THE ESSENCE: The OjaiSoulArts 3 1/2 Day Private Vision Quest Mentoring Retreats are stunningly life transforming, healing, inspiring and restorative. The work we do is exceptionally powerful in that we work one-on-one....no group diversions (you are the one honored guest enjoying this sacred home environment and personalized mentoring with Ronda).
This personalized individual retreat is completely geared toward your current waiting potential and unique path of spiritual self-realization. It is a retreat for real life breakthrough...
In essence you are given the opportunity to see and to directly live and experience a whole new way of living - one that naturally arises from an artful inner attentiveness. And by so experiencing this living artfulness here, you discover within yourself how to tap into your own soulful lifestyle and full creative power. You will return home not only rejuvenated and inspired by your own creative path in life, but with the tools needed to turn every day life circumstances into your soulful self mastery and spiritual realization. Life itself becomes your natural waking meditation and artistry!
This retreat process is unlike any other that I know of. It is sort of like combining the best of a meditation silent retreat with private spiritual life counsel and sacred psychology),creative expressive arts, shamanic healing arts, unity conscious realization, sacred ritual, satsang dialogue, and personal vision quest ...only instead of being plopped in a group auditorium - OR into the wilderness with only a tent and bottle of water, this process is nurtured in a much (MUCH) more civilized, comfy, and artfully supported environment that effects the same powerful life breakthrough (speaking as one who just recently returned and survived a 3-day fast and prayer vigil in Death Valley and hundreds of miles from the nearest human comfort.)
What you will find here - IS YOU! I do not apply a dogma, a belief system, a technique or a discipline. Rather, we enter together into a profound and soulfully-awake inner listening and honoring dialogue process to hear and to open to your own self-healing wisdom and unique path of Truth. (Types of clients range from those with no to those with extensive experience with inner spiritual selfhood, and from all spiritual paths including deeply mystical pastors, psychologists, healers, artists, and those who feel bereft, lost to themselves, overtaken by the mind-noise of daily living...and sensing/daring to seek more... The key common is a feeling of resonnance toward what my words try to express, and a desire/willingness to step into a personally-responsible relationship with one's own life meaning and path.)
APPLICATION & PREPARATION: I highly encourage you to read at least 3 of my many free contemplative articles (or one of my books) and in particular, the article series on working with a spiritual mentor (More here..) Listen to you heart as you read. Then, if you feel that "still small voice" nudging you (maybe even surprising you) to even consider gifting yourself with an act of Self-Discovery by way of an individualized retreat with me, please do STEP BOLDLY (or even timidly) FORTH!!... and INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
Once you have introduced yourself and we've personally connected by email (see Inquiry form below) and the decision to apply for your own private transformational retreat (or perhaps instead, a small private group retreat) is made, we will settle on a date and begin with some home prep.
...A very important self-awakening soul-stirring process has already begun the moment you make even that one step of Inquiry and Self-Introduction. It is a way of honoring the voice of soul that so often gets overrun by the tactices and fears of the mind. That one act starts a process of coming Home to yourself...
Too, your Self-Introduction will help you and I to already be acquainted and much will already have begun prior to your even arriving! This gives your actual arrival a fun kind of "reunion" feeling, and provides an instant comfortable "at home" feeling to your arrival. This private mentoring and special offering is much deeper than "just signing up for a retreat or a spa".
SPECIAL NOTE: For those who are drawn to this depth mentoring and self-realization - but who (for whatever reasons) -- need other options, please please see my small private group retreats and other offerings. In many cases the small groups (normally only 8-14 people!) is AS -- and in some cases MORE -- powerful than the totally private one-on-one. The chief differnce is that the group retreats include more prep connection by way of advance e-forum contact with me and theother group members, and the benefit of deeply sacred synergy and lifetime friendships offered by way of shared experiences of true life transformations. . I particularly highlight "The Midlife Call and The Art of Living Your Destiny" small group retreats. They are way beyond a "little retreat" and truly life supporting for months and years to come! Other options...
SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE /MENTORING: We normally meet twice a day, morning and early evening. These sessions can run as long as 2 hours each at times, and combine many vast modalities and wellness arts, depending on what is called forth.
As a result of each "inSight session" there are things that come up for you to delve into and reflect upon in between sessions: (This could be a silent hike/meditation to the sea, a nap on the dreaming bed, creating what you have seen inwardly into an outer art form of expression in the art studio, a journaling dialogue, experiencing the body's intelligence through one of the soul spa technologies ..etc.) Our work is very organic and so no two retreats are alike. We follow what is called forth from your inner (perhaps now seemingly masked) wisdom and with my "seeing/sensing" guidance. It is all very fluid, natural, deeply rejuvenating and insightful....
You, by staying in this energetic and with my personalized help, become attuned to your own sacred voice... and directly experience and come to know how to attune to your Essence and follow it's guiding wisdom, both for the immediate concern that brought you to retreat, and as a visionary course for your lifetime!
THE "DOING" OF BEING: We honor and accelerate each deepening insight along the 3 1/2 day process through creative and conscious action given on your part. (This could be in the form of a midnight "let go" ceremony, a predawn declaration plunge in the ocean, creating a symbol of your insight, writing a prayer, performing a song, or an infinite possiblitiy as each is unique..)
The power of this work together is in keeping very saturated in your essence the entire time with my nourishing energetic help, guiding facilitation...and the Grace that naturally occurs in this kind of seated sacredness of relationship.
All "doing" while you are here is brought forth from a place of sensing what emerges from within your inner Being, so there is much quiet "meandering" time that is actually a fundamental key to first discovering, then attuning to.... and then honoring/following the "wisdom language" of your Soul.
ARRIVAL: People usually arrive on the morning of the first day, unless we make special arrangements for you to arrive an extra night in advance, which I generally offer free to those traveling from long distance ..making it 4 nights in total for those traveling from a distance, if you like).
When you do arrive you are ushered into a deeply relaxing and rejuvenating timelessness that I call a state of "self-pampering and soulful meandering". The mind is let go and you are gifted with a true "spa for the body and soul".
ACCOMMODATIONS & AMMENITIES: While you are here you will stay in your own little private "cocoon", affectionately called "the hula hut" or "the realization vehicle” by many guests.
I know most retreats are notorious for pretty sparse "bare bones" accommodations. This is absolutely not the case at Ojai Soul Arts. For one thing I only work with one retreat client and honored guest on this property at a time (Private Exclusive Retreat) or no more 4 (SoulArts Salon Retreats).In the private exclusive retreat you are completely "at home" here with your own privacy and space.
What I've discovered in offering these unique privately guided retreats, is that they provide sacred space that takes you out of your normal home-like feel and yet still offers the soothing creature comfort amenities of a healing spa.
As an artist in all things, believe me, beauty is paramount to my world and it is a BIG part of the Ojai Soul Arts lifestyle! So! I took the idea and the power behind the vision quest and their use of the womb-like tent out in an isolated wilderness ("lions and tigers and bears, Oh my"), and considered how I could re-create the small cocoon-like power of the vision quest into something I feel should accompany one on the journey quest of living an artful and soulful life.
What I created is a luxuriously simple and elegantly soothing private space using a new rv trailer (hey this is a journey and we will be traveling!) that has been beautifully transforming into an adorable hand-painted and thatched private cocoon to faciliate your "going inward"...
This special space we've created for your private retreat has the feel of entering into an inner sanctum.. Perfect I find -- and am told by those who take up this adventurous self realization journey! So instead of sparse like so many spiritual meditation retreats and vision quests (that's OUT!), I gave your space a cozy beauty and an elegant simplicity... equiping it with spa-like creature comfort amenities including a wonderful high-piled feather bed stacked with fluffy down pillows, candle-lit table-top mini-waterfall, full kitchen and bath.
Your private cocoon also includes an artful private sitting deck surrounded by copper torches and overlooking the woods and old creak bed nearby the outdoor spa and fire pit; it is about 20 feet from the main house where you have additional full and private access to a large health room/library, large private bath, and some fabulous healing technologies like the vibroacoustic sound mat and chi machine. (See photos of on left side bar and under the retreat experiences slide show for a good sense of your enchanted and private space while here).
All meals are included ("gourmet healthy decadence") so it is very nurturing and nourishing. You'll see several "ooh's and ah's" regarding the artful culinary experiences by former retreat clients, which I've taken from their guest book entries and added to the Testimonials section. As with everything we do during your personalized retreat, the food itself is part of the shared experience of soulful artistry..
Massage or other special healing treatments are extra and by advance schedule. Most find that the array of work here is so profoundly restorative that a massage is not only unnecessary but takes up time they prefer to use in other ways. But that's of course up to you.
TAKING IT HOME: These retreat intensives are more than a 3 1/2 day getaway experience... They are designed to offer you the deepest realization of your life-long path. Each private vision quest retreat includes home preparation suggestions and personalized connection with Ronda in advance of the retreat that begin to "stir the inner processes of Soul". Each retreat also offers several supportive options for "keeping the insights alive and growing" upon returning home.
For many (I really dare say all so far), this enchanted personal retreat experience provides a rather stunning "aha breakthrough realization" of ones deepest life essence and calling ...one that becomes "the journey of a lifetime" to fully embody and live to its fullest creative celebration of YOU! You wlll go home knowing that your spiritual life isn't separate from your daily life..something more "to find the time to do"...but that your daily life offers the ingredients for spiritual self realization and artful engaging.
For this reason, I always point out that this retreat is really just the beginning. When you leave this private vision quest experience, the adventure of living your "aha" begins in earnest! I am available to help support the adventure of living your inSight in a number of flexible (and utterly customized) ways upon completion of your retreat and if/as desired. An initial 30-day post retreat follow up is offered as part of this retreat.
Those who come are always meant to be here.. it just happens that way. I serve as both spiritual guide and artisan host. This retreat is for those who really want to find, know - and then live their Truth in the world.
Please see testimonials for some examples of people who, perhaps like you, felt inclined, didn't know why or what to expect, and came to this work and its unique transformational offering. You may also ask to connect with a past retreat person if you feel that is important and once you have made an introductory contact with me.
I also offer e-Apprenticeship programs by phone and email for those who are not able/ready to attend a privately guided spiritual retreat intensive with me..or for those who have, and now want to deepen the work of integrating and embodying their retreat realizations. More about e-Apprenticeships with Ronda... (NOTE: This link will take you out of OjaiSoulArts web site and into ronda's main site: RondaLaRue.com.)
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