I’m very proud of the retreat we are offering this year. In a beautiful setting, with extraordinary food, we’re combining yoga, Internal Family Systems practice and art classes to nurture our minds and bodies. Our venue, the Soul Farm, is spectacular. The food is delicious and healthy. I love my co-hosts. I’ve written a bit here about the elements of our retreat that I think will make it memorable for everyone who attends. Our complete brochure with sample schedule is available here. For a full explanation of our policies, and to register, please visit our registration page.
Food
Being served delicious food is one of my greatest pleasures. I’m a decent cook, and I enjoy healthy eating, but I truly treasure receiving a meal from a great chef, who has lovingly created an assortment of dishes with my friends and me in mind. When such a meal is set in an exquisite space like the Soul Farm, with awe-inspiring tableware and decorations created by the owner Iris, it is a gift that I will always remember.
The menu at Soul Farm is predominantly vegetarian, but we will also offer some fish and poultry dishes. I personally am quite omnivorous, and prefer to have access to animal protein when taking daily exercise. However I’m always inspired on retreat, as the chefs conscientiously provide protein rich vegetarian meals.
Soul Farm produces wine from their surrounding vineyards, as well as curating an assortment of regional choices for us to try. I’m not a drinker, but last year’s group (some of them aficionados) unanimously expressed their enjoyment of the selection. Aside from the wine offered at dinner, we can organize wine tastings with our host Arnout.
Yoga Narada®
I was first introduced to Yoga Narada (then Hilary Cartwright’s Yoga for Dancers) in 2013. I was nervous about attending a workshop when Hilary visited Portland, since I was never a dancer. I was talked into it by my Gyrotonic mentor Erin Munoz, who had worked with Hilary in New York. Erin was right; the classes were wisely formatted and masterfully taught, so I felt successful and strong, and I saw my body change in only three days. A few months later Hilary returned for another workshop, during which I experienced a Kundalini awakening. On the last day I stood for at least half an hour after class in wonder, feeling connected to the ground and the sky, feeling the flow of energy through each meridian of my body. It forever changed my approach to teaching movement. A few years later, while I was in my apprenticeship with Hilary, my father and sister joined me on one of her retreats, and they each had a similar experience of awakening.
My Yoga Narada classes are appropriate for almost everyone, even those with significant physical limitations. Class begins with a thorough qi gong warmup, awakening the senses, opening the body’s energy channels and centering the mind. Next, a sequence of gentle standing exercises focuses on incorporating breath into the movement. Having thus prepared, we are able to flow through a series of full body floor exercises, aligning the shoulder and hips, strengthening the spine and abdominals, and coordinating all the parts of the body into a more supple and balanced state, where one can move freely and expressively, like in a dance.
The combination of daily yoga, rest and nourishing food always leaves retreat participants feeling stronger, clearer and more comfortable in their bodies. I always feel I make great strides moving towards my best physical self.
IFS
Internal Family Systems is a relatively new practice for me. My friend Kara, who will lead the retreat IFS activities, first introduced me to it a couple years ago. I was recently divorced from my partner of seventeen years, and distressed by the emotions and behaviors I noticed coming out as I started dating. My experience in a group that Kara led, and in my subsequent exploration of the work, has been wonderful. Longstanding patterns that have caused trouble in my life have become much less burdensome. As I have learned to look at my inner conflicts differently, they have turned into allies in understanding who I am and what I need. Some of the behaviors that I’ve noticed losing power over me are procrastination, overextension and paralysis. The work has not been particularly hard or time consuming. It is actually playful and amazingly efficient.
If you’ve seen Maleficent, you might apply her example to IFS. First of all, we look at why she acts the way she does. Any of us who has done personal work knows we have experiences as children that impact our behavior as adults. How IFS has been unique for me, is in going beyond acknowledging these factors, beyond even allowing me to feel the associated feelings, and in actually accepting as good the part of me which I had previously identified as problematic. Rather than trying to replace it with another “better” behavior, or intellectualize it away, or escape from it, I can make friends with this part of me. If we make friends with Maleficent, she will use her powers in ways that help us more (and she will have a lot more fun).
Art
In my day to day life, I find it difficult to take time to create visual art. I am a visual person and I often imagine what I would like to create. Having the guidance and encouragement of a great teacher makes all the difference. At last year’s retreat Iris taught two classes in clay modeling. Literally everyone in our group cried during the process, as Iris created a safe space for us to explore grief and joy. I experienced these tears as a release, with a lightness rather than a heaviness. It was great for getting our creative juices going. A friend of mine who participated in another class Iris taught said the exact same thing happened in her group. I found myself spending my free time in Iris’ studio working on my project for hours and having to be pulled out for dinner. I love the work I created, which Iris fired and glazed for me and shipped to Portland. I love that it reminds me of the time I spent at the Soul Farm and the people I was with.
I have been on many retreats over the years and I’ve organized a few, and the bonds I’ve made with people on them are very special. Spending time with new people with similar interests in an environment where we can relax leads to lasting connections. The open-mindedness and adventurousness of the participants means conversation is lively, but everyone is supportive of individuals’ needs for quiet and solitude.
Soul Farm is so elegant but so not fussy, everything about it feels elevating but relaxing. Iris and Arnout are both brilliant in different ways, and they bring warmth and depth to every aspect of hosting. I’m thrilled to be working with them again this year and I hope for many more.
