May 5, 2026
Partnership towards raising global consciousness: a project built on Bhutanese wisdom
5 May 2026: Today GNH Centre Bhutan (GNHCB) and Intaaya Retreat Centres (IRC) formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Dewaling–Intaaya Consciousness Centre in Chokhor Gewog, Bumthang Dzongkhag – a living sanctuary where Gross National Happiness values will be experienced, reflected upon, and carried to every corner of the globe.
The proposed centre will serve people across all walks of life — from global leaders and policymakers to individuals seeking personal transformation. Through immersive retreat programmes that bring together GNH principles, contemplative practice, and the wisdom embedded in Bhutan's land and culture, it will offer participants something rare: the experience of a different way of being, not just an introduction to it.
The signing ceremony was graced by Her Royal Highness Ashi Kesang Chodren Wangchuck, President and Patron of GNHCB, and Mr Cezary Mielczarek, Founder of Intaaya Retreat Centres.
“This is the beginning of a friendship to take GNH values further and share them throughout the world. Together we will demonstrate what can be achieved with shared purpose, innovation and Bhutan’s ancient wisdom.” said Her Highness Ashi Kesang Chodren Wangchuck.
Her Highness further added that the moment carried both ceremony and quiet significance, noting that it was more than the signing of an agreement. It marked the beginning of a shared journey that goes beyond formalities and points to a wider vision: that Bhutan’s lived experience in nurturing holistic wellbeing offers lessons that can resonate across cultures, inviting a deeper and more collective reflection on what it means to live well.
Mr Mielczarek spoke with equal passion and with a vision that stretches far beyond the centre's physical walls. “A sanctuary for all, it will serve as a space for community stewardship, where the ancient wisdom of the land and a shared commitment to human flourishing come together in harmony. I believe this place can become a platform where global consciousness is elevated, where leaders from across the world, including policymakers and spiritual voices, can gather to experience the depth of Bhutan’s culture, the strength of its values, and the wisdom embedded in its way of life. In bringing these perspectives together, it holds the potential to inspire a more thoughtful and collective effort toward positive change.”
Together, Her Highness and Mr Mielczarek articulated a shared vision: that Dewaling will be a catalyst — a place from which a different kind of world becomes imaginable.
A place built with intention
“At the heart of the project is a commitment to doing things differently — consciously, carefully, and without shortcuts. While we create this project, we are going to do it consciously. We have looked at every plant, every species and every animal and seen value in it. I believe attention is the beginning of devotion,” said Pablo, the chief architect of the centre and the founder of Pablo Luna Studio.
He added, “Everything will be done consciously. We are giving back to the land and, after that, receiving from it.”
His words reflect the guiding principles that both organisations have formally committed to in the MoU — principles that will shape every decision made about the centre, from its physical design to its programming and governance. Those principles are alignment with GNH values; respect for Bhutanese culture and heritage, ecological sensitivity and sustainable land use; promotion of wellbeing and reflective practice; and a commitment to long-term stewardship over short-term gain.
Two organisations, one shared purpose: to share the timeless wisdom of Gross National Happiness
GNHCB is Bhutan's institution for advancing and sharing the principles of Gross National Happiness — the national philosophy that places the collective wellbeing of people, community, and planet above the narrow pursuit of economic growth. Since its founding, GNHCB has worked to translate GNH from a national framework into a living, teachable practice accessible to the world.
Intaaya Retreat Centres is an international organisation working in the field of consciousness, reflection, and holistic wellbeing through retreat-based learning environments. The organisation specialises in creating spaces that support personal transformation, leadership reflection, and values-based living. Intaaya has established a model for what it looks like when spirituality, leadership, and sustainability are not competing priorities but a single, integrated way of being.
The partnership between GNHCB and IRC is not incidental. It is the meeting of two institutions that have arrived at the same conclusion from different directions: that the world is in need of spaces where people slow down, look inward, and reconnect with what matters.
Why Bumthang, and why now
The choice of Dewaling, Chokhor Gewog in Bumthang Dzongkhag is deeply intentional. Bumthang is widely regarded as the spiritual heartland of Bhutan — a valley shaped by ancient monasteries, pristine rivers, and centuries of Buddhist tradition. It is a place that already holds the qualities the centre aspires to cultivate: stillness, depth, and a sense that the land itself has something to teach.
The timing, too, carries weight. Across the world, conversations about mental health, the limits of economic growth, and the search for meaning have reached an urgency that was unimaginable a generation ago. Bhutan's GNH model — long admired from a distance — is increasingly being sought out as a serious alternative framework. The Dewaling–Intaaya Consciousness Centre answers that search with something concrete: not a theory, but a place.