RETREATS
PRESENCE:
A Daylong Mindfulness and Yoga Retreat
in the Blue Ridge
Sunday, May 19th from 8:45 am–4:00 pm
Join us for a daylong mindfulness, yoga and nature connection retreat at Mountain Light Retreat Center near Crozet, Virginia on
Sunday, May 19, 2024.
Christine Gyovai will guide mindfulness sessions, Michael Okusa will lead yoga, and Amber Ellis will facilitate a nature connection and journaling session. Show up as you are, experienced or new to meditation and yoga—all are welcome.
Space is limited, and lodging and lunch are available— see below for details. Held in partnership with Salute the Sun yoga studio.
Create space for yourself and time in community for this daylong retreat nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains at Mountain Light Retreat Center. Experience the rest, renewal and connection that a retreat can offer in this beautiful mountain setting, just 30 minutes west of Charlottesville.
$45–$195 suggested donation; partial proceeds go to the
Love No Ego Foundation
If you have questions, you are welcome to reach out to Christine at info@dialogueanddesign.com
The Facilitators
During the retreat, Christine Gyovai will guide mindfulness sessions, Michael Okusa will lead yoga, and Amber Ellis will facilitate a nature connection and journaling session.
Christine Gyovai is a professional facilitator and coach in building resilient communities, and she teaches yoga, meditation, and loves to be outside. She completed her 500 hour yoga teacher training with Drishti Beats, she is in a two year meditation teacher training currently with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield, and she’s been practicing for almost three decades. Through her work as the Principal of Dialogue + Design Associates and host of the Yes! We Rise podcast, she guides civic leaders and community members to envision a more sustainable future and come together to make that vision a reality. The granddaughter of a coal miner and a firefly scientist, she facilitates networks of change-makers and uses skills that include consensus-building, community planning, ecological design and mindfulness practices. Christine loves sailing, yoga and paddleboarding, and she lives at the base of the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia with her husband, two children, and an assortment of fruit trees and blueberry bushes.
Michael Okusa, a former hospitality professional, underwent a transformative journey when he discovered his passion for yoga during his first power vinyasa class. Eventually transitioning from the restaurant scene to the realm of wellness, he has become a versatile practitioner, integrating diverse modalities such as yoga instruction, personal training, Thai Massage therapy, and nutrition coaching into his repertoire over recent years. His dedication to wellness is not confined to his professional life; he finds joy in dancing, playing the piano, and serenading with old jazz standards, as well as crafting delectable vegan dishes and immersing himself in the beauty of nature. Deepening his connections with loved ones is equally important to him. In the future, he has plans to explore meditation teacher training, further education in yoga, and other healing practices to share with the community.
Amber Ellis is the founder and owner of Find Your Nature, an LLC focused on creating spaces for people to center, create, and connect, so that we can show up as our best selves to care for the Earth together. She has worked in the conservation world for over 15 years and is also the Restoration Director at the James River Association. She holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Virginia Tech, is a Professional Landscape Architect in Virginia, holds a Level II certificate in Ecotherapy through The EarthBody Institute, and a certificate in Mental Health First Aid.
Lodging, Lunch and Details
- The day will begin with registration at 8:45 am, yoga from 9:00-9:45 am, then a break and additional registration period. Mindfulness sessions, and sitting and walking meditations will be offered in the morning, followed by time for reflection, discussion and lunch. The afternoon will include periods of mindfulness, sitting and walking meditation, and then a choice of time for nature journaling and connection, yoga or mindfulness, with breaks and additional reflection and connection time before the day wraps up by 4:00 pm. Additional details will be sent via email.
- Overnight lodging is available for an additional $35 if you are staying as part of the retreat, and needs to be coordinated with Mountain Light Retreat Center prior to the retreat. There are several lovely lodging options. Guests can arrive between 3:30 – 7:00 pm on Saturday evening, May 18th. Email Debbie Scott to coordinate a time of arrival for check-in at: info@mountainlightretreatva.com. Additional details are available at mountainlightretreatva.com/contact
- Carpooling is encouraged – contact Christine at info@dialogueanddesign.com if you’d like to be put in touch with other people to carpool.
- Please review this waiver and respond to the question on the registration payment page about it. Download and review the waiver.
Lunch options
- Turkey, Bacon & Avocado Sandwich Boxed Lunch — Oven-roasted turkey, uncured hickory-smoked bacon, fresh avocado, cheddar, tomato, baby spinach and red pepper aioli on a ciabatta roll. We require no-antibiotics-ever turkey for this item. Bacon must be made without synthetic nitrates or nitrites. Served with an apple, potato chips and a bottle of spring water.
- Mediterranean Falafel Wrap Boxed Lunch — Falafel, hummus, cucumber, red bell pepper, tomato and kale wrapped in a tortilla. Served with an apple, potato chips and a bottle of spring water. Vegan.
- Sonoma Chicken Wrap Boxed Lunch – Creamy Sonoma chicken salad — studded with grapes, pecans and poppy seeds — wrapped with lettuce and shredded cabbage in a flour tortilla. Served with an apple, potato chips and a bottle of spring water.
- Four Season Caprese Sandwich Boxed Lunch – Fresh mozzarella, roasted tomato and arugula with basil pesto and balsamic glaze on a ciabatta roll. Served with an apple, potato chips and a bottle of spring water. Vegetarian.
If you have questions, you are welcome to reach out to Christine at info@dialogueanddesign.com
