Earth Medicine

Give yourself the gift of health this holiday season, at Breitenbush Hot Springs in this sacred and special location. Immerse yourself in a unique, rejuvenating, and restorative experience designed to bring transformation and balance into your life.

This all inclusive retreat is a wonderful way to return to an authentic relationship with yourself. You will flow into the abundant, grounded, and harmonious relationships with all that surrounds you through the ancient earth medicine practices of Ayurveda, Hatha yoga, sound therapy, and reiki. Unplug, relax and unwind in the healing waters of Breitenbush Hot Springs deep in the mountains of Oregon’s Willamette National Forest and reconnect with who you really are.  

Daily Sessions: Our program offers daily sessions of meditation, Kundalini yoga, Katonah® yoga, sound therapy, relaxation, reiki and more.

Relaxing and healing environment, soaking in high mineral content hot spring water: Set in a natural and peaceful setting without wifi, you will benefit from an environment conducive to relaxation, healing and introspection.

Community and Support: You will be part of a community of like-minded people, sharing experiences and supporting each other on your journey of regeneration and attunement.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Breitenbush Hot Springs is located in the Willamette National Forest in Oregon. Specifically, it is situated in the Cascade Mountains, near the Breitenbush River, about 10 miles northeast of the small town of Detroit, Oregon. Breitenbush is known for its hot springs, retreat center, and scenic wilderness surroundings. It is a peaceful and remote setting that enhances the spiritual experience, making it an ideal location for those seeking solitude, introspection, and a deeper connection to the natural environment

All-Inclusive (3-meals provided each day)

The food at Breitenbush Hot Springs is well-regarded for its nourishing, wholesome, and primarily vegetarian offerings. The retreat center emphasizes health, sustainability, and a connection to the earth, and this philosophy extends to the meals served.

The menu is predominantly vegetarian, with a focus on fresh, organic ingredients. Dishes often feature a variety of vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and plant-based proteins. The meals are designed to be balanced and nourishing, catering to a wide range of dietary preferences.

Meals at Breitenbush are also a time for community and connection. Guests often gather in the communal dining hall to share meals, fostering a sense of togetherness and mindfulness around eating. The serene environment encourages slow, conscious eating, enhancing the overall dining experience.

Accommodations

The accommodations at Breitenbush Hot Springs are designed to provide a simple, rustic, and peaceful environment that complements the retreat center’s focus on nature, wellness, and spiritual renewal. The lodging options are intentionally minimalist, emphasizing comfort, relaxation, and a connection to the natural surroundings.

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE: First day arrive at 3pm, last day, leave after 1pm lunch.

OUR SCHEDULE

4 nights of accommodation in beautiful historic Breitenbush hot springs


ALL meals included

8am breakfast

1pm Lunch

6pm Dinner

ALL yoga sessions included:

7am Morning Kundalini Yoga and meditation sessions

4pm Ground of Being Practices of Winter

7:30pm sessions including Oracle circles, sound therapy with alchemy crystal bowls, gongs and chimes, hands on reiki, restorative yoga and Yoga Nidra sessions.

Description of Sessions

Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Sessions:

Kundalini yoga is a type of yoga that aims to awaken a spiritual energy called Kundalini, or shakti, which is said to be located at the base of the spine. It’s also known as the “yoga of awareness” because it’s said to help practitioners move past their ego and enhance their awareness. 

Kundalini yoga practices include: 

• Breathing exercises: Long, deep breathing, breath of fire and breath retention (kumbhaka) are common practices. 
• Mantras: Chanting and sound focus the mind and can trigger a chemical reaction in the body and brain. 
• Meditation: A key part of Kundalini yoga. 
• Physical postures: Repetitive poses and dynamic movements are used to create neuroconnection and specific movement of energy.
• Mudras: Hand positions that stimulate the flow of prana are used in Kundalini yoga. 

Kundalini yoga is said to promote balance, awakening, enlightenment, and self-realization. It’s also said to activate specific parts of the brain that increase awareness and generate more balanced control.

Ground of Being Practices:  

Explore the foundation of the Katonah® Yoga material, the lower body, your foundation and connection to the earth. The foundation of our body, our basement, is where we need to experience safety in our personal abode (our home). When we don’t, we learn to create compensatory patterns that substitute as real safety, but aren’t. Without feeling this internal sense of connectedness, we hold ourselves away from new learning, change and growth. The Ground of Being practices will start to substantiate your connection to the Earth and to your interiority. 

Sound Therapy/sound bath with alchemy crystal bowls and gongs: 

Originating from various cultural traditions, sound therapy involves sound baths using instruments like crystal singing bowls, gongs, and chimes to produce immersive soundscapes. These sessions aim to induce a state of deep relaxation and meditation. Unlike a physical bath, a sound bath immerses you in frequencies that resonate with the body’s energy centers or chakras, facilitating a journey inward.

Gemstone and precious metal infused Crystal Tones™ bowls are called the “Alchemy” series. We can attest from our study and usage of them that they truly are alchemical, not in the base medieval sense of turning physical lead into gold, but in the spiritual sense, wherein these bowls, when played, offer you energetic transformations. You can raise your vibration and the energies of others when you play these bowls. The healings are deep in the aura, the chakras, and the soul – as well as within the body. The sounds these bowls create are more than just sound. They carry the energy of the quartz and all the specific infused elements.

Gongs are a powerful sound instrument. According to various studies, the following are the benefits of a gong bath:

1. Stress reduction: Gong baths have been shown to reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, and promote relaxation.
2. Improved sleep: Participants in gong bath studies have reported improved sleep quality and reduced symptoms of insomnia.
3. Increased mindfulness: Gong baths can help to increase mindfulness and promote a meditative state, leading to improved overall well-being.
4. Reduced anxiety: Participants in gong bath studies have reported reduced symptoms of anxiety, including decreased levels of worry and nervousness.
5. Improved mood: Gong baths have been associated with improved mood and decreased symptoms of depression.
6. Pain relief: Gong baths have been shown to reduce pain and improve overall well-being in patients with chronic pain conditions.
7. Improved immune function: Gong baths have been associated with improved immune function, including increased production of cytokines and natural killer cells.

Overall, gong baths offer a holistic approach to promoting relaxation, reducing stress, and improving overall well-being.

Participants in sound baths often report profound impacts on their well-being, spanning psychological to physiological realms. These sessions, utilizing Crystal alchemy bowls and gongs, are known for stress reduction, mental clarity enhancement, emotional release, and sleep improvement. The sound waves from these bowls are thought to synchronize brain wave frequencies, fostering deep relaxation and a tranquil mind, which may ease anxiety, manage stress, and support a balanced mood. Additionally, the harmonious resonance of these bowls and gongs could promote a mental reset, sharpening focus and sparking creativity.

Reiki:

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words – Rei which means “God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power” and Ki which is “life force energy”. So Reiki is actually “spiritually guided life force energy.”

A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results.

Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.

Yoga Nidra:

Yoga nidra is a type of meditation that can be traced as far back as 1000 B.C. when Sankhya philosophy emerged. In the 1960s, yoga nidra was formally introduced as a yoga practice to the public, based on the writings of Swami Satyananda Saraswati. According to Sankhya philosophy, the key to happiness is to become aware of the distinction between the observer and what is being observed, such as thoughts, feelings, sensations, objects, and other beings.

By fully relaxing the physical body with yoga nidra, the body and mind come to a deeply relaxed state with the intention of staying awake. 

Ayurveda:

Is a science of life that has its roots in ancient Indian wisdom. On our retreat, you will have the opportunity to explore the principles of Ayurveda, learning how to improve your health and well- being by balancing the three doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha). You will learn what your dominant nature is and how you can bring it into balance. You will receive information about favorable nutrition, foods that lend themselves to eating and when it is better to do it. 

Personalized offerings:

Ayurvedic experience and tantric numerology: Each participant will have their own doshic nature determined and the imbalances they face noted, receiving a personalized Ayurvedic gift bag with self care rituals, included with this, information on your birth numbers and how they hold keys to life mastery.

A manual packed with information and key takeaways that you can use to build on what you learned with us.

What will you walk away with after this retreat?

– You’ll be further along in your healing process, rejuvenated, nourished, and have gained a greater sense of balance between your body, heart and mind
– You’ll have a deeper understanding of Kundalini and Katonah yoga somatic practices and meditation that you’ll be able to carry on with in your day to day life
– You’ll be benefiting from the yoga practices, sound healing and exquisite hot spring waters for many weeks and months to come
– You’ll learn about some Ayurveda basics and how to apply the techniques and principles to shift the energy, regenerate and recalibrate our being
– You’ll feel energized, feel a deeper sense of self love, and will feel empowered to take on whatever life throws your way
– You’ll be inspired to use these techniques and practices that align to your natural rhythms and as medicine as you go your through life and you will see food, movement, and self care as major important components to healing

During our 4 days together, we will encourage you to step into the vastness of the heart and all that it has been through up to that moment. We will explore the connection between the emotions that impact our heart and their impact on our entire nervous system, so that we can understand the interconnectedness between the two and how they can support us to reach our highest potential through healing and recalibration. 

To set the foundation in the beginning of the retreat, we will work on learning ayurvedic dinacharya practices, supported by specific practices of breathwork and yoga nidra, in order to open the body, release emotional clutter and residue from our cells and reset our nervous system entirely as we set our intentions. We will allow the purifying sound and the high frequencies of the Gong to continue the process of releasing, cleansing and healing. 

The frequencies of the Gong Baths that are scheduled later in the evening create a profound experience as sound plays a major role throughout this four-day journey. It will support and complete our meditations to help us let go of the stagnant and stuck aspects of our subconscious mind, allowing for a full recovery and regeneration of our nervous system. 

At the end of this retreat, you will have valid tools to keep your physical body in balance, as well as your mental and emotional body.