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Developing Your Creativity: A Yoga-Art Retreat
Using various yoga postures, breathing techniques and meditations and utilizing exercises in writing, clay sculpture, painting and mixed media, we will tap into and develop the creative spirit within each of us. Whether you are a beginner or have many years experience in yoga or the arts, this retreat will provide a safe and encouraging environment for you to connect to your creative core and explore many different aspects of your creativity. |
Retreats
| Exploring Your Chakras Our bodies are alive with energy. In yogic philosophy, the chakras are energy centers that are concentrated areas of prana, or life force energy, connected by channels of energy. There are generally believed to be seven primary chakras located along the spinal column, from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Each chakra corresponds to basic human needs – from survival and safety, to self expression, to need for connection to something greater than ourselves. When the chakras are open and the energy in our bodies flows freely, we experience groundedness and awareness, vitality and creativity. In this retreat we will learn about each chakra and how the chakras connect to us as individuals. Using yoga postures, meditations and chanting we will unblock these power centers. Participants will also be introduced to a variety of simple art activities and will further the connection with these energy centers using self-reflective writing exercises, clay pottery building, and creating a life-size energy self-portrait. |
| Sacred Art & Ritual All humans seek to create meaning in their lives. Across the ages and in all cultures people have assigned objects as sacred, for use in personal rituals and ceremony. These objects may be simple or intricate, natural or man-made, rare or everyday mementos that represent our connection to our beliefs, our values and our sense of the divine. Some of the most ancient known sacred objects are stones. Stones are the very bones of the earth. Stones are used in ceremonies around the world to hold energy, resonate vibration, ground, center, and bear witness. In this retreat, each participant will bring in stones and other objects found in nature to create sacred art and to use in ceremony. This retreat is designed to help bring the sacred into our everyday lives, to keep us connected to and grounded in our highest selves. We will create sacred art objects and learn how to use them in ritual practice and ceremony. Using a variety of materials and simple art techniques we will make our own altars, ceremonial rattles and meditation mandalas. |
Women's Circle: Embracing the Power of the Feminine
In this retreat we will create a circle of women where we connect, share, honor, and support one another. While celebrating the joys of being women, we will also uncover
and shed any core beliefs about the feminine that no longer serve us. Our activities are designed towards building our own self-support system. Using individual and
partnered yoga poses we will tap into our own power and discover the power inherent in the connections we make with others. Each participant will bring in images of
powerful female archetypes and symbols, which we will use in a mixed media project honoring ourselves and our sister spirit guides.
-This retreat is for women only.
- Rediscover and celebrate the power within you
- Create connections with other women
- Shed the skin of negative beliefs about the feminine
In this retreat we will create a circle of women where we connect, share, honor, and support one another. While celebrating the joys of being women, we will also uncover
and shed any core beliefs about the feminine that no longer serve us. Our activities are designed towards building our own self-support system. Using individual and
partnered yoga poses we will tap into our own power and discover the power inherent in the connections we make with others. Each participant will bring in images of
powerful female archetypes and symbols, which we will use in a mixed media project honoring ourselves and our sister spirit guides.
-This retreat is for women only.
The Instructors
Carrie Ward Kelly is a certified Kundalini yoga instructor who has been practicing yoga for over 9 years. Carrie has studied under a variety of teachers, including Dr.
Hari Simran Singh Khalsa, Gururattan Kaur Khalsa, Ph.D., and Doreen Foxwell, founder of The Children’s School of Yoga. Carrie is also studying Andean Shamanic
practices with Eileen O’Hare and is learning spiritual rituals of the Q’ero of Peru. Carrie currently teaches adult and children’s yoga throughout the Hudson Valley.
“Kundalini Yoga is a powerful tool for people to get in touch with their bodies, learn to breathe, and gain a level of deep meditation and relaxation. Yoga is an excellent
way of tapping into your core spirit and letting it shine and I am excited to be able to share this technology with others. As an instructor, my philosophy of teaching is that
anyone can do yoga and benefit – regardless of age, body type, disability, or fitness level. My goal is to make everyone feel welcome and encouraged to do what they can
while honoring the limits of their bodies. ”
Stacey Ward Kelly is the founder and director of the Art Room. She is a professional photographer, visual artist and creative writer who has nearly 10 years teaching
experience in public and private schools and institutions. She holds a M.Ed. in Art Education from Lesley University and has received studio art instruction from the Art
Institute of Boston and the Lorenzo de Medici Art Institute of Florence, Italy. In addition to her teaching in visual arts and photography, Stacey founded and facilitated a
writing group in Oakland, CA and has taught summer programs in creative writing. As an artist, Stacey has exhibited her photography in Boston, San Francisco and New
York.
Carrie Ward Kelly is a certified Kundalini yoga instructor who has been practicing yoga for over 9 years. Carrie has studied under a variety of teachers, including Dr.
Hari Simran Singh Khalsa, Gururattan Kaur Khalsa, Ph.D., and Doreen Foxwell, founder of The Children’s School of Yoga. Carrie is also studying Andean Shamanic
practices with Eileen O’Hare and is learning spiritual rituals of the Q’ero of Peru. Carrie currently teaches adult and children’s yoga throughout the Hudson Valley.
“Kundalini Yoga is a powerful tool for people to get in touch with their bodies, learn to breathe, and gain a level of deep meditation and relaxation. Yoga is an excellent
way of tapping into your core spirit and letting it shine and I am excited to be able to share this technology with others. As an instructor, my philosophy of teaching is that
anyone can do yoga and benefit – regardless of age, body type, disability, or fitness level. My goal is to make everyone feel welcome and encouraged to do what they can
while honoring the limits of their bodies. ”
Stacey Ward Kelly is the founder and director of the Art Room. She is a professional photographer, visual artist and creative writer who has nearly 10 years teaching
experience in public and private schools and institutions. She holds a M.Ed. in Art Education from Lesley University and has received studio art instruction from the Art
Institute of Boston and the Lorenzo de Medici Art Institute of Florence, Italy. In addition to her teaching in visual arts and photography, Stacey founded and facilitated a
writing group in Oakland, CA and has taught summer programs in creative writing. As an artist, Stacey has exhibited her photography in Boston, San Francisco and New
York.
Retreats Offered By Giraffe & Turtle:
| Giraffe and Turtle offers one-day spiritual yoga art retreats in Beacon, New York, which is situated in the heart of the Hudson Valley, just one hour north of New York City. Each retreat is offered inside the beautiful restored Victorian Howland Cultural Center with its thirty-foot domed ceiling and hand wrought wood columns. Custom retreats are also available for groups of 6 or more. Contact us for a quote and come explore with us this season. |