Calendar of Events

Simply Be: ILLUMINATEDate: June 18-20, 2024.Time: Tuesday 3:30pm – Thursday at 1:30pmFee: $443.00Click here to learn more about the venue, Five Oaks Centre.Description:Constantly striving? Exhausted? Are you feeling deprived even while surrounded by...

Simply Be: ILLUMINATEDate: June 18-20, 2024.Time: Tuesday 3:30pm – Thursday at 1:30pmFee: $443.00Click here to learn more about the venue, Five Oaks Centre.Description:Constantly striving? Exhausted? Are you feeling deprived even while surrounded by abundance?Rest and renewal are not just a luxury, they are needed for whole-hearted living. In today’s world, with its unyielding emphasis on success, productivity, and efficiency, finding time to simply be is more important than ever.Join Michael Shewburg, Five Oaks Executive Director for our distinctive Rest and Renewal Retreat! Here you will find a space to rest your body and mind, restore your creativity, and regain your natural state of inner peace and well-being. The retreat will be flow between personal time, sharing circle and optional guided activities.Featuring our Co-Host, Niki André, a songstress, poet, and yoga instructor, who will draw our attention to the longest day of the year and the astronomical start of Summer, Summer Solstice. This year, in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun reaches the height of its life-giving power on June 20th. The sun will be at its highest for several days surrounding this date.So, this Simply Be retreat will focus on Illumination.Where is this bright season casting light in your life?What is sprouting in you now?How can we infuse what’s burgeoning with healing energy?Using embodied and meditative practice, reflection and song, Niki will help us to explore what’s being illuminated in our lives. We’ll gently stretch open to the messages of the season. Then, using the power of our own voices - we’ll call more healing light into our bodies and spirits. We’ll culminate our time together and amplify our energies by weaving our voices together in a healing song.Listen deeply to the inner stirrings of your heart and connect to the earth’s natural rhythms. Join your voice with others and feel the support of this open, inclusive and welcoming community. Be nourished and well-cared for with delicious, wholesome meals and comfortable accommodations.Experience Rest and Renewal at Five Oaks. Simply Be. Illuminate.BONUS! Extend your retreat to include our Summer Solstice Circle on Thursday, June 20 for a nourishing and meaningful evening of Solstice activities led by songstress and poet, Niki André. More Details Below!Simply Be Retreat ScheduleTuesday3:30 pm Arrive and Settle in5:30 DinnerEvening CircleWednesday8:00 am BreakfastMorning Circle and Personal Time12:30 LunchPersonal Time5:30 DinnerEvening CircleThursday8:00 am BreakfastMorning Circle and Personal Time12:30 pm Lunch1:30 pm DepartureOR - stay a little longer and Add-On the Summer Solstice Event to your program experience.At 5:30 pm Summer Solstice Circle begins! *This is an optional add on to your registration - cost is $35 per guest* Description follows:As we mark the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the astronomical onset of summer, let's rejoice in the sun's peak power on June 20th in the Northern Hemisphere.Commemorate the full return of the sun's light by immersing yourself in nature.Embrace the radiant energy of the summer solstice alongside your loved ones.Indulge in the culinary delights of artisan flatbread pizzas crafted on-site by our extraordinary chefs.Join our inspiring and inviting facilitators for an evening dedicated to connecting with the land and each other, illuminated by the warm glow of the fire.Niki André, will lead us through an enchanting evening of song, gentle movement, and reflection, allowing us to attune to the profound messages of the season. Utilize your voices to summon the heightened Solstice light.Tapping into communal wisdom, we will weave our diverse voices into a harmonious celebratory song. Unite with friends and family to craft unforgettable moments in a magical ambiance of unity, creativity, and natural beauty.Schedule5:30 p.m. Dinner6:00 Solstice Activity7:00 – 8:00 Solstice CeremonyEvent FlowWe will begin the evening with a delicious seasonal dinner followed by a solstice activity; a bonfire, singing and inviting the blessings of light and possibilities. Our delicious artisan pizza dinner will be served from 5:30 - 6:00 p.m. The solstice activity and ceremony will follow.This is primarily an outdoor event. Be sure to dress for the weather. The fire circle has wooden benches. Feel free to bring your lawn chairs and blanket if needed. This program will involve walking and stairs, however there is accommodation for those who have mobility concerns. Please indicate when registering.