THE GIVING CYPRESS
Earth Day Retreat
Immerse yourself in Nature and learn from Deaf/Deaf-friendly holistic practitioners and Nature Therapy guides at our Nature Retreats. Discover collectivist wisdom, practical skills, inspiring stories, and powerful spiritual offerings.
Immerse yourself in these healing practices:
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Forest & Nature Therapy Walks:
Walk through healing forest paths, shedding the "muck" of stress and anxiety with a Deaf Forest guide
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Meditation and Yoga:
De-stress with gentle movements, planting seeds of inner peace through guided meditation with a Deaf yoga master
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Flower Essence & Plant Medicine:
Connect with the earth through plant wisdom and learn about flower essence with a Deaf herbalist
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Nature Photography:
Capture the beauty of the human-nature connection with a Deaf photographer, with a special discount to a private photo session with the photographer
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Nutritional Plant-Based Meals:
Learn about and feast on healthy meals to nourish your body & become more conscious about what you consume
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Dancing and Drumming:
Gather around the fire circle and unleash your inner wild, move and dance to rhythm of drums
What's Included: Activities and Guided Sessions
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Daily yoga and meditation training with Deaf yoga expert, Don Miller.
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Discount for a 30 min photography session with Latina Deaf photographer, Monica Bartels.
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3 days of nutritious plant-based meals prepared by a health-conscious chef.
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Nourishing herbal tea prepared by certified Deaf Herbalist, Michelle Mansfield-Hom.
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Workshop and teachings about Forest Bathing, Local Plant Medicine, Meditation, and Mindfulness Techniques.
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Small "after retreat" gift for you to take home.
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Activities at the Lotus Bend Sanctuary: Labyrinth, meditation hall, koi pond, fire circle, greenhouses, nature trails, and plenty of places to be at one with Nature.
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Lodging accommodations are separate and can be booked via the Registration page.
Schedule
Who is leading the Retreat?
Our Team of Deaf/Signing guides & experts:
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Summer Crider- Certified Nature & Forest Therapy guide
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Don Miller- Yoga enthusiast and meditation guide
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Michelle Mansfield-Hom- Certified clinical Herbalist
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Jessica Ennis- Nature Connection mentor, animal tracker, and Herbalist
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Monica Bartels- Boudoir and freelance photographer
Where is the Retreat taking place?
At Lotus Bend Sanctuary in Menchaca, TX
🪶✨🌲On the ancestral lands and waterways of the Tonkawa, Comanche, Lipan Apache, and other indigenous tribes in central Texas regions. ✨ The Giving Cypress recognizes the land of indigenous people many of whom lost their lives to genocide and were forced to leave their land. Partaking in this retreat we will pay our respects and acknowledge the history and peoples of the land.
Accommodations:
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We have booked the site, accommodations include different options and pricing: private rooms, shared rooms, RV to rent, tent camping.
Pricing
At our core, we believe nature's healing embrace should be accessible to everyone, regardless of financial background. That's why we offer a sliding scale registration fee, allowing you to contribute based on your unique circumstances.
We understand financial challenges might exist for several reasons, including:
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Significant debt, medical expenses, or relying on public assistance (SSI/ SSDI);
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Facing barriers or discrimination in hiring, immigration-related expenses, or caring for dependents;
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Being an elder, community organizer, returning citizen, or belonging to communities historically marginalized and excluded.
We deeply respect your individual journey and want to be transparent about our pricing.
Part of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion involves paying our retreat team fairly, as many of us are working professionals in the holistic & outdoor-related field who would be giving up income to support this retreat. #SupportDeafEcosystem
Remember, every contribution, big or small, helps us fulfill our mission of making well-being accessible to all, while ensuring fair compensation for our diverse & skilled team and support future retreat planning.