Upcoming Event | September 11-15, 2023
Exploring Your Creative Soul (Waitlist)
“New Hampshire has always been the place I go to get back in touch with myself and find peace from the hectic life I usually lead. The crystal clear water of the lake, the call of the loons, the multi-colored eggs from the farm up the road all bring such joy to my life. I can’t wait to share it with women who are celebrating newly found time for themselves and are forming a new perspective on life.”
Our September retreat is an opportunity to immerse yourself in everything the gorgeous countryside of New Hampshire has to offer, joining other women in meditation, yoga, hiking, and painting or daily adventures in the surrounding area. We’ll be in the beautiful New England Lakes Region, staying in a vintage farmhouse and surrounded by an orchard, farms and old stone walls that go on for miles. This five-day retreat is designed to allow you opportunities to jumpstart creativity and to reflect on opportunities for renewal, reinvention and redirection in this second half of life.
If you are a new or confirmed painter, you can choose to paint with our resident artist, Amy Wynne. If you’d rather explore, you’ll head off on some local adventures with our team leader Janie Moyers. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to be with all women in the retreat when we are together for a “Drawing as Meditation” session led by our artist, as well as yoga, a hike in nearby woods, delicious meals, a spirited cocktail cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee or dinner out. We’ll enjoy locally sourced gourmet meals by our private retreat chef and fun dinner conversations, mixing it up intentionally each night to ensure you meet new women. Our “fireside chats” after dinner also provide opportunities to connect with other retreat participants as our chef shares nutritional advice about healthy and holistic eating, or Sabet leads a discussion on aging gratefully. Best of all, you will meet other curious, interesting women who are seeking to fuel new passions in this second half of life!
We partner with artists known for their unique painting styles, as well as their ability to adapt their teaching style to both beginners and experienced painters. We try to work outdoors as often as possible to take advantage of gorgeous settings. This is a no-judgement opportunity to take a risk and try something new!
if painting is not your thing, Janie, our Adventure Group leader, will be your hostess for activities like a flower arranging class at a local farm, an excursion to Squam Lake, or a trip to Castle in the Clouds. We change these activities each year depending upon the interests of the women who sign up to be an adventurer. This allows our painting classes to stay small and for some women to see more of the local area.
On This Retreat You Will Enjoy:
A Drawing as Meditation session with our artist Amy Wynne, where we weave drawing and meditation practices together to create a tactile, immediate way to deepen our connection to the creative process and to be present for the retreat experience.
An Intention Setting session at the beginning of the week with Leah Mason.
Fifteen hours, over three days, of plein air painting with artist, Amy Wynne OR explorations with our adventure guide, Janie Moyers.
A sixty minute afternoon yoga session on the lawn.
All lunch, dinner and cocktail hours with gourmet, locally sourced food created by Kristen Carlson, our private chef and certified holistic nutritionist. We also enjoy one dinner out at a local restaurant.
Everything you need for a delicious make your own breakfast.
Wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages and some fun cocktails designed to complement dinners.
A beautiful woodland hike, culminating in beautiful views of the Lakes Region.
A sunset cocktail cruise on gorgeous Lake Winnipesaukee.
A “fireside chat” with our chef and nutritional coach, Kristen Carlsen talking about the importance of nutrition and it’s impact on health, hormonal imbalances, and disease prevention.
A ‘fireside chat” about finding new purpose, passions and meaning in the second half of life, led by our retreat founder Sabet Stroman.
A balanced itinerary of painting, exploring and relaxation .
The perfect chance to unplug, while being surrounded by inspiring women.
Descriptions Of Our Events
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Interpreting the Landscape: Connecting with the Natural World
Slowing down and witnessing the beauty of the natural world is the gateway to soulful inspiration. In this workshop, artist Amy Wynne, will guide you through 15 hours of meditative drawing, journaling and direct outdoor painting exercises designed to awaken your unique interpretation of the beautiful New Hampshire landscape. Connecting with the senses and honoring the importance of process over preconceived outcome will emphasize the immediacy of fleeting light and color. Initial emphasis will be put on drawing the inner structure of the landscape, its compositional dynamics as well as the clean, successful use of value and a limited palette of color. Discover how to simplify the land into clean color shapes, letting go of the seduction of detail. Artist demonstrations in navigating color and the use of a palette knife will support your practice. The supportive environment of this workshop welcomes makers at all stages of their practice. We make it easy for you by supplying easels, palettes and paint as well as offering the option to buy a “class kit” that includes surfaces, brushes, palette knives and some basics for new painters -
Since some artists like to keep their classes small, we usually include a few women who ignite their curiosity through experiences. We create experiences for our adventure group based on the interests expressed. In the past, we have created beautiful flower arrangements at Full Moon Flower Farm, biked the Cotton Valley Rail Trail, spent the day at Squam Lake Science Center hiking Mt. Fayeh and taking a pontoon boat ride with a lake naturalist. Our adventure women are also invited to enjoy watching any artist demonstrations, and to participate in the painting group’s feedback session. It is not unusual to have an adventure club participant decide to come to another retreat as a painting participant after being part of these experiences.
Details of Event
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Our retreats are limited to 12 participants, all women in addition to our chef, artist, and three retreat leaders. We carefully curate the group to avoid “cliques”, encouraging participants to come alone or with one friend at most.
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This year we are excited to stay in the nearby village of Moultonborough, retreating in a sprawling 1792 farmhouse surrounded by an historic barn, woods, a pond, and an old apple orchard. We have use of the spacious barn for painting and other activities, as well as the surrounding grounds for quiet walks or coffee by the pond. Most participants will have private bedrooms, with several sharing two beds and bathrooms. There are two living rooms for gathering, and numerous spots for some quiet reflection time. The surrounding area offers opportunities for some nice walks to Lees Pond or the Loon Center.
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You can’t jumpstart creativity without food for the soul! Our private chef creates visually gorgeous, delicious gourmet delights and cooks with love and talent! You will enjoy locally sourced lunches, dinners, and cocktail hours each day. Chef Kristen makes everything from scratch and will accommodate dietary preferences. We survey your preferences, and the bar is stocked with a large variety of wine, beer, and non-alcoholic drinks. Our kitchens are full of whatever you request for a do-it yourself breakfast. You’ll also find cookies cooling on the counter for a mid-day snack!
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The least expensive and most direct flights tend to be from Boston Logan airport. From Boston, we are a two hour and 15-minute drive. Janie is masterful at helping with transportation coordination by encouraging Boston flight arrivals close in time and booking a shared rental van (shared fee not included) for airport pickups. A fun stop in Newburyport for lunch is usually on the agenda as well. Renting a car at Logan is an option. Slightly closer airports are in Manchester, NH and in Portland, Maine. Each are about an hour and a half away, and there are private transportation or car rentals available. We know the transportation can seem a little daunting and are happy to help every way that we can.
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We are very casual! During the day you might want leggings, tops, sneakers, and a lightweight sweatshirt or jacket for our cocktail cruise. Evening is slightly cooler, so a few pairs of jeans and sweaters are great. For our one dinner out, just add a casual pair of shoes to those jeans!. Stuff to leave behind: flashy anything, high heels, significant others, stress! Painters: We supply basic materials, as well as the option to purchase canvases and brushes in advance. A specific supply list will be published. If you are driving and have a portable plein air easel, please bring it.
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Travel to New Hampshire and the retreat
Painting supplies such as canvases and brushes (a kit with brushes/canvases can be purchased for a fee).
Trip insurance (we can recommend several with Covid coverage).
Expenses associated with packaging and shipping artwork safely home. -
Because we are in close indoor quarters at our house, we require proof of Covid vaccination. We also require a rapid test to be reported within three days of the retreat start date. We have rapid tests available and can test quickly if needed during the retreat.
If any retreat guest becomes symptomatic or tests positive for Covid-19, we will quarantine you safely, either at Sabet’s home in Wolfeboro or a local motel. Expenses associated with quarantining will be the participant’s. We will do our best to minimize the risk of exposure for all participants. -
Retreat fee for lodging, all food, beverages, cocktail cruise, dinner in town, hike, meditation, and yoga class: $1950. If you are in one of the shared rooms (two beds), you receive a $100 deduction.
Painting workshop with Amy Wynne: $350 includes paint, basic supplies, plein air easels.
Adventure Women with Janie: (3 participants max) $175 includes flower arranging class at Full Moon Farm, Squam Lake Nature Center entrance fee and pontoon boat ride, road trip snacks and transportation.
Deposit of $500 upon registration and acceptance, with balance due one month in advance of retreat.
Payments accepted by check or VENMO. Please contact Sabet at forthesoulretreat@gmail.com before mailing deposit or sending VENMO. -
We require a $500 deposit to hold your spot. This is non-refundable unless we can fill your spot with another participant. Two months prior to the retreat we ask for the remainder of your payment, and this becomes nonrefundable unless we can fill your space with another participant. We do everything we can to fill a last-minute cancellation so that you can be refunded as much as possible.
If the retreat is cancelled because of a decision made by the retreat team, you will be fully refunded, except for expenses incurred with airline bookings.
We highly encourage the purchase of trip insurance to cover any last-minute cancellations or illness. Make sure you purchase one that covers Covid related cancellations. We can provide several recommendations.
Our Retreat Team and September Schedule
Our retreat will be led by Sabet with Christie offering support during the painting workshop and Janie leading adventures. We are excited about our September chef, Kristen Carlsen, who is a well known private and retreat holistic chef. Our resident artist, Amy Wynne, will also be leading the entire group in a Drawing as Meditation session to build on our opening session with Leah Mason on Intention Setting. Read more about the team and our partners on our website.
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4:00 p.m.-4:30 PM Arrive! Settle in, grab a drink and relax or go for a quick walk around the grounds.
Cocktails and dinner. Watch the sun set with a cocktail in hand, chatting with new friends! After dinner, we’ll gather in the family room to get to know each other a little better and review what the week has in store for us. -
Setting Intentions for the week, with Leah Mason a local meditation coach.
Drawing as Meditation with Amy Wynne (entire retreat group)
Painting workshop with Amy Wynne or adventures with Janie.Sunset cocktail boat cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee.
Dinner
Dessert, and “fireside chat” with Sabet on Aging Gratefully. -
Adventures and painting continue throughout the day.
Yoga practice in the late afternoon.
Dinner out on the town!
“Fireside chat” with Kristen, our retreat chef and yoga leader, about health and nutrition.
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Adventures and painting continue.
A hike with a view! There is a moderate incline, on an easy path with a rewarding view at the end. Participants are welcome to continue painting or opt out of the group hike.
Final dinner and closing session.
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10:00 am Goodbyes and departure