After almost ten years of evolving as a community therapeutic rec-based program developer, many positive experiences as a visual artist & crafter, and several years of studying social work and psychology, I am excited to be facilitating a variety of Creative Wellness events at some great venues and with some exciting facilitators.
One venue partner is fantastic in particular; the Killarney Mountain Lodge, a beautiful Georgian Bay resort.
Recently I have partnered with the resort to deliver a co-facilitated overnight wellness retreat, Elements of Art & Healing: A Creative Wellness Haven.
Tickets for the Elements of Art and Nature Retreat are now available: Join me, Rhiannon Barry and Adelle Campbell (Artist) this May 2022.
In search of the perfect art and wellness retreat location, last summer, I rented an Airbnb on Manitoulin Island. I drove down from Niagara Falls, and then I drove nearly three-fourths of the beautiful island; through reserves, pot farms, seeded lands, and resort areas and experienced all the opportunities I could fit in.
On one particular day, I whipped around the coves and expanses of Georgian Bay by boat and picked up lunch on the mainland in Killarney. My guide, Luke, director of Wikwemikong Tourism, showed me several possible locations for my retreat, filled my curious mind with local folklore, and suggested I visit a local artist.
Luke shared his knowledge about the owner and the property and encouraged me to explore this as an option.
That day was when I got my first glimpse of The Killarney Mountain Lodge. This scouting trip had massively paid off for me! I swear it sparkled when it appeared, almost as if by accident, on the far end of the boat way just past the charming tourist bustle of the marina.
This trip ended up not only being an inspiration for wellness retreats and exciting growth ideas for my business overall but also was a necessary reset for me after over a year of Covid-19 stress.
I had jumped off some rocks and plunged into the icy layer, floated around in a warm lagoon, dug my feet in sand and pebbles, saw more herons than I could count, hawks too, swam with the minnows, painted on the beach at dusk with the lunar moths, studied some for an exam on a sandy beach that was packed with vacationing families, kicked it with some locals, experienced the butterfly season, met up with a friend from college who I hadn’t seen in 18 years, and saw some breathtaking million-dollar indigenous art in a local independent gallery. I figured this was the perfect location for an art and wellness retreat.
I also saw some ‘local’ art at the ‘trading posts,’ and in the coffee shop under the loft where I was staying and I discovered a bit about the politics, heritage, ancient history, and the business potential that the area holds.
I bought a couple of t-shirts for my grandfather and mother, and, for the most part, I forgot to take pictures.
Tickets for the Elements of Art and Nature Retreat are now available: Join me, Rhiannon Barry and Adelle Campbell (Artist) this May 2022.
Join me at the retreat:
Swim, soar, create, and breathe under a million stars and a common sun and moon in a nurturing fertile environment where water kisses the shorelines and flows between islands and straits. Where trees sway upon rolling mountains full of local folklore and forests, call you home.
Relax overnight in lodges that have been carefully built for nature immersion and comfort. Walk, hike, ponder, paint, create, breathe and reveal your best self. Find your place in it all, away from the ropes that bind you to everyday life.
What to Expect:
Welcome to the Creative Haven, where no artistic talent is required; bring an open mind! Enjoy relaxing on this creative retreat with beginners’ activities developed using applied psychological benefits of creative expression and mindfulness. We facilitate all the activities and lead discussions at the end. I use psychological principles of art therapy in my program development and encourage self-reflection and healing.
This event is a collaborative approach at retreat planning to bring our clients and customers Quality, Creative Wellness Opportunities using the healing qualities of art expression, nature immersion, and self-care planning. Rest and Rejuvenate.
Come As You Are. Strip away any modern facades, and you will find activities facilitated by professional helpers and artists who genuinely wish to make a difference in our communities and use art as a catalyst for relaxation, change, enjoyment and healing.
Creatively rest your mind & free your spirit.
Participants enter a no-judgment zone. Photography is limited, and photo consent is respected.
How to Purchase:
20 spots are available https://killarney.com/resort/events/art-and-nature-retreat/
What’s Included:
Beautiful resort accommodations, chef-inspired meals, a fish fry, intimate group healing sessions, a variety of art and craft activities designed to encourage self-reflection, forest activities to reconnect you with your evolutionary self, an off-the-grid boat trip around Georgian Bay to free you from the tethers of everyday life, sunset ceremony on the beach, fire activities, quantum flow breathing techniques, and a gift bag from the artist facilitators and local vendors valued at $100.
Check-in Tuesday, May 17th at 4 pm Out Friday, May 20th at 11 am.
Amenities and add-ons include:
The Pine Room Fitness Centre
The Outdoor Pool (if open)
Sauna
Pavilion Games Room
Complimentary use of resort’s bicycles, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards
Registered Massage Therapy
Wine Tasting
Enjoy Free Time to:
*Relax in your room
*Explore surrounding beauty.
*Explore the town and hotel amenities.
* Sign up for intimate (4 ppl. max) 45-minute healing ‘Express Yourself’ Sessions.
Many of our activities are planned for outside. However, if it is raining or the temperatures are chilly, we will meet on the beautiful indoor terrace overlooking the lake and in the grand room with its fireplace.
https://lnkd.in/eZ6amnuY
Sign up and receive an intake form and a list of items to include in your packing!
See you there!
Be Whimsi Art Loft 