Welcome!

Dear Retreat Friends,

You have arrived. Well, almost. We are delighted that you’re joining us for the Winter Wellness Retreat. We are excited to welcome you and share a peaceful and nourishing long weekend with you.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter represents the most Yin. Yin is the dark winter days, cold, slow in motion, and tends to have an inward energy. With the support of Sumac Centre’s snowy and still landscape, and the cooler and darker days, we’ll spend the long weekend orbiting around winter-focused practices such as meditation, active resting and energy replenishment. We’ll kickstart the weekend with intention setting for 2024 as well as reflecting on nourishing things that support our wellness and eliminating things that no longer serve us. Come with an open mind and be prepared to receive. The weekend is more than a get-away or a mini retreat. It’s time to transform fear into courage and do some loving internal house cleaning!

For now, we invite you to enjoy your breathing as you mindfully read through the Welcome Letter below.

A soft snowflake smile to you,
Sarah & Hang

Retreat Location: Sumac Centre

Located deep in the forests of Central Frontenac, Sumac Centre is a secluded and serene retreat centre in south-eastern Ontario, Canada. Situated lakefront and nestled in 576 acres with seven private trails to delight in the ecosystem, the retreat centre boasts a series of huge passive solar windows that offer a panoramic view of the lake and surrounding woodlands. There are also many species of wildlife including deer, beavers, otters, moose, turtles, wild turkeys and many other species native to Ontario.

Sumac Centre address: 1140 Derven Lane, Mountain Grove, ON K0H 2E0

Approximate driving times - Kingston: 1 hour, Ottawa: 2 hours, Toronto: 3.5 hours, Montreal: 4 hours.

Arrival & Departure

Arrival: Thursday, January 25, 2024: Check in any time between 3pm and 6pm.

Departure: Sunday, January 28, 2024: Check out at 12pm. You are welcome to stay longer and enjoy the beautiful property after checking out of your room.

Retreat Schedule

Thursday

3-6pm Check in
6pm Welcome Circle / Orientation
6:30pm Dinner
7:30-8:30pm Restorative Yoga

Friday

7-7:45am Qi Gong & Gentle Mindfulness Practices
8am Breakfast
FREE TIME
11am-11:45am Yin-Yang Yoga
12pm Lunch
1-1:30pm Digestive Yoga & Relaxation
1:45-3:15pm Workshop: Mindfulness for Wellness Part 1
FREE TIME
4:45-5:45pm TCM-Based Yin Yoga
6pm Dinner
7:15-8pm Evening Meditation w/ Restorative Yoga
9pm Noble Silence until breakfast

Saturday

7-7:45am Qi Gong & Gentle Mindfulness Practices
8am Breakfast
10-11:30am Forest Therapy Guided Walk with Stana Luxford-Oddie
12pm Lunch
1-1:30pm Digestive Yoga & Relaxation
1:45-3:15pm Workshop: Mindfulness for Wellness Part 2
FREE TIME
4:45-5:45pm TCM-Based Yin Yoga
6pm Dinner
7:15-8pm Evening Meditation w/ Restorative Yoga
9pm Noble Silence until breakfast

Sunday

8-9:30am Qi Gong, Yoga & Gentle Mindfulness Practices
10am Brunch
Check out before noon
Depart anytime

Activities and practices will be based on all things relating to the Winter Season in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

What Activities Are on Site?

Hiking (15 km of trails to your delight)
Snowshoeing (there are two pairs on site)
Tobogganing/sledding (some on site as well)
Skating (if ice is cleared) - bring your skates just in case
Stargazing
Getting to know each other

Accommodation

All of the bedrooms are set up with two twin-size beds. Bedrooms are grouped in pairs with 2 bedrooms sharing a toilet and shower. Each bedroom has a sink.

If you’d like to be paired with a specific person, please provide that person’s name in the Registration Form.

Each room comes with bedding and towels, soap, shampoo and conditioner, hair dryer, and a power bar for phone chargers.

For cell phone service, Bell and Telus service is good. Rogers is not as good. There is internet available however, if possible, we encourage guests to disconnect while they are here.

Meals

All meals served at the retreat will be home cooked western and eastern hot vegetarian dishes to keep our soul, heart, and body warm. Yum!

If you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions please let us know (in the Registration Form) as soon as possible. The chefs can accommodate most common restrictions and allergies.

Fresh fruit, coffee and tea will be available all day and night to keep your heart warm and belly happy.

What to Wear

To respect and support our collective energy of practice, we ask everyone to wear modest clothes that cover midriff and knees at all times. We will be doing some sitting such as during talks, sitting meditation, Dharma sharing, as well as walking meditation and yoga/qigong. Please wear comfortable clothing such as sweaters, sweatpants, stretchable materials, t-shirts, long sleeves.

What to Bring

Your whole lovely and open self
Layers of warm clothing for our practices
Appropriate winter wear, especially if you enjoy nature walks. ie. snow pants, good winter jacket, boots, toque, mittens etc.
Yoga mat, two yoga blocks (if you have any), yoga strap (if you have any). We will have blocks and straps to loan out if you don’t have them.
A yoga bolster, if you have one - no worries if not
A blanket for savanasa in yoga
A hand towel for savanasa - we enjoy offering eyes and head massages so the towel will be handy dandy
A reusable water bottle / thermos. There will be plenty of drinking water available and tea/coffee available all day at the resort.
A notebook/journal and pens to take notes during the workshops and jot down your personal insights, revelations, and most inner transformative thoughts.
Personal/preferred hygiene products e.g. toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, moisturizer, shampoo, body wash (Note: each room comes with bedding and towels, soap, shampoo and conditioner, hair dryer, and a power bar for phone chargers)

Optional / if needed:

Indoor slippers and sneakers
A good book to read
Personal medication
Eye covers & ear plugs
Cushion (if you want for sitting meditation)
Skates & snowshoes

Scent-Free

In consideration of others who have allergies, including Hang and Sarah, please attend the retreat scent-free: no perfume/fragrance/cologne/scented products/essential oils. If possible, please use scent-free or low-scent shampoo/conditioner, soap, lotion, deodorant, etc.

Photography

We respect your privacy and would like to ask for your permission to take photos during the retreat for social media to help promote the healing yoga, Qi Gong & mindfulness practice, as well as share the photos with you later as a keepsake. Please let us know if you do not wish to be in the photos.

Cancellation Policy

A $500 CAD non-refundable deposit is requested to hold your space. The balance payment is due by January 4, 2024

In the event of inclement weather that prevents travelling, the retreat will be cancelled and you will receive a full refund.