The Practices
Learn how to create a unique self care program for yourself using simple and powerful practices. These practices help nourish the nervous system, detoxify the body and mind and bring harmony to the energetic body to help release tension/trauma, and in some cases, offer profound insights and peak experiences.
Connected Breathwork
Breathwork is a powerful yet accessible self-healing tool. It offers clarity and inspiration, as well as emotional healing and cellular detoxification. If you have worked with me before, this is the core breathwork practice that I teach.
In the Connected Breathwork technique, we use a circular, amplified breathing pattern, which alkalizes the body and temporarily shifts the brain chemistry to allow for flow state and emotional release to naturally occur.
This profound and transformative guided conscious breathwork practice may allow for a natural release of dimethyltryptamine (DMT) into the brain, which can create spiritual breakthroughs and peak experiences of oneness. This is the chemical set up for “flow state” in the brain.
*This technique is not appropriate for pregnant women or those with a history of seizures or severe heart conditions.
Embodiment Practices
reimagined osho active meditation
Embark on the the fascinating and effective journey that is Active Meditation: a sequence of 5 movement phases that follow a specific musical playlist, originally created by the Indian mystic Osho, but in a reimagined format that I have crafted to compliment our breathwork-focused day retreat.
Body scan meditation
This is a guided Tantric meditation technique used to get you IN your body (and out of your head), by scanning through each area of the body and deeply listening to what it has to say. It is an ideal “primer” practice for our deep Connected Breathwork session.
FreeDom movement
In this practice, we merge with the body’s innate wisdom and natural movement patterns to release physical pain and repetitive thought patterns that do not serve us.
the wisdom of Community
interpersonal connection:
It is easy it is to connect with the hearts of others in a short period of time when we come together for a shared purpose. We will be held by sacred land and a beautiful practice space that has been used to community and spiritual work for many decades. It is a true sanctuary for connection.
nourishing high vibe food:
Our highly experienced and committed chef for the retreat is Chase Elder. She catered my previous Ojai retreat and is a true master when it comes to food, and is also deeply committed to supporting local organic farmers. Participants are always wowed by her offerings. I am so excited that she will be returning to offer us a beautiful nourishing lunch.
time in nature
Little needs to be said about the healing power of being close to nature. At the Topa Institute, we are surrounded by the the hills of Upper Ojai and graced with sweeping views of the magical valley that will be our home for the day.