‘FEEL GOOD TWISTED WEEKEND - SCOLIOSIS EDUCATION & EXPLORATION’ retreat
WITH MARTHA CARTER AND CLAUDIA Katherine
ohm centre, vancouver ISLAND, BC
October 4 - 7, 2024
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
This workshop will be held at Open Heart Mind Centre (OHM) in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, BC. MAP
ABOUT THE RETREAT
Are you interested in learning more about your scoliosis, imbalanced spine, spinal fusion, or related conditions?
Would you like to meet other people with the same condition while learning gentle exercises to help ease the discomfort?
Empower yourself with the gifts of knowledge and new awareness to help you!
This 4-day/3-night weekend is a unique chance to intensively explore your own twisted and curved spine with the guidance of two experienced therapeutic spine specialists. Activities will include gentle scoliosis-focused movement classes, group discussions, and a solo assessment session—along with beach walks and delicious catered meals at charming rustic ocean-side cabins. By the end of the weekend, you will have new tools to support yourself in all your activities as you continue your scoliosis journey. You will come away with the beginnings of a custom-fit personal movement practice tailored to your specific needs for continued exploration at home.
Give yourself a break and join us on the beautiful east coast of Vancouver Island to explore new things, meet new people, and enjoy the incredible nature.
ABOUT THE DESTINATION
Vancouver Island is renowned for wild, untamed beaches that are an idyllic summer sanctuary, and a hub for storm-watching, surfing, and skiing in the winter. In addition to its endless list of hiking, camping, whale-watching, and paddling adventures, there are also old-growth forests, endless beach combing and golfing. The Comox Valley is acclaimed for its incredible array of products harvested and created from its wild oceans and fertile soils, including organic vegetables, wild fish, free-range meats, and local chocolates, baked goods and wines. This workshop will be held at the wonderful new Open Heart Mind Centre (OHM) located in Merville in the Comox Valley. It’s a quick plane trip from Vancouver, or you can arrive via a stunning ferry ride.
ABOUT MARTHA CARTER
Martha is a therapeutic movement specialist for scoliosis and spinal fusions, offering classes, workshops and retreats in Gentle Yoga and Somatics. Synthesizing her knowledge as a dance artist with her love of therapeutic methods, she guides participants to discover increased strength, length, alignment and mindfulness in the whole soma—body, mind and soul. Her welcoming approach is accessible to all levels and abilities. Martha is a certified teacher of both Yoga for Scoliosis based on the teachings of Elise Browning Miller, and Essential Somatics™ based on the work of Thomas Hanna. She has also studied Energy Medicine and Trauma Release techniques, which she weaves into all her classes to help participants with pain relief while enhancing their movement potential. Martha is the founder and director of Twisted Outreach Project for Back Care and Scoliosis (TOPS), a Canadian-based non-profit that provides a range of holistic and creative approaches to working with back care and scoliosis. Martha’s full bio can be found here.
ABOUT CLAUDIA KATHERINE
Claudia is a Scoliosis Coach who helps people around the world feel confident in their curves, whilst helping them to slow progression and reduce scoliosis-related pain. She has her own severe three curve scoliosis so understands what mental and physical toll it can take on our mind and body. She has 6 years experience working as a Personal Trainer and Yoga Teacher in high end gyms and studios around London and Vancouver. During her time in the fitness industry, she noticed the scoliosis world was lacking trainers and yoga teachers who could understand her and her clients' curves, so she took matters into her own hands.
In summer of 2022, Claudia attended our TOPS Yoga, Scoliosis, and the Nervous System: Sympathetic and Parasympathetic retreat with teacher Deborah Wolk on Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada. Soon after that she completed her Yoga for Scoliosis certification with Elise Browning Miller and, in 2023, she completed Module 1 and 2 of Scolio-Pilates with Karina Tek. Claudia was also a teaching assistant to Martha Carter at our TOPS 2023 Soothing Somatics for Bad Backs retreat in Mexico AND Claudia and Martha co-taught the first ever Feel Good Twisted Weekend retreat together in fall 2023!
