereits 2011 bin ich zusammen mit Thomas Oehler zum Everest Base Camp gewandert.

Ich liebe dieses Land. Die gigantische Landschaft beeindruckt mich jedes Mal von Neuem. Zwischen den riesigen Bergen komme ich mir winzig vor, gleichzeitig aber auch als Teil des Ganzen. Während des täglichen Trekkings hatte ich viel Zeit zum Nachdenken – es ist fast wie eine Meditation.

Faszinierend finde ich, wie die Gruppe über die Zeit immer stärker zusammen wächst und ich die Anderen von ganz anderen Seiten kennen lerne, als ich anfänglich erwartete. Gerade die intensive Interaktion mit den anderen Teilnehmer hat mir viele neue Impulse gegeben und neue Blickwinkel ermöglicht.

Die Freundlichkeit und das Lächeln der Menschen erzeugen Sehnsucht nach Nepal, sobald ich wieder zu Hause bin. An jeder Ecke trifft man auf Armut, aber auch auf tiefe Spiritualität. Vielleicht geht beides Hand in Hand? Vielleicht blendet (zu) viel Besitz und macht einen blind für die wesentlichen Dinge? Ich glaube wir können viel von Nepal lernen…

Ich werde jedenfalls wieder kommen.

Boris, Hamburg

„I am not sure what I was looking for when I decided to have a break. Not necessarily a sabbatical but a mental and physical break from thinking and routines that determine my daily life - personal as well as professional.

What I have found during my trip to and stay at the Serang monastery and attached school was - as simple as it sounds - the present moment. Especially during the stay at the monastery and attached school by not only observing but having the opportunity to participate provided a perspective that was not new but much more intense than in other occasions. The possibility to enjoy the present moment with people in a simple but fascinating environment was great and eye-opening. For me, it provided a new perspective on life.

With regard to lessons in Leadership as well as not being familiar with the country and its culture, I highly appreciate the advice and guidance from Genius Coaching & Training who did a great job in facilitating the seminar and taking care of everything including hiring of an excellent guide.

"Life can only take place in the present moment. If we lose the present moment, we lose life." Buddha

Dr. Matthias Geselle
Sector CIO PM, Business Technology, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt

Be humble and disconnect. 

My treck to Serang Monastery (3500m) and how it changed my life

16 months ago, we went for the first time into a nationwide lockdown in Germany because of Covid-19. 16 months that changed my personal as well as professional life - like probably many if not all other people's as well.

Everybody talks about the #NewNormal, #FutureWaysofWorking, #HybridWork or #NewWork. Companies launch initiatives addressing cultural change as well as the well-being of their employees. You can read about resilience, mental health and a lot of other things offered by companies to keep their employees productive.

This is not different from my company where I am leading an organisation in more than 6 countries. As a leader, you have to adapt to the new situation. Remote leadership becomes essential. Your day is packed from early in the morning until late in the evening. Causal coffee corner chats are replaced by more individual meetings which gives you less time than before. Sometimes, you do not even have time for a proper lunch. In addition, you do not only have to lead, you also have to coach. You have to listen and provide advice beyond work.

In these intense and stressful times, I remember my trip to the Serang Monastry nearly 2 years ago. I had the privilege - and I mean it his way as not everybody has the possibility to disconnect completely for 3 weeks from work - to join Thomas and friends on a fantastic hike in the Nepal mountains to the Serang Monastry and Serang Primary School. Looking back, I will always remember 2 things this trip taught me and helps me in special situations during the pandemic:

1. Be humble
   It was not so much the experience of mother nature which for sure is also incredibly impressive with its scenery and wildlife. It was more the people. The hospitality, friendliness and respect. The way how these people cope with their life and its challenges, treat others and have such a happy attitude. You do not have to become happy just by realizing others are in a much worse situation. But to see how others addressing issues in a far more challenging environment should help to calibrate yourself and be a bit more humble.
   
   
2. Disconnect 
   Unplug yourself to regain energy. It took a while during the trek until I stopped pulling out my mobile phone during a break just to realize that we had no reception. If you do not have this constant distraction to check your inbox, news or social media channels, you have time for yourself. You do not have to go on a 3 week trek to disconnect. But when you unplug yourself, you have to be consistent. In today's fast pacing world, this is for me the perfect way to calm down. 

I will always be thankful to Dr.Thomas Oehler from HCE having had the opportunity to join this journey in 2019. Especially the stay at the Serang Monastry, the visit of the Serang Primary School and all the lovely people I had the pleasure to meet there. It will always remain a special memory.

Dr. Matthias Geselle
CIO Electronics at  MERCK Group

Informationen zum Seminar hier auch zum herunterladen (PDF)

NEWS: Link zur HUMAN-CARE-EDUCATION Website