Workshops | The Dancing Elephant

Hurricane Island Retreat

with Rachel Nixon, Yoga Instructor & Lover of Islands

Friday, August 30, 4:30 p.m. to Monday, September 2, 2 p.m.

By registration

Last year was so much fun! We're going back...

Treat yourself tothree days of rest, renewal, friendship, fresh air, and inspiration. You deserve it. Hurricane Island is magical. The wind, waves, and vast sky will inspire and nurture us. Hope you can come!

Our days on Hurricane will includeyoga and meditation, as well as island exploration and discovery. We will enjoy connection and laughter, as well as periods of stillness and silence. There will be plenty of time to relax and unwind. We will enjoy delicious, healthy meals sourced from local farms and fishermen. You can choose an invigorating dip in the ocean or a glorious outside shower at the bathhouse (indoor showers available, too). We will sleep in shared cozy cabinsnestled in the trees beneath the stars.

The three-night retreat is a unique opportunity to practice and live in harmony with the natural environment. There is nothing more nourishing and healing!

Schedule

Friday, August 30. We will meet in Rockland at 4:30 p.m. and then make our way to Hurricane Island in time for dinner, orientation/settling in, and an evening circle.

Saturday-Sunday, August 31-September 1

6:00 a.m. Wake Up

6:30 a.m. Yoga & Meditation Class

8:00 a.m. Breakfast

9:30 a.m. Island Exploration Practice

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. Rest & Free Time

4:30 p.m. Yoga & Relaxation Class

6:00 p.m. Dinner and Sunset Hike

8:00 p.m. Free Time and Star Gazing

9:30 p.m. Lights Out

Monday, September 2. We will rise for our morning yoga and meditation practice, have some free time to explore in the morning, and then enjoy a farewell lunch together. We will depart Hurricane at 1 p.m., returning back to Rockland by 2 p.m.

Explore the island... and swim, if you are brave!

Registration: Space is limited. Early registration is highly recommended. To register, kindly pay the deposit or pay in full via the link below.

Cost: $400. Includes three nights lodging/facilities, nine healthy meals, daily yoga and meditation classes, as well as roundtrip transportation to Hurricane Island from Rockland. Pay in full or make a $150 deposit with the balance of $250 due by August 1. If you need an extended payment plan, email [email protected]

The Island: Hurricane Island is located 10 miles southeast of Rockland and 2 miles southwest of Vinalhaven. The island is home to the Hurricane Island Center for Science & Leadership, a sustainable, off-the-grid educational community. There will be two other programs on the 125-acre island during our stay (plenty of room for everyone).

Weather: Rain or shine, fog or clear skies….. we are going! There are indoor practice spaces for yoga and meditation.

What to bring: A packing list will be sent with registration.

Cozy cabins Yoga yurt

Hurricane Island, large forested island in foreground. Camden Hills in background.

Fall Yoga Retreat: Moving into Stillness

with Rachel Nixon, Yoga Instructor

Saturday, October 26, 1-5 p.m.

By registration

Fall is a wonderful time to slow down and nourish yourself. The season teaches us to get quiet and cozy-- the leaves fall from the trees, the days grow shorter, and the chilly frost arrives. Autumn is the perfect time to treat yourself to a relaxing afternoon of self-care and support. The theme of the retreat is moving into stillness. We will begin with gentle breathwork and flowing warm-ups. We will move and breathe and honor our bodies. In the spirit of slowing down, we will then soften and begin to explore Yin Yoga postures. In Yin, we settle into each posture and let gravity and time do the work for us. Like the leaves outside, we let go and soften down to the ground. We practice stillness and learn to surrender to the present moment. There will be periods of meditation and self-reflection throughout the afternoon, and there will be a break with tea and snacks mid-afternoon. The retreat will end with savasana, a period of deep relaxation.

Please bring a journal for self-reflection.

Level: Perfect for students of all levels, including beginners.

Registration: Kindly complete payment below or contact Rachel at [email protected] to sign up and discuss other payment options.

Navigating Change with Yoga

with Ann Hedly, Yoga Instructor

Saturday, November 16, 1-5 p.m.

By registration

Change can be overwhelming. Whether moving, a job change, divorce, illness or death of a loved one, we all experience life changes so significant that we have to look deeply inside to work with the shifts. At the core of our being, we find a deeper awareness containing all the wisdom and answers we need to navigate obstacles on the path toward a full, rich, and joyous life.

Gathering for the afternoon, we will enjoy yoga, pranayama (breathwork), and meditation techniques specifically-designed to ease transitions in our changing lives. There will be time for reflection and relaxation, and we will share tea and snacks and the community of others. By the end of the retreat, we will have a toolbox full of self-care practices to carry home with us.

Level: everyone is welcome; no previous yoga experience required.

Registration: Kindly complete payment below or contact Rachel at [email protected] to sign up and discuss other payment options.

“I always think that’s the secret of change: that there are huge gestations and fermentations going on in us that we’re not even aware of. And then sometimes when we come to a threshold, crossing over, and we have to become different, that we are able to become different because secret work has been done in us of which we’ve had no inkling.” -John O’Donohue