When was the last time you gave yourself the gift of a retreat that is expressly designed to nourish and nurture your soul in a sacred, loving and feminine way?
Imagine...
- Being embraced by a circle of sisters from a place of love and heartfelt acceptance
- Being received into the center of a delicate rose - its petals gently caressing you into a felt sense of beauty
- Being welcomed into the garden of Aphrodite's unconditional love
- Joining with other soulful women in a place where you are deeply seen and invited to discover and offer your deepest gifts
- Singing, laughing, dancing and celebrating with women from around the globe
We invite you to take time out of your busy life, unplug and immerse yourself in sacred beauty and soul nourishment. Come, refuel and renew yourself as we create a space for the Goddess in each of us to wake up and stretch out in the sun!
It's challenging in our everyday lives to truly walk the path of beauty and to feed ourselves regularly. So many other things compete for our attention and take priority.
Our three-day oasis in Aphrodite's Garden will give you the break you deserve - it's a special, sacred time for you to be adored, pampered, received and adorned as the beautiful woman that you are. Your senses will be re-awakened as you come alive to your fullness, and you will receive lavish, loving attention that can only happen in a sacred sister circle.
The retreat is co-led by Devaa Haley Mitchell and Elayne Doughty who have guided hundreds of women on awakening journeys. In their care, you will be filled up, nurtured and exalted by the Goddess of Love herself. And after four days, you will leave with a deep embodiment of living your life as love and an immersive experience of the Goddess of Love within you.
The Embraced by Love Retreat takes place during the Summer Solstice, when nature invites us to be in full bloom, to be radiant, to be fully opened to the love-light in our own being. What better way to nourish yourself than to be Embraced by Love this summer in beautiful California?
What People Are Saying!
"Devaa is a living example of the Evolutionary Woman arising in our midst. Combining brilliant intellect, business experience, spiritual development and now a major outreach into the world to assist is all in our evolution, she is a loving and inspiring woman leading us forward in the 21st century."
"I've met a lot of teachers, healers, and leaders in my years on the speaking circuit. When I wanted to dive deeper with my work and share from a new level of vulnerability, I turned to Devaa. She helped me lead from my authenticity, connect with my depth, and open in ways that proved energizing and effective. Her support enabled me to go to a whole new level in my public presentation and bring new qualities to my leadership. She helped me in a million ways that I cannot even describe. I am blessed by her presence. Thank you Devaa!"
"Elayne you are potent expression of female energy. Your deep and wise insights. Your wild women. Your fun. Your joy. Your supportive collaboration. The whole -- and I emphasize whole -- enchilada. I'm really thrilled for you -- You have this powerful energy as the basis for whatever it is that you are building-- and it is big!"
"The time (or should I say timelessness) that I spent with Devaa was profound. After years of seeing all kinds of 'experts' I can honestly say the time with Devaa broke something loose and now I feel burden-free, as well as much lighter and more joyful. I recommend her work to anyone who is ready to fly."
"Working with Devaa & Elayne has been one of the more poignant, fulfilling and empowering of my life experiences to date. Both of these women are extremely gifted in identifying and bringing out the strengths, skills and beauty of each individual that they come into contact with. In my own work with them, I have felt continuously seen, heard and held by their unique feminine presence, which is sometimes amazingly gentle and compassionate and at other times fierce and full of fire-- igniting my own inner flame. Always, they come from love. I highly recommend Devaa to any woman who desires to blossom into her full leadership potential."
"A lot has shifted in my life since working with Devaa & Elayne. I feel clearer, more free, and have more energy. It's also been deeply healing for my heart. I feel a growing empowerment to step into my own leadership as a healer, guide and musician!"
"After working with Devaa & Elayne, I feel so much more connected to my heart, purpose, passion, and a deep sense of my personal spirit. The authenticity practiced in the gatherings has brought me closer to my true essence."
"Elayne, I just want to express my deep gratitude to you for midwifing me into the next evolution of my life as a powerful woman. You were the door in, giving me a roadmap to follow. You have brought me a community that has been missing in my life for the past 10 years, or perhaps longer. You created an oasis to refresh my Feminine soul, after the creative desert I've been crawling through for too long. I'm feeling refreshed and full of possibility. There is nothing more thrilling!
"Elayne brings deep listening, empathic insight, grounded compassion, informed guidance as well as inspired play, to the chaos, confusion, fear, love, ecstacy and joy that is presented her. There is a unique intimacy in her connected understanding, creating safety and containment to go to great depths in ones process of discovery. With Elayne, I feel seen, heard and mirrored in all my authenticity. Two words: playful passion"
"When I met Devaa, I was trying to figure out my next steps, I wasn't clear on my direction, and I was scared. Together we explored my professional and personal strengths and my connection to Source. Devaa's guidance supported me to find my confidence and authentic power. Her deep wisdom, patient listening, and reflecting were instrumental in my personal process. The work we did has encouraged my heart to stay open and fearless, beginning afresh, every day. I am very grateful. Thank you Devaa!!"
"Devaa could be called a spiritual midwife, assisting people in the birthing their inner-selves. She empowers you, assists you, gently encourages you, and honors you for your efforts. With Devaa's impeccable assistance, I was able to go through what is so far the most powerful experience of my life. I am extremely grateful!"
- Experience being fully loved, cherished and adored
- Authentically connect with a soulful, supportive and safe community of conscious women
- Awaken your greatest expression of passion, pleasure and sensuality
- Allow yourself to be deeply seen within a loving circle where you can freely give your soul gifts
- Remove blockages to your energy flow and greater balance in your life
- Heal your own beauty wounds, in a supportive circle of sisters
- Learn simple practices that will nourish you year-round
- Receive a mythic make-over, drawing out your epic attributes
- Free up your body through yoga, singing and sacred dance
- Delight your inner epicure with exquisite, delectable food
- Nourish your being in a beautiful and serene natural setting
- Revel in a spacious schedule and an abundant generosity of spirit
- Leave feeling inspired and celebrated with specific tools to forever nourish your Feminine Spirit
Friday night
Opening circle to the Goddess of Love
Heart-Centered Devotional Chanting
Gifting Ceremony
Saturday
Yummy Yoga and music from the Angels
Heart Awakening Ceremony
Rite of Anointing and Sensual Awakening
Soul Nourishing in Nature
Sacred Adornment by Your Sisters
Mythic Dinner & Sacred Mic (kinda like Open Mic)
Sunday
Free Spirit Dance
Beauty Way Healing Circle
Sound Bath
Heart Art
Soul Sharing Circle
Self-Nourishing in Nature
Goddess of Love Sacred Theater
Monday
Partner Yoga
Heart-Centered Devotional Chanting
Closing Love Circle
Rev. Devaa Haley Mitchell is the Founder of the Inspiring Women Summit and Co-Founder of the Soulful Women programs. She is a core part of the teaching faculty at the Shift Network and is an expert in women's awakening and leadership. She also works as a spiritual guide with ongoing programs through the organization she founded, Radiant Essence Services (www.radiantessence.com).
Devaa was ordained as an interfaith minister by the Chaplaincy Institute and also received a BA in Anthropology with Honors and an MA in International Development from Stanford University. She was awarded a fellowship from the Fulbright Foundation and was also one of 26 contributors to a book called Radical Spirit, which focuses on Gen-X spiritual perspectives. A core part of Devaa's path includes sacred music. Her debut album called "Sacred Alchemy" honors 13 aspects of the divine feminine is due out in the late Spring 2011. See www.devaa.com for downloads of her music.
Devaa also served as the Director of Member Engagement at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), an organization bridging science and spirituality. Previously, she was the Founder and Executive Director of the Full Circle Fund, dedicated to building a new generation of civic leaders. Devaa also worked as an Associate Consultant at the Boston Consulting Group where she offered management advice to Fortune 500 Companies.
Elayne Kalila Doughty MA, MFT, founder of Planet Breathe (www.planetbreathe.com) Co-Founder of the Soulful Women Program (www.soulfulwomen.com) is a Psychotherapist, Creative Arts therapist, Trauma Healing/Addictions Specialist, and Women's Empowerment expert. She has worked as in the field of Women's recovery, discovery and awakening for the last 20 years and has loved every minute of it!
Elayne has created diverse program's such as: "The SAFE Embrace" Seven Steps to Healing Trauma for women, and The Soul Spa Experience- Nourishing the Heart of Your Being, a guided meditation series to support women to awaken into their greater than imagined possibilities through soul renewal and replenishment.
Currently Elayne is working with Eve Ensler (the Vagina Monologues) and her foundation, www.VDay.org on co-creating the design and implementation of The Trauma Healing and Leadership Empowerment Program at the City of Joy in Bukavu, Congo. This transformational program will seed women leaders at a grass roots level throughout the Congo.
Elayne has a private practice seeing in person clients in the Bay Area, and global clients via the
internet. She is also a sought after teacher and speaker in the field of, Trauma Healing, Addictions Recovery and Women's Empowerment.
Ariel Spilsbury is a planetary priestess of the Goddess. Her passion is participating in the conscious evolution of this planet and all its inhabitants. This takes the form of traveling to share the wisdom of the Divine Feminine around the globe, which she has done for over thirty years. She has devoted her life to the conscious awakening of all beings. This she has offered through writing, teaching, sacred theater presentations, creating a metaphysical store, conferences, consciousness events, lectures, seminars, starting a metaphysical newspaper, moon circles for women, spiritual counseling and maintaining a temple for the Goddess for twenty five years.
Ariel is a cheerleader for consciousness, ceremonialist and consciousness initiator. She presently offers spiritual counseling service and various workshops with the intention of planetary awakening. She offers Initiation into the Mysteries of the Divine Feminine, Mayan Initiations, Divine Child Workshops and a sound and light technology called crystal singing. Ariel magnetizes sacred circles of light around the planet to bring people together in divine communion, love and remembrance. The present focus of her awareness is grounding a Living Mystery School, priestess training and sound and light temple on Earth called The Sanctuary of the Open Heart www.heartchalice.org . Her ongoing passion at present is being a Faerie Godmother and in so doing being a planetary Joy Generator!
EarthRise Retreat Center in Petaluma, CA
EarthRise at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) is housed on 200 acres of beautiful rolling hills of Petaluma where hiking trails meander through pristine native live oak woodlands, and the surrounding open space offers panoramic vistas of the California landscape. It is located just forty-five minutes north of San Francisco. It is easily accessible from the East Bay and North Bay, as well as from San Francisco, making it one of Northern California's premier retreat sites.
Special features at Earth Rise include a beautiful vegetable garden that provides fruits and vegetables for our kitchen, a labyrinth, a meditation hut nestled in a peaceful oak grove, a tepee for group rituals and classes, and sitting areas for quiet contemplation.
The Institute founded a transformative learning center that provides a gathering place to explore ancient wisdom traditions, supports experiential learning, and engages in modern scientific inquiry.
EarthRise on our campus has become a space where psychologists, educators, leaders, philosophers,frontier scientists, and spiritual masters conduct their work. We support intrapersonal and interpersonal consciousness work in a gorgeous natural setting.
At EarthRise-where cutting-edge scientific research is studied and conducted-guests can commune with the land and experience ecological awareness and transformational programs and practices that foster self-reflection and personal growth. The campus is a place where we integrate theory and practice, science and spirituality, as well as renewal and retreat.
Dining: The dining hall at EarthRise provides indoor as well as outdoor garden dining.
Local ingredients are the inspiration for our cooking and includes luscious organic fruits and vegetables, free range poultry, hormone-free meat and dairy products, and extraordinary cheeses. We use organic produce from local farmers whenever possible and draw upon flavors and techniques from around the world to create a diverse cuisine with alluring flavors.
Retreat Dates: June 15-18, 2012
Check-in begins at 4pm PST on Friday the 15th, and we begin with dinner at 6pm. The retreat will then end around 2pm on Monday the 18th.
Location: Earth Rise Retreat Center at IONS in Petaluma, California (Learn more about retreat site.)
Program Price: $497 (food and lodging are separate)
Bring a Friend for a Reduced Price: $197
Food and Lodging:
- Shared Double Room (3 nights lodging + 9 meals): $487
- Single Room (3 nights lodging + 9 meals): $587
- Food & Commuter Fee with no lodging (3 lunches, 3 dinners): $297
Note: If you are interested in camping during the retreat, you can stay at the nearby KOA campground and just pay the Program Fee plus the Commuter Fee. You will need to be responsible for booking your own camping reservations with KOA. Visit their website at this link.
Q: What is your refund policy?
A: Your deposit is 100% refundable until April 15, 2012 – after that point, it is not refundable as payment must be made to the Earthrise Center 60 days in advance. Submit refund requests at support.theshiftnetwork.com with the subject line "Refund request."
Q: Are there scholarships available?
A: No, since we have a hard limit on the number of participants at the retreat site, we won’t have space for full scholarships. A few positions at a reduced fee for staff support will open up in February. If you would like to apply for a scholarship, please review our guidelines, which include a link to our online application form.
Q: If I have any further questions, how can I reach Customer Support?
A: Visit our Customer Support Center at support.theshiftnetwork.com, and we will be glad to help you!