Notching down the pace and changing up the scenery can do wonders for pressing your personal reset button. The idea behind the Day Retreat is to enjoy a refreshing change of pace and place, the healthful vibe of the forest and a restorative day-long dose of peace and quietude, supplemented (if you wish) by some personal development content.
A Container for Soul Nourishment
Imagine having your own private space in a bright, spacious yurt with panoramic windows and surrounded by the sights, sounds and scents of the forest. No other people around, unless you bring them along. Imagine a day to yourself with nothing you need to do other than what you truly need—to settle. With a menu of (optional) program content, balanced with lots of unstructured open time, you can make your day whatever you wish it to be.
When you feel drawn outdoors, a large meditative walking labyrinth through the trees is within sight of the yurt, and a magical SoundForest of wind chimes just a few minutes walk away. Amble through 4km of marked trails, experiencing seven unique forest areas, each with its own unique character. Perhaps spend some time in the company of Spirit Tree, a grand old maple with a trunk so large you need 3 people to join hands around it.
In addition to the new sensory inputs, give your mind & soul some new input by inserting a SoulTrail experience into part of your day with forest therapy, labyrinth facilitation, yoga, better breathing or personality insight.
Or, if you prefer, forgo any program content and take the whole day to yourself: journal, do yoga, draw, bring an instrument, dance, just sit, take a nap, meditate, ponder. Mark a birthday or anniversary of some sort. Unload something from the past, envision something for the future, or sit in the present and gaze, guilt free. Take in the good energies, and good oxygen, that come from being accompanied by tens of thousands of trees, and zero people.
And, hey, what about putting your phone on airplane mode, or even leaving it in the car. Mmmm. Imagine that. Recharge awaits; all you have to do is engage it.
About Program Content: The Day Retreat is loosely structured and largely self-directed so that you can make it truly your own. It includes your choice of any SoulTrail experience, but you need not include one if that better suits your needs. While you may book your retreat date in advance, you do not need to select an Experience until a few days before, and even on the day you still have the option of taking a pass if that is in better harmony with the flow of your day.
Details
Duration: up to 8 hours (earliest arrival and latest leaving times vary by season)
Location: Near Keady/Desboro (about 20 min drive from Owen Sound)
Participants: up to 6
Cost*: $195 (single) $225 in winter +$25/additional person
Includes**: use of yurt (and adjacent outhouse), exclusive access to 50 acres of private woodlands, printed trail map & forest areas guide, and your choice of any one SoulTrail experience (click for descriptions).
PDF Gift Certificate available. During Dec 2022, you may purchase a Day Retreat as a gift for $195, regardless of which season it will be used in or how many participants (up to 6) will use it.
*If you feel in need of this Day Retreat but the cost is more than you can afford, please contact me for options that will make it possible. The Day Retreat is offered to local front-line healthcare workers at no cost (click for details).
**Some experiences, forest areas or property features may become unavailable on short notice due to environmental/weather conditions or COVID situation restrictions/advisories.
Booking & Preparation
The Day Retreat is usually available Mon-Fri and, occasionally, Sat/Sun. Make a date inquiry using the booking form. Once you have a Day Retreat confirmed, the Preparation Guide will help you get the most from your experience.
Yurt features a breathable skin (not vinyl), and windows which may be closed, open, or removed leaving screen. 
Cedar door, ash frame, wool felt wall liner, all made in Canada 
A large dome connects your space to the sky, and can open for ventilation. 
Lots of practice space for up to 4 people. 
Yoga props available on request: blocks, bolsters, sandbags 
Meditation bench or cushion available on request. 
A “Karma Chair” floor seat available for each person. 
The “Karma Chair” by Relaxus: adjustable back incline, memory foam seat cushion. 
With cedar-lined walls, and a window with a view to the forest, you may stay in there longer than you might guess! 
No old-style hole in the ground, but a clean, modern, flush-action portable toilet. 
Day Retreat: gaze, guilt free. 
Yurts, which have their roots in nomadic Mongolia, are round tents sturdy enough for extended deployment and braving the elements but still able to be packed up in a matter of hours and moved. This particular yurt is manufactured in Ontario by Yurta with clever modern engineering and mindful choices of materials. Details:
- diameter 17′
- wall height 6′
- peak height 10′
- door height 5′
- a heat source is available in winter and the yurt has a cozy natural felt wool inner liner on the walls and ceiling
Soul Trail 