Many of our on-going struggles in life stem from old emotional wounds that are stuck in our sub-conscious. Because they live below the level of the thinking mind, it is extremely difficult for us to think our way past them. This retreat combines the practices of yoga, art, and time spent in nature to sink below the thinking mind and tend to the hurting places inside. The retreat also incorporates concepts from Internal Family Systems (IFS) as a framework for understanding and working with the hurting parts of our psyches.
This retreat is for anyone longing for fuller embodiment, aliveness and health.
“Including the body story along with the verbal story illuminates and awakens what has been obscured in darkness.”
Susan McConnell, IFS Senior Lead Trainer since 1997 and founder/developer of Somatic IFS.
This retreat is open to all regardless of experience. There will be group practices and discussion as well as time for you to wander the beautiful grounds of GilChrist.
About the Facilitator
Mary Beth Thomas, ERYT-500, is passionate about sharing her love of yoga as a tool for transformation. She began her pursuit of yoga at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in 1999 and has since studied with many gifted yoga mentors. She is a certified facilitator of the Trauma Informed Mind Body Program and is a Level 1 trained IFS practitioner. To explain why she teaches, she quotes Rolf Gates from his book, Meditations from the Mat: “The word ‘educator’ comes from the Latin verb educere, which means to lead or draw out. The Latin term was used by midwives, with the meaning ‘to be present at the birth of.’ Teaching yoga is first and foremost about drawing forth that which is already present in a student… I became a teacher in the true sense when I recognized my teaching was a divine opportunity to be present at the birth of an individual’s authentic self. The real payoff of a yoga practice… is not a perfect handstand or a deeper forward bend, it is the newly born self that each day steps off the yoga mat and back into life.”
Retreat Schedule
Friday, October 9: 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 10: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 – 5:30 p.m., restorative yoga 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 11: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Registration and Lodging Details
Early bird registration for the retreat program is $295; on August 1, the cost increases to $345. Please inquire about options for financial accessibility. Registration form, lodging details, and payment options can be found at mbtyoga.com.
Once you have registered and paid for the program, if you intend to stay at GilChrist, you can contact them to reserve your cabin using the online registration form (or call the main office at (269) 244-1130 with any questions). Lodging is $75/night per person in addition to the program fee, paid to GilChrist at the end of the retreat by cash, check, or Venmo. Participants will check into their cabins between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 9 at a time you communicate via your cabin reservation. Cabin check-out is at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 11. Each guest space at GilChrist is equipped with a complete kitchen. See the complete GilChrist FAQ for more information about the facility.
