On this day-long Healing Retreat, you will have the opportunity to experience five different techniques of Ecotherapy: Nature Meditation, Physical Activity (yoga and hiking), Forest Bathing, Animal Therapeutics, and Horticulture Therapy. 

We start the day at Grand Mere State Park in Stevensville, MI for an invigorating Morning Hike. The challenging dunes and the morning sun will ignite our energy for the day. 

After our dune hike we head to Eclectic Sanctuary, a respite for discovering more of the Self . Here we will connect with nature through meditation and a calming outdoor Yoga practice, accessible to everyone, focusing on our awareness of life in and around us.

As our bodies begin to crave some mid-day nourishment, we settle in for a healthy and delicious lunch while simultaneously sharing time with the small eclectic flock of chickens, farm cats and farm dog at the sanctuary. Connecting with animals, farm animals, or pets, has a calming and healing effect on the nervous system. Before, during or after lunch, spend time feeding the flock, walking the dog and cozying up with the cats. If you like birds, we have numerous visitors daily who come to our feeders throughout the property!  Discover the present moment. Break the thought patterns that cause anxiety or depression. Begin to heal and restore with the help of nature.

We continue the healing process as we immerse ourselves in the forest. Forest Bathing refers to the ancient Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku. Cultures throughout time and civilizations have used nature to promote Well-Being. They all bring a deeper physical and spiritual connection to nature. We use all our senses to breathe in the sights, smells, and sounds of nature. It's simply "bathing in the air of the trees."

Incorporating horticulture therapy, working with plants in a therapeutic way, into our day of healing, you can choose a pumpkin, harvest raspberries, (if they are still producing), and use fresh herb cuttings to plant your own herbs for the upcoming holidays. Discover how working in a garden reduces stress and can alleviate depression. 

Ending the day, we reflect and journal about our experiences before sealing those intentions through Yoga Nidra, a systematic process that brings the mind to a state of full relaxation, without actually sleeping.  Learn to relax consciously. No work, no effort. Relax. Be Still. Listen. Accept. 

Finally, we will end this Day of Healing with a Fall Fireside Chat with what else, S'mores! 

“Keep close to Nature’s heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods.
Wash your spirit clean.”
John Muir