2024 RETREAT:
Connection and Creativity to Nourish Your Soul
September 9-13, 2024
Why For the Soul Retreat?
Would you like to explore an adventurous side of yourself, or try something new that taps into your creative potential?
Are you an experienced or new painter who would like to work in person with a supportive instructor and group, perhaps trying a new approach to your painting style?
Are you in a period of transition, searching for new passions and possibilities in your “third act”?
Does reconnecting with nature, quieting your mind, and centering yourself sound like just the re-set you need?
Would you like to experience the magic of making new friends, in a new place, to bring a fresh perspective to your life?
Paint With Our Artist or go on Local Adventures: You Choose!
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, an E-bike ride on a nearby trail, 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.
Our retreat group is limited to 14 women, with a maximum of 5 in the Adventure Group. The remainder paint with our artist. This design allows our artist the opportunity to provide individual attention to each participant and for our adventure team to travel together in one car.
Our full retreat group become friends during cocktails and meals, meditation, yoga, “fireside chats”, our boat ride and a few other activities.
Exploration, Connection, Community
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 several private homes that are available only to us- a “compound” of three cottages on Lake Wentworth and a nearby vintage farmhouse that has lake and mountain views 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 your third act 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 our Intention Setting/Meditation session led by Leah Mason, as well as yoga, a spirited cocktail cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee and “down time” on the dock or porch. We dedicate one of our retreat houses as the group breakfast kitchen, where we mingle and chat while grabbing our morning coffee before our activities start.
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 are facilitated by our founder, Sabet Stroman, and provide opportunities to connect as we share stories and thoughts on aging gratefully. Best of all, you will meet other curious, interesting women who are seeking to fuel new passions in their third act of life!
Amy Wynne
SEPTEMBER FEATURED ARTIST
Creating A Sketchbook Journey
Join artist Amy Wynne for an Art + Adventure experience that will have us roaming all around some of the beautiful sites near our retreat location. You’ll capture landscape vistas from lakes and mountains as well as the charm of a New England town as you paint with gouache in a travel sketchbook. Amy will help participants improve their skills in painting on location, and teach fundamentals about shape, composition and depicting perspective. You’ll discover how to simplify a vista into clean color shapes, letting go of the seduction of detail. Your sketchbook will become a beautiful personal journal, serving to later inform paintings back in our retreat studio if you choose to work independently the final day.
Our creative practice will focus on storytelling through your sketchbook, learning to silence your inner critic and emphasizing process over product. Meditative walks and kayaking will enhance a mindful reconnection with nature, liberating the artistic process. Slowing down and witnessing the beauty of the natural world is the gateway to soulful inspiration, and this workshop with Amy will give you the permission you need to let go and immerse yourself in these beautiful surroundings.
The supportive environment that Amy creates makes this session perfect for makers at all stages of their practice..
On This Retreat You Will Enjoy:
Fifteen hours, over three days, of our painting workshop with artist, Amy Wynne OR explorations with our adventure guide, Janie Moyers.
PLUS, All attendees will experience:
An intention setting and meditation session at the beginning of the week with Leah Mason.
One or two yoga sessions overlooking the lake and mountains with our certified yoga instructor (and chef!) Kristen Carlson.
All lunch, dinner and cocktail hours with gourmet, locally sourced food created by our private chef. Our traditional New England lobster roll and corn chowder dinner is always the biggest hit!
Everything you need for a delicious make your own breakfast. We’ll ask for your favorite foods and brands in advance. On our last morning together, our chef will prepare breakfast for us so that your focus is on your goodbyes!
Our beverage bar includes wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverages and some fun cocktails designed to complement dinners.
An optional woodland hike, e-bike ride, or kayaking ensuring your connection with the natural beauty around us.
A sunset cocktail cruise on gorgeous Lake Winnipesaukee.
“Fireside chats” about finding new purpose, passions and meaning in the third act of life, led by our retreat founder Sabet Stroman.
A balanced itinerary of activity and relaxation. You are always welcome to adjust as needed.
The perfect chance to unplug, while being surrounded by inspiring women.
“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.”
— Sabet Stroman, Founder
Our Retreat Team
Our 2024 retreat will be led by Sabet with Christi offering support during the painting workshop and Janie leading adventures. Our team member and former chef, Pete McKenzie, is taking a sabbatical this year to enjoy a new grandchild! Our chef, Kristen Carlsen, is a well known private and retreat holistic chef. Kristen is also a certified Yoga and Barre instructor and will be leading our yoga session. Leah Mason, Director and Founder of Center for Balance in Conway, NH is our intention setting and meditation guide. Read more about the team and our partners on our website here.
Details of Event
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Our retreats are limited to 14 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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We will be in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, a beautiful New England town known as “America’s First Summer Resort”. We will be retreating in several unique homes: a “compound” on Lake Wentworth of 3 lakefront homes, and a sprawling 1792 farmhouse straight out of Architectural Digest with amazing lake and mountain views. Most participants will have private bedrooms, with several sharing two beds and bathrooms. We will gather for meals and conversation each night at the farmhouse, and during the day take advantage of all locations for quiet time on the dock, kayaking, walks in the woods, etc. All of our retreat homes are private summer places that have been shared by retreat friends.
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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. A highlight is always our New England night dinner with lobster rolls and corn chowder! 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, and we send you off the last morning with a delicious breakfast made by our chef! 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 to/from Boston Logan airport. From Boston, we are a two hour 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 also an option, or a private car service. Slightly closer airports are in Manchester, NH and in Portland, Maine. Each are about an hour and a half away, and there are other transportation options 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. Stuff to leave behind: flashy anything, high heels, significant others, stress! Painters: We supply all materials for our painting workshop, and if you would like to take one of your sketches and turn it into a larger painting just talk to Sabet about other materials we have available.
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Retreat Fee Details:
Retreat Fee: $2400. The retreat fee includes a private room, shared or private bath, all food prepared by our private chef, beverages, private pontoon boat cocktail cruise, costs associated with the painting workshop or the adventure group, meditation and yoga class. A shared room (two beds) receives a $150 deduction per person. The retreat cost includes the activity fee for either the painting or adventure portion of the retreat.
Activity fee breakdown:
Painting Workshop with Resident Artist includes artist fee and 15 hours instruction time, paint, basic supplies, sketchbook and any fees associated with painting locations (possibly Castle in the Clouds), and transportation costs.
Adventure Group with Janie (5 women max) includes (sample activities) flower arranging class at Full Moon Farm, Squam Lake Nature Center entrance fee and pontoon boat ride fee, electric bike rental and transportation to activities. Adventures modified based on interests of the participants.
Deposit of $600 upon registration and acceptance, with balance due 60 days in advance of retreat. Deposits payments are accepted by check, Venmo, or Zelle.
Please contact Sabet before sending a deposit.
Read our cancellation policy for more information.
What’s not included:
Travel to New Hampshire and the retreat
Trip insurance (we can recommend several and strongly suggest it).
Additional painting done on canvases in the studio or plein air, that expands on sketches done in the workshop.
Expenses associated with packaging and shipping any artwork safely home.
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We ask that all participants take a Covid rapid test before arriving at the retreat to help keep our experience safe.
If any retreat guest becomes symptomatic or tests positive for Covid-19, we will quarantine you safely at a local hotel. Expenses associated with quarantining will be the participant’s. We will do our best to minimize the risk of exposure for all participants.
We also strongly suggest that each woman purchase trip insurance. We will require a waiver from you if you choose not to purchase insurance.
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We require a $600 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.
To protect you financially, we strongly suggest trip insurance that covers any cancellation you need to make due to illness or a change in plans. This is a small investment with big returns, and safeguards your retreat investment. We are happy to recommend insurance options for you.
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.
September Schedule
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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 at the Farmhouse! Watch the sun set with a cocktail in hand, chatting with new friends! After dinner, we’ll gather in the living room to get to know each other a little better and review what the week has in store for us.
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Setting Intentions and Meditation for the week, with Leah Mason, a local meditation coach.
Painting workshop with Amy Wynne or adventures with Janie. Specific details about our painting locations and adventures are provided the week before the retreat. We watch the weather and juggle accordingly!
Cocktails and Dinner at the Farmhouse
Dessert, and “fireside chat” with Sabet on Aging Gratefully.
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Adventures and painting continue throughout the day. Locations for painting + adventures will be announced the week prior to the retreat- we watch the weather!
Yoga practice in the morning gets us off to a great start!
We’ll set off on our pontoon boat cocktail cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee in the late afternoon, perhaps catching the sunset before our return.
Our famous Lobster Dinner caps off a fun and full day! We’ll gather again for conversation after dinner.
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Adventures and painting continue in the morning, with the afternoon designed to give you some free time choices. Depending on group interests, we may offer a hike, a bike ride on the nearby rail trail, kayaking, quiet time on the dock, or continued painting in our studio or plein air. We survey our participants prior to the retreat to get a sense of how you would like to spend your free block of time. Since we have several group team members, we also split up if needed to help guide our women on different activities.
We’ll enjoy our final dinner at the Farmhouse and closing session.
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10:00 am Our chef will prepare a light breakfast buffet for us to enjoy, before we say our goodbyes. If you’d like to stay a little longer, you are always welcome to hang out on the dock or deck and enjoy the view!