The Silent Retreat

Sound healing is a practice of deep listening, and it is woven into the retreat as a way of listening beyond words.  Sound healing instruments such as crystal and Himalayan singing bowls, chimes, and gong generate frequencies that interact with the body’s own resonance, supporting balance and clarity.  These vibrations slow brainwave activity, quiet mental chatter, and help restore the body’s natural resonant state. Many describe the experience as both deeply calming and profoundly clarifying.

Beyond the physical effects, sound is a medicine of its own. Rhythm and resonance touch the emotional and spiritual layers of being, helping to release what has been held and reconnect with what feels whole. Within the container of silence, sound does not break stillness but amplifies it, opening a pathway into presence where the deeper self can be felt and remembered.

Our weekend together at Collina is about reconnecting with ourselves by re-attuning to our inner stillness.  Tuning in requires slowing down, way down from what we have grown accustomed to in our daily lives. Therefor, our yoga classes together will move gradually but intentionally, to give you time to plug into how you feel and allow your body to express itself just so. There will be as little verbal guidance as possible, but as we are led in unison, each of you will be invited to “decorate” each pose — to give expression to each pose based on how YOUR body needs to move.  Through this exploratory way of moving within the framework of a pose, your practice will be guided by your inner sensations and breath rather than by your mind or an external influence.

Meditation is an integral part of any inward journey.  It can be intimidating and difficult to get started but there are many exercises using the breath, visualization, and themes to help you drop down.  Eventually your mind/ body system will crave the quiet and stillness and like a yoga posture, what once was hard becomes second nature.  What once was a problem without an answer that feels right is resolved and you know just what to do — or not to do.

Our sessions together will be :30-:45 minutes and the group will determine how we get started.  Some folks may come with an established practice, others not so much.  Either way, we will gradually, if not all at once, ease into seated meditation as a group for the entirety of the session.  You will be amazed at how easily you progress with just a few tips, supported by so many complimentary offerings, within the safe, serene space of Collina, and surrounded by the quiet energy of others. 

Ceremonial cacao will be offered as an optional morning practice to guide you into presence at the start of the day.  Long regarded as a sacred plant medicine, cacao is known for its ability to gently open the heart, quiet the mind, and bring the body into balance. When prepared and shared with care, it creates a sense of warmth and connection that helps participants soften into stillness and enter silence with greater ease.

The medicine of cacao is gentle, inviting us to listen more deeply. It works as a guide, bringing the heart into openness and allowing emotions to move with greater clarity. Many experience it as a companion on inner journeys, one that is grounding, expansive, and alive with spirit. Cacao can help you arrive fully and meet yourself with honesty, presence, and softness. 

Important Notes for Participants

• Fasted state: Although breakfast will be available in the mornings, those who choose to drink cacao will wait to eat until after our yoga practice ends at 10:30am. You are welcome to drink water beforehand, but please refrain from food, coffee, or other beverages.

• Nourishing energy: Cacao is rich in nutrients and minerals and often creates a gentle feeling of fullness. It provides steady, grounded energy that will support you throughout the morning practice.

• Coffee and cacao: While cacao is gentle, it is also energizing in its own way. For many, it completely replaces coffee. Cacao contains a little caffeine, but its main stimulating compound is theobromine, which works more softly and steadily than coffee. Drinking coffee alongside cacao can overpower its subtler effects and is considered disrespectful to the medicine. For this reason, we ask that you choose one or the other—coffee or cacao, but not both.