BIPOC Wellness Weekend
A weekend retreat for the BIPOC Community
Breitenbush Hot Springs | September 20-22, 2024
For the fourth year in a row, we are delighted to invite our community to enjoy a BIPOC-only weekend at Breitenbush Hot Springs. A weekend for slowing down, healing, and being in community. Come soak with us. Spend time under the stars, meditate, heal, write, and move with our talented team of BIPOC facilitators.
2024 Workshops & Facilitators
Workshop Info Coming Soon
Workshop Descriptions
2023 In Review
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Gather after dinner to meet new and old friends, and bring collective attention to today’s Fall Equinox. On a day of equal lightness and darkness this is a great time to slow down and reflect on your harvests, what you want to let go of, and set intentions moving towards the winter season.
Wear layers, as we may spend time outside
Bring: a journal and a pillow / bolster / blanket
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Experience the ideal blend of energy and tranquility in our Harmony Flow yoga class. This 90-minute class combines the rejuvenating power of an active yoga practice with the soothing embrace of restorative yoga - offering a holistic and balanced practice to support your well-being. Harmony Flow welcomes practitioners of all levels, from novices to seasoned practitioners. Danielle offers modifications and variations to support your unique practice.
Wear clothes you can move in
Bring a yoga mat (towel or blanket), a blanket, a bolster (or pillow), and yoga blocks if you have them. (No need to buy anything, some extra props are available)
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Start your day with peace and rejuvenation as you join Danielle for a Sunrise Yoga session. In this beginner-friendly 60-minute class, you will embark on a journey of inward attunement through a blend of asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breathing practices), and meditation. Experience a sequence designed to awaken your body, mind, and spirit, and intentionally connect with the energy of the rising sun. Nestled in the tranquil embrace of the resilient forest and healing waters, this class is an ideal opportunity to set the tone for the rest of your day.
Wear clothes you can move in
Bring a yoga mat (towel or blanket), a blanket, and yoga blocks if you have them. (No need to buy anything, some extra props are available)
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If you could talk with your shadow, what would you say? What memories do you share? If someone had lovingly followed you your whole life, what is the story they could tell? Describe your life through their eyes. In this workshop, participants will write about their relationship to their physical shadow. There is no better place to turn on the facets of creativity than in a tranquil retreat. Bring a notebook/journal and writing tool.
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You wake up as a pink alligator at your nephews recital, what do you do? Three strangers win a trip to Miami, what happens on their trip? In this workshop, writers will be given prompts allowing them to create imaginative stories. Bring a notebook/journal and writing tool to come stir up your creative flow.
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You are invited to compose a Love Letter to Future You! We will intentionally rest, attune our senses, and connect to the Land. We will draw inspiration and stories from the flora & fauna to ground ourselves and connect to place. The facilitator will provide a framework with writing prompts that you can engage with during this hour-long workshop. Connect to your inner self in relation to the beautiful forest, while you compose a letter of love and kindness that will be mailed to you in the future. Please bring a journal and writing tool.
“BIPOC Wellness Weekend restored something about my sense of self. My autonomy. It was a reminder that this life is mine. To tend to. To cultivate. In community, and in harmony with the world around me and the future I hope to create.
I flowed into these reflections during hours spent in and around the hot springs, during time walking the property with the clouds opening up overhead, as I sat in community spaces practicing Yoga or writing or in the soft waves of a sound healing. Breitenbush opened up their space for us to find healing and community and softness. And that we did. Together. And in solitude.”
FAQs
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We understand the desire to want to invite folks (e.g. partners, friends, parents, et cetera) who are white and very much your people. Truly, we get it. However, we believe that this weekend is a rare opportunity to hold sacred space for the BIPOC community. We have experienced, firsthand, the kind of healing, connection, and freedom that is possible when we do so. And we will hold it as such with no exceptions.
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We love and appreciate our allies. You can support by donating to help keep costs low for the BIPOC Wellness Weekend. Learn More Here.
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While this is an all BIPOC event, non-BIPOC Breitenbush Staff will be onsite to support the Wellness Weekend. They will greet you when you arrive to get you oriented to the space; support meal service; and be around to help make this weekend a success. Wild Diversity staff will be on site as guests.
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We are committed to creating a safe space for everyone. Out of consideration for everyone in attendance, and our varying needs. We encourage conversation between folks in close proximity about comfort levels with regard to mask-wearing.
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A reminder, you cannot have food at your campsites. The wildlife here need to be kept away and they will be drawn to your sites by the smells of food. If you bring any type of food with you, please keep it in your vehicle overnight.
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Wild Diversity will set up a full outdoor kitchen for community use. Big Glamping Energy! All outside food preparation will be done within the kitchen. Please bring your food in coolers and containers that can either be stored in your vehicle or in a small building near the parking lot to further deter wildlife. Be prepared to ‘pack it in, pack it out,’ bringing all trash out with you when you depart.
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Head over to the dining hall during the designated meal times. Breitenbush’s meals are vegetarian and organic, feel free to ask our kitchen for gluten-free or dairy-free options. Meal times are: 8-9 AM for breakfast, 1-2 PM for lunch, and 6-7 PM for dinner.