Are you ready to engage in powerful, life-changing work that allows your best self to emerge? Join Awakening Harmony facilitators, Josh Fox L.Ac and life coach Jon Handelman at Georgia’s iconic Hostel in the Forest for an incredible and inspiring weekend of song, ceremony, and personal growth that will empower and deepen your relationship with your self, your voice, your community, and your soul purpose. We will share in many heart and mind-expanding activities where we get to examine ourselves, embrace our joys, face our fears, and connect to our emotions all while enjoying the Hostel in the Forest, the most amazing tree house village you have ever seen!

The weekend begins Friday afternoon and continues until Sunday early evening. Tickets include 2 vegetarian brunches, 2 vegetarian dinners, and 2 nights stay at this magical gem of Southern Georgia. Programming includes:

• Deep Connection Activities
• Vocal Play and Improv
• Heart Healing Ceremony
• Workshops on emotional movement and mastery
• Creative Movement
• Community integration

Each ticket is sold on a sliding scale to make the experience accessible to a wider array of participants while also making it sustainable for the facilitators to offer. If you purchase your ticket between December 7th and January 15th, the price will range from $180-$220. After January 15th, the range will be $220-$250. Please pay what you can! Tickets are transferable, but non-refundable Tickets are limited to 30 Participants and are on sale now! To register, please call (912) 264-9738. Office hours of the Hostel are 10AM-6PM.

About the Facilitators:

Fox has built a life around the healing powers of plants, people, and community. He weaves herbalism, song, and acupuncture into his private practice, and writes music that uplifts the heart, honors his plant allies, and tickles the human spirit. In the same gentle, grounded nature in which he receives patients, he regularly holds group ceremony space around grief, heart-healing, and song-sharing.

Jon is a dynamic life coach who has taught, inspired, and connected with people all around the world. With an unmatched quality of presence, engaging techniques, and a genuinely fierce commitment to helping people fully realize and live their true potential, he helps guide groups towards meaningful depth and vulnerability in exciting and impactful ways.

Nei Gong Foundations Weekend Retreat March 1-3.

This seminar will introduce Daoist Nei Gong, a process of internal transformation. We will use the method of Qi Gong, which are short precise movement sequences and standing postures, as the vehicle for initiating this process. Participants are encouraged to wear loose fitting clothing appropriate for stretching.

This course will be taught by Mark Reichert and Erin Marie Johnson.

Erin is a movement teacher, Licensed Massage Therapist, and Qi Gong teacher certified through Lotus Nei Gong International. She is an avid student of Nei Gong under the tutelage of Damo Mitchell.

Mark is a certified instructor with Lotus Nei Gong, and has been training with Damo Mitchell since 2012. He also holds a 4th degree black belt in Aikido.

What is Nei Gong? Nei Gong is a Daoist process of internal change and development which uses Qi Gong and Dao Yin Exercises to progressively target stages of development. Nei Gong is a fluid practice with many aspects to it. Some adhere to the principles of seeking inner stillness whilst others seek internal awakening and movement. The balance of these two qualities is what the Daoists were seeking when they developed their internal training systems. These ideas will be explored along with practical work involving the Dan Tian, channel system and breath work to help initiate development of Jing, Qi and Shen – the three ‘treasures’ of Daoist Alchemical Practice. For much more information, check out the most recent book by Damo Mitchell, A Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Nei Gong. The Nei Gong process shared at this workshop has been taught by Damo for over 10 years and is based on experience with courses taught in Europe, North American and Canada to enable students to move through the process in the safest and most efficient manner.

Disclaimer: The Nei Gong process taught by the Lotus Nei Gong syllabus is a classical process and is, at times, very strong. For this reason we do not wish for anybody with psychological disorders or those with serious medical issues/needs attend these events. There are many ‘medical’ Qi Gong schools out there that would be more appropriate for these kinds of needs. Nei Gong is also not suitable for pregnant women or anybody under the age of 18 years old. Lastly we reserve the right to ask any student to leave the training immediately if we deem the training to be unsuitable for them or a risk to their well-being.

What’s included: Accommodations for two nights (Friday March 1st and Saturday March 2nd) at The Hostel in the Forest, Vegetarian/Vegan dinner on Friday and Saturday night, brunch on Saturday and Sunday Morning. Multiple workshop sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

What does it cost? The cost of your all-inclusive 2 night, 3 day stay is $300 per person. A $100 deposit is required to make your reservation. There are only 15 spots total available so reserve yours as soon as possible!

Madre Tierra Retreat March 21-24th, 2019

Join Ella Dufrene, Katie “Pinto” LeBrun, and Ryan Bean for our 4th annual Madre Tierra Spring Equinox Retreat. This retreat offers a 4-day eco-getaway in which you will take a break from daily routine to quiet your mind, connect with nature, and tap into your inner peace. Our intention for this weekend is to provide a safe space which promotes well-being and self-care through various alternative, holistic, and expressive therapy teachings such as Yoga, Art Therapy, and Hula-Hoop. More info here

Price: $439 USD per person

Retreat Includes:

Daily Yoga classes. 3-night accommodation at Hostel in the Forest Linens & Towels Daily delicious and healthy vegetarian brunch and dinner (3 brunch, 3 dinners) All workshops Use of Hostel property and all amenities (Glass house, library, screen porch, labyrinth, trails, kitchen, refrigerators/supplemental food storage, pools, lake, fire pit, garden, art space)

PAYMENT OPTIONS In order to register for a this retreat, participants must call the Hostel at (912) 264-9738 to sign up, at which time the Hostel collects a $100 deposit (refundable up to 10 days prior to the event, you can pay for the event in full when registering if you wish). Spots are limited. Please send an email to ellarapha.art@gmail.com to confirm registration.

What to bring:

While the retreat offers basic supplies, please bring your personal art supplies. *Snacks. There is a kitchen space to use between meals-please label and store in the community fridge if you get hungry in between meals. Organic bug spray and flash light. Long sleeved items that are light to cover up in case of mosquitos. Linens and towels will be provided, you can bring additional blankets. Cash to spend at the Hostel, there is a teacher/art gallery vending space with products for sale, or to pay for Hostel Coffee and merchandise. Cell phone use is not permitted in the common areas. Remember, we are here to unplug, destress, recharge, and connect with one another and nature. Please only use them in your lodging areas.

Winter Update:

As the leaves begin to drop with the changing of the seasons, so does the temperature. The birds and mammals of the forest have been busy collecting their winter food supplies and building warm sleeping areas. Similarly, the humans of the forest have been cooking up hearty soups and stews, while getting cozy at night with piles of blankets. Chilly days bring about long conversations around the warmth of the campfire, which is further enjoyed with hot beverages and musical instruments. And thanks to our well-loved wood stoves, the main dome and library are kept toasty warm with roaring fires throughout the season. Movie nights in the library and game nights on the screen porch are not uncommon this time of year. And while the lake may be too cold for swimming, it’s still a favorite spot for folks to take our canoes and kayaks onto the still, peaceful water.

With less hours of daylight, the chickens have been laying fewer eggs, while using this time to molt their old feathers in order to grow beautiful new ones. The ducklings we raised in the summer, have grown into full-fledged adults and spend their days lounging at the pond and exploring the puddles after it rains. Fall brought the migration of hawks through the forest, and many woodpeckers were seen frequenting our dead trees for tasty insects. Thanks to the cold temperatures, mosquitos and flies are now a thing of the past, and it is pleasant to get out and walk the T-trail without such distractions. Bats have also become a more common and welcome sight in the early evening hours, especially over the lake.

Winter has brought nights below freezing that narrowed our options from the garden. But thankfully, with a little love and care, our gardens have provided us with an abundance of unique greens, which are combined with wild foraged edibles to create some truly tasty salads! It’s been such a blessing to continue to eat fresh produce year-round, especially straight from our own soil! As we move toward spring, we look forward to growing a wide assortment of veggies in our main garden as well as the solar field gardens.

In summary, the winter is a very special time of year in the forest. A time for quiet reflection. A time for observation. And a time to gather in the warm company of new friends