Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Mary Oliver
Did you miss out on the retreat in 2008? Sue and Mary are planning another one for the end of October or the beginning of November in 2009. If you want to be kept up to date about this event, contact Mary to get on the e-mailing list.
About the Retreat
You can come for 6 nights or 3 nights (all or half). During the week there will be yoga and meditation. There will be simple songs, chanting, and vocal explorations. There will also be free time to explore the area, socialise, whatever! The programme will vary each day – Sue & Mary will follow the group energy as it develops.
Each session will be held in a context of deep listening and non-judgement, including self-judgement! In this way, you can become freer and stronger, in body and voice, creating more confidence and enjoyment.
Together Voice and Yoga can help us come home to ourselves. This is the time to explore your physical & vocal expression. Let your body move you, let your voice sing you!
No previous experience in Voice or Yoga is required! Come as you are!
"The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those who sing best."
Voice work for Yoga Practioners & Teachers
Imagine discovering the true power of yoga in relationship to your voice! They fit hand in glove.
Let your voice become embodied:
Chant and Sing from where you Live & Breath & Move.
It is simple, liberating and exhilirating.
We will address your authentic voice, your chanting, and the voice requirements for leading groups or interacting with others.The material will be geared to all levels of experience, helping each participant to develop their “more-ness.”
Life is movement. The more life there is, the more flexibility there is.
The more fluid you are, the more you are alive.~ Arnaud Desjardins
The Vale Centre
The Vale Centre is dedicated to health and well-being, and is situated in the beautiful Somerset countryside. The centre is on the outskirts of Stoke Trister in magnificent country side with sweeping views of the Blackmore Vale. This is only 2 hours from London by road or by rail (Paddington and Waterloo). For more information visit: www.valehealing.co.uk
Courtyard of The Manor House, Stoke Trister,
Wincanton, Somerset BA9 9PH Directions to the centre
70 acres of farmland, woods and springs
On the border of 3 Counties: Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset.
Come and enjoy the beautiful countryside
and good company!
Fees & Booking
Anyone who would like to work with their body, breath and voice and so harmonise their energies. Anyone who values laughter as well as silence!The Retreat runs from Monday dinner Oct. 27 - Sunday lunch, Nov. 2
Half-a-treat starts Thursday dinner October 30.Retreat Fees - 6 Nights
Course Fee: £320/ early bird £300 (booking before 6th Aug.)
Accommodation: £150 (shared cottages, on-site; singles in B&B's nearby)
Food: £102
Half-a-Treat Fees - 3 Nights
Half Course: £190
Accommodation: B&B
Food: £51*Singing
*Meditation *Yoga
One Bite of the Cherry or Two?
For a deeper, richer experience, come for the whole week! The more you move and sing the better. However, it is possible to come for half a treat, which will give you a chance to experience this unique mix of yoga and voice.
*Delicious Homemade Food *Walking
How To Book Your Place:
If you wish to book a place, please print out and complete the Booking Form (or in Word format) -- which also includes an info page -- and send it with your non-refundable deposit of £70. Upon receipt of your registration you will receive confirmation of your place, and further details about booking your accomodation and board (you pay the venue and caterer separately).Full payment for the course is due by the 27th September, 2008
About Sue & Mary
Sue Staziker (B.A. P.G.C.E. British Wheel Diploma)
has been practising Yoga for 25 years and teaching for over 20. Her early experiences were mostly with teachers in the Iyengar tradition. Later, she was to study Sivananda Yoga which emphasises the five principles of right exercise, right breathing, right relaxation, right thinking, and right diet. It involves the asana and pranayama practices of Hatha Yoga, the devotion of Bhakti Yoga, the meditation of Raja Yoga, and the selfless service of Karma Yoga. More recently her teaching and personal practice has been influenced by those following in the footsteps of Vanda Scaravelli who worked with Iyengar and T.K.V. Desikachar and attendance at regular workshops and retreats gives her a wide variety of influences from which she develops her own teaching style. Sue has just qualified in Satvik Energy Therapy, which works to restore balance to the energy system in and around the body in a potentially healing way.
is a trained singer and voice teacher, originally from the Midwest in the USA. She has studied classical singing as well as 'natural voice' technique, and blends these together. During her years of teaching, Mary realised that there was more to singing than technique and developed an approach that includes the whole person. Mary went on to pursue studies in spiritual and healing/therapeutic aspects of the voice, which included overtone chanting and other kinds of traditional spiritual vocal techniques with Chloe Goodchild. She currently runs regular groups and workshops around the UK and Europe.
For more information about this retreat contact:
Sue Staziker on 01728 748 409 or suestaz@hotmail.com
Mary Benefiel on 01473 289 531 or mary@sounds-enchanting.com
A Final Note...
For those of you who find this appealing but are still unsure,
don't take our word for it!
My initial thoughts were -- 'can I cope with this removal from my comfort zone?' -- but I trusted Sue and went for it. And it has ben life changing. The place was beautiful and ideal for a retreat... Having been recovering from ME , the idea of doing daily yoga sessions etc. was a bit of a concern. I came away feeling totally rested and relaxed... excited that I had hit upon something that I could continue to use to improve my life in many ways.
(Cathy, GP)Bless you for a wonderful retreat at the Vale Centre. Wow! (Shelia )
Many, many thanks for a great few days......I have never been on a retreat so I didn’t really have any expectations. I just knew, even after the first day, that I was pleased to have come. It was a pleasure and a really enjoyable experience. ...words can’t really describe it – you have to try it – but my body felt healthy and aligned, as if I had had a really good massage with the added dimension that my head also felt nourished and in good spirit. (Helen)
Comments from participants on the Holy Island Voice and Yoga Retreat (Mary Benefiel with Sarah Clifton)
It was a very moving experience for me -- both grounding and freeing...
(Lin, occupational therapist)I felt this was a life-changing event for me.
(Abby, yoga teacher and therapist)...It was lovely to see how you brought the awareness of our need to express ourselves and an openness to spirit into your programme and how you blended the voice and yoga work.
(Beth, GP & acupuncturist, therapist)Yesterday I spontaneously experienced an amazing shift after your wonderful workshop... it seems to have shifted some emotional block, sort of miraculously... Who needs the holy water!
(Maja, Open University Maths Dept.)Thanks be for the singing field where we all melt
and for the dancing in which Oneness is felt .
(Michael, Software Engineer)I feel this singing and sounding work is the cutting edge of my spiritual development.
(Paul, Shiatsu Pracitioner, IT Engineer)
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