FUSION YOGA RETREAT
WITH MARTHA CARTER (and special guest, AHAVA SHIRA)
BLACK CREEK, VANCOUVER ISLAND
SEPTEMBER 7-10, 2018
This workshop will be held in beautiful Black Creek on the West Coast of Canada. MAP
DON'T MISS OUT, limited spots available - REGISTER NOW!
ABOUT THE RETREAT
Designed for those with surgically corrected spines, this inspiring 4-day retreat empowers participants to connect with their bodies and help overcome spinal discomfort. Martha’s comforting approach will assist participants with increasing mobility, improving alignment, and reducing stiffness from surgery.
Ahava is passionate about creating safe spaces for authentic expression. During the retreat, she will spend a few hours guiding participants through the four practices of Writing Alone Together to help us explore our unique and common stories of fusion. Through our writing and sharing, we will become compassionate witnesses for ourselves and each other. Our conversation will centre around the questions:
- How do we come home to the crooked beauty of our bodies?
- How can we thrive in a body with a fused spine?
Relax and unwind on beautiful Vancouver Island while finding new sensation and awareness in the whole body!
ABOUT THE DESTINATION
The retreat will be held between Campbell River and Black Creek at the beautiful seaside wellness centre, Ocean Resort. Perched on the stunning coast of Vancouver Island, participants will stay in ocean-view rooms while enjoying delicious meals made from the best local ingredients. Participants may also choose to take advantage of the on-site spa which offers massage, healing treatments, a sauna, and more. The beautiful retreat setting has been chosen to allow people time to ‘treat' themselves to an escape in nature where they can come together to share stories, meet new friends with similar issues, and learn ways to help themselves.
ABOUT MARTHA CARTER
From Vancouver, Canada, Martha Carter is the Director of Marta Marta Productions, and Twisted Outreach Project (TOPS). A certified Yoga Teacher, she holds a BA in Music, an MFA in Dance and teaches both dance, yoga and Stretch for Scoliosis in Vancouver and beyond. As a progression of Martha Carter's ongoing training in Hatha Yoga and Yoga for Scoliosis, Fusion Yoga has evolved from Martha’s desire to find ease and mobility in her own fused spine. Based on Iyengar Yoga and Elise Browning Miller’s approach to Yoga for Scoliosis, Martha adds her own personal experience with Harrington Rods to specifically address spinal fusion, instrumentation and how it affects the whole body.
ABOUT AHAVA SHIRA
Ahava Shira is a poet, writer and multimedia performer who has been exploring the liberating power of creativity for over 30 years. Ahava wore a brace for 4 years during her adolescence before having spinal fusion surgery at 17, fusing her spine from L1 to T3. Her memoir-in-progress, Curve, is about her journey to free herself from anxiety, fears and other physical and emotional patterns inherited from childhood and to embrace the beauty and serenity of the present moment.
Author of a book of poetry and a spoken word CD, Ahava is co-author of Writing Alone Together: Journalling in a Circle of Women for Creativity, Compassion and Connection. She lives on Salt Spring Island where she keeps her body strong and resilient through dance, hiking and her practice of Yoga for Scoliosis.
COST
Full Retreat Package - $750 plus tax
Workshop Only Package - $405 plus tax
Sliding scale available
Full Retreat Package Includes:
- Daily yoga, movement, meditation and relaxation classes
2 catered meals & a self-serve breakfast per day
Ocean-view shared occupancy room
Shuttle to and from airport or bus station
Single accommodations available for an additional cost
Camping available for a reduced cost
TRANSPORTATION
Participants are responsible for arranging transportation to the Comox area. Black Creek is half way between Courtenay and Campbell River, both of which have airports. Access is also possible by car or bus, via the ferry from Vancouver. TOPS will arrange for your airport or bus terminal pickup and transportation to the retreat centre. For more detailed travel information, please visit: http://www.oceanresort.ca/getting-here.
FUSION YOGA RETREAT SCHEDULE (Subject to Change)
Friday, September 7, 2018
Arrival
6:00pm – Dinner & Introduction
Saturday, September 8, 2018
8:30am – Breakfast
9:30am – 11:30am Morning Session with Martha
11:30am – 12:30pm Reflections and Writing with Ahava
12:30pm – 1:30pm Lunch
1:30pm – 4:00pm Free time or Optional Activities (Nature, Spa, Massage)
4:00pm – 5:30pm Afternoon Session with Martha
5:30pm – 6:30pm Reflections and Writing with Ahava
6:30pm – 8:00pm Dinner & Lecture (subject TBA)
Sunday, September 9, 2018
8:30am – Breakfast
9:30am – 11:30am Morning Session with Martha
11:30am – 12:30pm Reflections and Writing with Ahava
12:30pm – 1:30pm Lunch
1:30pm – 4:00pm Free time or Optional Activities (Nature, Spa, Massage)
4:00pm – 5:30pm Afternoon Session with Martha
5:30pm – 6:30pm Reflections and Writing with Ahava
6:30pm – 8:00pm Dinner & Lecture (subject TBA)
Monday, September 10, 2018
8:30am – Breakfast
9:30am – 11:30am Morning Session with Martha
11:30am – 1:00pm Writing with Ahava and Closing Group
1:00pm – Lunch and Departures
STAY UP-TO-DATE
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"Martha's workshop helped me gain a different perspective about my back and my spine - I was able to see all the ways that I can move rather than the ways that I am frozen. I enjoyed the community of women, the lovely studio, hearing from Martha's personal experience, and the fun!" - A. Taylor, 2016