5 Day Spiritual Trauma Healing Retreat with EMDR and Breathwork in California, USA

Accommodation

Check-in Time:

16:00

Check-out Time:

13:00

Vedanta Spiritual and Holistic Retreat is a spiritual retreat, eco-village, and an international center for holistic learning, helping to unfold a new human consciousness and create a positive and sustainable future. They are attempting to be an eco-retreat center and to live in conscious collaboration with the earth. Please use the heating and cooling system consciously. Turn them off during the day while you are in classes or out and about. Please turn the light off when not in use. They also ask that you preserve your water use.

The center has no internet. The retreat is an opportunity to reconnect with yourself and unplug from the noise and electronic activities of modern life. This is an opportunity to tune into the natural circadian rhythms that help to re-balance and promote rejuvenation of body, mind, and spirit. They have a landline phone that you can give to any loved ones and use as needed.

Program

Delve into the nature of trauma and its profound impact on the body, while discovering effective treatment methods such as EMDR, breathwork, mindfulness, and narrative therapy. Gain valuable insights, participate in guided meditations, and learn transformative breathwork techniques, all within a nurturing and compassionate environment. This retreat will be a deep dive into the universe of your breath and its potential for positively affecting your health and longevity. Many people take their breathing for granted, unaware of patterns that may contribute to increased anxiety and stress.

Pranayama, a mature step on the yogic path, takes you into the subtler energies of your pranic layer. During this retreat, you will practice a series of breaths twice daily, becoming proficient and gaining the ability to create a home practice by the program’s end. You will examine modern stressors that lead to everyday anxiety, fear, and depression, contributing to the epidemic of chronic conditions. Through tools such as pranayama, yoga asana, yoga nidra, healthy eating, and lifestyle practices, you will learn to take charge of and greatly reduce the stress effects in your life.

This time together will offer great rejuvenation and healing for your nervous system. Ample time will be provided to connect with nature, take walks through rolling hills, visit a beautiful Sequoia grove, and enjoy simple leisure time to let your body rest and repair. This retreat promises a deeply transformative experience, offering both practical skills and profound insights to support your journey toward healing and wellness. Join them to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit in a compassionate and supportive community.

What is trauma?

Examples of trauma (abuse, neglect, accidents, etc.)
You all predictably react to trauma, yet you also have individual differences
The differences between stress and trauma (painful life event versus overwhelmed capacity to cope)
Q&A: Has anyone experienced trauma? How did it affect you?

Grief

Universal part of the human experience. Everyone will confront grief in their lifetime.
Over time you lose people you love. After you experience a loss, the world can feel like a space - a void
Trauma and grief share some of the same symptoms, but their treatments have important differences
Grief is not a painful event in the past that you can move on. Rather, it is a loss you learn to live with

How does trauma affect the body?

Explain the biology of the nervous system, Vagus nerve, etc.
Trauma responses: fight, flight, or freeze
Exercise: take five minutes to do a body scan (embodied inquiry). What sensations do you notice? Gratitude meditation for the body

How do you treat trauma?

What does “treating” trauma mean?
What are the different methods of trauma therapy?
What does it mean to "heal"?
Generally, to decrease post-traumatic symptoms

Treating trauma using mindfulness

Why is mindfulness important? Witnessing versus reacting or responding to thoughts
Exercise: 10 minutes of meditation. What is your meditation practice? What thoughts do you notice? How do you recenter your mind?

Sharing your story

Guilt and shame are innate responses to trauma
Social support is essential to trauma healing
Why narrative and talk therapy is still essential
Exercise: take 10 to 20 minutes to write about your experiences, share in the first person, third person - once upon a time

Treating trauma using the body

Breathwork, activating the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. This is an incredibly important part of trauma therapy
Why? You can directly train your arousal system by the way you breathe
This can be tied to the breathwork they are already doing throughout the day you assume

What is EMDR?

How does it work and how do you practice it?
What is bilateral stimulation (BLS)?
Live demonstration of an EMDR session (this is where you and I could do a live EMDR session demo if you are comfortable)

What is resourcing?

Explanation of utilizing inner resources in trauma work
How to “tap in” resources
Exercise: practicing “tapping in” the four key resources (peaceful place, nurturing figure, wise figure, and protector figure)

What you will gain

Understanding trauma: Learn about the nature of trauma and its impact on the body
Effective treatments: Discover methods like EMDR, mindfulness, and narrative therapy
Guided meditations: Participate in sessions that foster deep relaxation and healing
Breathwork techniques: Master breathwork practices to enhance your health and well-being
Stress reduction tools: Utilize yoga, pranayama, yoga Nidra, and healthy lifestyle tips to manage stress
Nature connection: Enjoy peaceful walks and restful leisure time in a beautiful natural setting
Evening Restorative yoga, sound bathing, and Yoga Nidra
Lecture on the science of stress and how it affects your health

Included excursions

You will experience long quiet walks through the green rolling hills with outdoor meditation among the rocks and the wildflowers.

Instructors

Kristin English

She is an E-RYT 200/RYT 500 registered instructor with Yoga Alliance, C-IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist with the IAYT, and C-RES Certified Restorative Exercise Specialist in Katy Bowmans “Nutritious Movement” program. Her techniques for sharing the importance of movement, breath, and developing presence with an understanding of the science and philosophy supporting each, are accessible for all bodies and minds. She aims to be “In Service of Life”, the process of transformation and loves being a guide for anyone on the path of enriching, healing, or deepening the mind-body experience.

Michael Pezzullo

Michael Pezzullo earned his Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University and his Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Communications from New York University. Based in West Hollywood, CA, Michael Pezzullo’s clinical work as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) includes specializations in treating trauma, substance use, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Deepak Swarup

Deepak Swarup’s story is one of personal evolution. A realization of the profound impact of lifestyle choices on his own health became a catalyst for his transformative journey. This epiphany led him to transition from the business world to the realm of the Ancient Yogic Sciences. Motivated by a desire to share his deepening insights and contribute to positive change, he now runs a nonprofit organization. Vedanta Spiritual and Holistic Retreat Center is a beacon of hope for those seeking healthier and stress-free lives.

Location

The retreat will take place in California, USA. They are 60 miles from Meadows Field Airport (BFL), 177 miles from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and 110 miles from Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT). They are at 3,000 feet elevation in the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Distances

Meadows Field Airport (BFL), 60 miles
Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), 110 miles
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 177 miles

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Food

You will be served daily organic and vegan or vegetarian meals included in the price. Please do not bring any meat or eggs onto the premises. Vedanta Spiritual & Holistic Retreat does not have excess storage for foods, so please do not bring any food without discussing it with them first (this pertains to leftovers as well). If you have any major food allergies, please let them as soon as possible and they will do their best to accommodate you.

The following meals are included:

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

Vegetarian
Vegan
Organic
Other dietary requirements on request

If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

What's included

Daily morning pranayama, yoga, or meditation classes (all-level classes)
Long quiet walks through the green rolling hills
Outdoor meditation among the rocks and the wildflowers
1 guided forest bathing (shinrinyoku) experience in local redwoods
1 digital take-home pranayama practice
4 nights accommodation
11 freshly cooked organic vegan or vegetarian meals

What's not included

Airfare
Airport transfers

How to get there

Recommended Airports

LAX

Los Angeles International Airport

216 km

Transfer not provided

BFL

Meadows Field Airport

59 km

Transfer not provided

FAT

Fresno Yosemite International Airport

135 km

Transfer not provided

Driving directions from the 99 Fwy

Take the 65A Exit in Earlimart.
Head east toward the mountains.
Continue on Sierra Ave, which will become Hot Springs Drive and will take you to them.
They are exactly 25.6 miles from Ducor or SH 65 and Avenue 56 Crossing.
If you get to the California Hot Spring Resort, you have gone 1.5 miles past Vedanta.

Cancellation Policy

A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.

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