Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree. – Emily Dickenson
It’s time to slow down and connect with awe. Let’s take a few days to enjoy nature, explore movement and breath as we cozy up amidst the vibrant colours of fall. Autumn is the perfect season to shed expectations that might be holding you back and to let go of what no longer serves you. Sometimes you just need to get away to create space for rest and growth.
Together Dana and Lee bring joy and empathy, as well decades of education and hands-on teaching wisdom to the retreat experience. Through healing practices including sunrise walks, intuitive yoga, breath work, and meditation, you’ll have plenty of time to release familiar patterns and embrace ease.
About the venue: Your home for this retreat is BLOOM – an architectural gem and wellness centre located on 681 acres of land beside Loughborough Lake, 20 minutes north of Kingston. Take in the expansive views of lakefront and forest through floor to ceiling windows. The light-filled studio and 1700-square-foot outdoor deck is stocked with premium yoga props. There are cosy common areas for reading, journaling, and chatting with new friends. (See a few photos below.)
Your free time could be spent kayaking or hiking ample trails, in the wood fired sauna and lake cold plunging, and bonding around an evening bonfire under autumn skies. Be nourished by Bloom’s delicious and seasonal farm-to-table food menu. Tea, coffee, and snacks are available all day.
Transportation: VIA trains can bring you to Kingston train station, from which point a cab can take you to the retreat centre. Also, Dana and Lee can connect people for car-pooling opportunities. Upon arrival at the retreat, there will be no need for car travel until departure.
YOUR RETREAT LEADERS
DANA ROGERS (she/her)
Dana began practising yoga 25 years ago after leaving the world of competitive dance. In the beginning yoga was a way to continue a regular movement practice, and later it became an invaluable tool to heal from addiction and mental health issues. With over 1,000 hours of training in various yoga and transformative modalities, Dana has been guided by incredible teachers from Canada, the U.S., and Central America. In early October 2024, Dana will complete her Clinical Somatic Educator and Therapist certifications. Her experience teaching aerial yoga, yin yoga, breath work, meditation, somatic dreaming, and ceremony, marries scientific and spiritual knowledge to guide people to access intuitive body knowledge over outside messaging. Dana’s aim is to amplify our innate wisdom through intuition and playful exploration – she hopes we all can feel healthy, joyful, and at home in our bodies.
LEE SCOTT (she/her)
Lee has been working as a fitness leader for more than 30 years. Known for her WoW Power Walking program which she created in 2002, she has brought fun, fitness, and marathon training to the pedestrian gait including speaking at fitness and health conferences across North America. Lee has taught all manner of fitness classes over the decades and, in addition to her walking classes, currently focuses on leading strength workouts, yoga and meditation practice livestream. Originally certified as a group fitness leader in 1992, she has been a certified personal trainer and health coach with the American Council of Exercise since 2001. Since 2013, she has completed more than 1,000 hours of yoga teacher. She is co-author of The Walking Solution (Human Kinetics, 2020) and author of Step Outside (Plumleaf Press) to be published in 2024.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE*
Monday, October 21
4pm: Arrival and settle in
5pm: Welcome Circle with Dana & Lee
6pm: Dinner
7:15-8:15pm: Somatic Yoga and Intuitive Movement with Dana
8:30-9:30pm: Bonfire and tea
9:45-10pm Evening meditation with Lee
Tuesday, October 22
7:15-8am: Sunrise Guided Walk with Lee
8:15am: Breakfast
9:30-10:30am: Yoga with Dana
11-11:45: Pranayama/Breath Practice and Guided Body Scan with Dana
12pm: Lunch
1:30-3:00pm: All Chakra Hatha and with Lee
3:30-4pm: Group Journal/Drawing Exercise moving into Silence with Lee
4-6pm: Continue into individual silent time (optional sauna time)
6pm: dinner
7:30-8:45pm: Evening Stretch and Yoga Nidra with Dana & Lee
9pm: Free time and bed
Wednesday, Oct 23rd
7:15-8am Sunrise Walk with Lee
8:15am: Breakfast
9:30-10am Easy Morning Flow with Lee
10-10:30am: Breath & Meditation with Dana
11:15am: Closing circle with Dana & Lee
12:15pm: Lunch
Goodbyes and depart xo
* Subject to change
THE BLOOM APPROACH TO FOOD
Bloom serves vegetarian food in a self-serve, communal setting. They are committed to serving Bloom-grown, locally sourced and organic ingredients when in season and possible.
Along with the vegetables from their gardens, you’ll enjoy the eggs from their chickens along with the herbs grown in their own garden. As part of their efforts to reduce waste, Bloom composts as well as serves appropriate food waste to their chickens. Healthy snacks are set out on arrival day and a mid-day snack is set out on mid retreat days for guests to enjoy. Nuts and fresh fruit are always available at our self-serve coffee & tea
station.
MEALS
During your retreat you can expect the following meals:
Dinner on the retreat start day, early breakfast, lunch & dinner on mid retreat days and an early light breakfast and mid-morning brunch on departure day. Each meal is well balanced and includes protein, to keep guests feeling satisfied and nourished.
Please note: Bloom has daily set menus, consisting of vegetarian meals with gluten-free options when requested. We cannot ensure food is nut-free and are not equipped to handle food preferences, severe allergies, medical diets, customized meal plans, nor administer EpiPen.
REGISTRATION
All pricing includes accommodation (single, double and quad bunk rooms), 6 delicious farm-to-table meals, guided yoga and walking practices with Dana and Lee, use of property amenities, and premium yoga props and mats.
(Small additional fee to be determined at a later date, if you choose to book time in the sauna on Tuesday afternoon.)
QUAD BUNK ROOM
(Beds assigned in order of registration date)
$850.00 + HST
TWIN BED (sharing with one other)
(You choose room mate, or we assign)
$995.00 + HST
LOWER LEVEL (single occupancy*, King)
$1395.00 + HST
UPPER LEVEL (single occupancy*, Queen)
(*contact Lee/Dana if you want double occupancy)
$1495.00 + HST
In order for Dana and Lee to offer this powerful retreat experience, registrations are non-refundable.
If you have any concerns, please purchase travel insurance from your provider.
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What our Clients are Saying…
Lee’s coaching makes all the difference for power walkers at all levels. Her proven methods of interval training and hill work, combined with her positive attitude and decades of experience, will prepare you for any race. Her great advice to “trust the training” carried me through a recent marathon. Above all, her classes are fun, friendly and inclusive.