Ayurveda Introduction Retreat

Live in harmony with nature, the Ayurveda Way
Synchronize your life with nature's cycles for better health
Ayurveda is an ancient, 5,000 year-old health system from India and means the science or wisdom of life: Ayur (life) and Veda (study or knowledge). It's thought to be the oldest healing system in the world. The knowledge contained in Ayurveda encompasses the nature, scope, and purpose of life.

It's the art of daily living. Ayurveda says that health encompasses every aspect of your life, such as physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, environmental, financial, vocational, relationships, and so on.

Ayurveda is a sister science with yoga. The reason for practicing Ayurveda, such as through food and lifestyle, is to create the right conditions for your body and life to create yoga, the union of self with the Divine.
"Ayurveda gives us the guidelines for how to live our lives in a state of peace and happiness, how to create joy in our personal as well as social lives, and how to create balance, both within and without." From Ashtanga Hridaya, ancient text
About the retreat
Join certified Ayurvedic Health Coach and Forest steward Jeni Enns for a weekend to nourish the mind, body, and senses through theory, experiential practices, and time on the Forest's beautiful grounds. Together, in the company of a caring community, you will:

Learn the basics of Ayurveda, including the 5 elements and 3 doshas.
Discover your dosha and how Ayurveda can help you understand yourself better.
Learn about the wheel of life and reflect on how you can bring all areas of your life into better balance.
Create a plan for daily and seasonal self-care rituals that help you thrive throughout each season.
Learn natural beauty and self-care rituals that hold you and nourish you.
Learn about Ayurvedic food guidelines.
Eat healthy, Ayurvedically-balanced meals and cook a meal together that introduces you to the six tastes.
Drift off to restful sleep with yoga nidra.

Incorporating Ayurveda into your life can be done with simple, small shifts. It doesn't mean you have to cook like you're in India or necessarily be vegetarian. Ayurveda is as much about how and when something is eaten as it is about the food you eat. I'll teach you easy, modern-day ways to adjust and balance your lifestyle that don't mean massive, overwhelming shifts all at once.

Spring is a wonderful time of year to begin your Ayurvedic journey, shake off winter, and start detoxing. If you wish to start your Ayurvedic journey with a group, an optional, separate group spring cleanse will be offered later in March. This cleanse will be guided by Jeni, and more info will be given during the retreat.
Who this is for
This retreat is for you if you're:

A total beginner to Ayurveda and want to learn the basics.
You've practiced Ayurveda in the past and want to refresh your memory and get back into it.

What's included
Starter kit
You'll receive a starter kit of Ayurvedic goodies to help you on your new wellness journey, including:

An Ayurveda book for beginners.
Copper tongue scraper.
Garshana gloves for exfoliation.
Ayurvedic self-massage oil sample.
Handouts.
And more!

Spotify playlists
After the retreat, you'll be sent the links to three playlists Jeni has curated on Spotify for balancing Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These are wonderful to incorporate into your morning sadhana practice!
Meals
All meals from Friday dinner through Sunday brunch. The meals will be Ayurvedically-balanced and we'll cook Saturday dinner together. There will be vegetarian, vegan, and meat options.
Lodging or commuter options
You can stay in a cabin overnight or stay offsite and come as a commuter. If you choose to commute, we kindly ask that you commit yourself to the weekend and the schedule of the retreat to avoid disruptions to the group. We find this creates a better experience for everyone, including yourself.

You can optionally add-on Thursday night if you want an extra day to relax at the Forest before the retreat starts. To do this, add-on an extra night during the registration process.
What's not included
The retreat will include a self-discovery quiz and info about discovering your dosha. However, what's not included:

Personalized assessment of your dosha or state of imbalance.
Personalized recommendations of foods, supplements, etc.

Ayurveda is highly personalized, and the scope of this weekend is to provide you with education, exploration, and experiences of self-discovery that you can easily incorporate into your life. You can optionally add-on a personalized consultation with Jeni as an Ayurvedic health coach (or with a recommended Ayurvedic practitioner) to get a personal assessment of your dosha and what may be out of balance.

An Ayurvedic consultation is a very thorough process of up to two hours of time and includes a lengthy discovery of your entire, holistic picture of health. If you'd like to know more and get pricing, please contact Jeni @ redearthroundhouse.com.
What to bring

Your favorite yoga mat.
If you'd like to experiment with self-massage (abhyanga) oil in your cabin, bring an old towel and flip-flops or shower shoes that you don't mind getting oily.
Comfortable clothes.
Journal.

Schedule
(Subject to change)
Friday
1:30-5:30 Arrival, check in, settle into cabins if staying overnight
4:30 Meditation
5:30 Vata-balancing dinner
6:30 Opening ceremony, intro to Ayurveda, the elements, doshas, discover your dosha, electronics off by 8:00 PM
9:00 Yoga nidra for sleep
10:00 Lights out
Saturday: We'll experience an "ideal" day according to the circadian rhythms of the Ayurvedic "clock"
7:00-8:00 Morning sadhana: Silent meditation, breath work, movement (your choice: yoga or walking on grounds)
8:00-9:00 Self-serve silent breakfast
9:00 Daily and seasonal routines
10:00 Break
10:30 Ayurveda immersive experience: Self-care rituals
12:00 Meditation
12:30 Pitta-balancing lunch and free time
2:30 Food guidelines and the six tastes
4:00 Cook Ayurvedically-balanced dinner together
5:30 Dinner
7:00 Sattvic mind, soothing self-care by candlelight, electronics off by 8:00 PM
9:00 Yoga nidra for sleep
10:00 Lights out
Sunday
7:00-8:00 Morning sadhana: Silent meditation, breath work, movement (your choice: yoga or walking on grounds)
8:00-9:00 Self-serve silent breakfast
9:00 Wheel of Life, self-reflection and integration, create your wellness plan
10:00 Closing ceremony and sharing time
11:00 Kapha-balancing brunch
 
Cancelation policy
If the reservation is canceled within the 7 days before the scheduled retreat date and time, a credit towards a future stay is provided. A credit is valid for one year from date of issue.

If the reservation is canceled up until the 7th day before the scheduled retreat date and time, a refund will be issued, minus any credit card transaction fees and donations. Refunds will be made to the original credit card on file or by check within two weeks of the notice of cancelation.

An exception may be made in the case of illness, death in the family, or inclement weather, in which case  a credit towards a future stay is provided. A credit is valid for one year from date of issue.

Any donations added to a registration can’t be refunded.