Tuscan Sun Retreat
2010 Eastwest Somatics 20 Years Anniversary

Keep posted for the upcoming Tuscan Retreat. The following represents our retreat just completed in 2010.

Eastwest Somatics and Red Hills Wellness Center in St. George Utah sponsor the Tuscan Sun Retreat in Italy May 24-30. Sondra Fraleigh will teach this rejuvenation retreat at Ebbio, an authentic antique farmhouse in the hills of Tuscany. The restored house, an 800 year old classic Tuscany farmhouse includes a beautiful yoga and dance studio. Tuition includes daily instruction, group process, evening meditations, lodging for six nights, all meals, a day trip to Siena, and a field trip to the coast (H20 day). Participants responsible for one dinner out in Siena. The photographs show some indoor and outdoor views of Ebbio retreat center located in the Tuscan hills surrounding Siena.

Shin Somatics® Certification Credit, full day program, $1398.
Non-Certification Option, half day program $1198.

Space is limited. Prices are based on double/triple occupancy.
Deposit of $500 by March 18 will reserve your place. Deposit refund of 1/2 by April 12.
Register in full by April 12 and receive a discount of $48. See Registration Page for full details on Registration.

In the Retreat
Earn one full level of certification credit in Shin Somatics®
Earn one full level of certification credit in Land to Water Yoga
Create balance in body, mind, and spirit.
Experience a coherent life narrative in working with the chakras.
Learn how to heal through self-awareness.
Find pleasure in movement and intrinsic dance.
Learn how to listen through the body.
Learn how to acknowledge and relieve pain.
Experience the healing power of laughter.
Learn rehabilitative movements.
Experience healing through breath.
Gain insight in Wisdom Circle group process.
Practice non-judgement in communication.
Gain peace of mind through meditation.
Learn how meditation can resonate in movement for personal growth.

Metamorphic Dance Performance
Participants in the retreat have the opportunity to perform in an evening event that will begin in the studio and move out onto the farmland and into the Tuscan landscape. To propose a performance, email kay.nelson@q.com with a copy to eastwest@q.com. Describe your proposed performance in a one paragraph abstract. We will also evolve a Butoh Metamorphic Dance for the environment during the workshop for all who wish to participate.

Enjoy the Colors, History, Food and Wine of Tuscany
Ebbio, our retreat center in Tuscany, is a magical place surrounded by an evergreen forest, nestled in the heart of an old volcano that was sacred to the Etruscans. Located in the breathtaking countryside of Tuscany, Italy, it is only 42 kms from Florence, 11 kms from Siena, 9 kms from Castellina in Chianti, and 1km from Monteriggioni, a walled city and medieval jewel.

In Ebbio, you will find spectacular scenery and relaxation, a blend of history and beauty that makes Tuscany unique.
Ebbio's rustic yet comfortable accommodations set it apart from other Tuscan villas, as an 800 year old classic farmhouse converted into a stylish yoga retreat. The ambience of Ebbio is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. Looking out one of the many windows of the different accommodations in Ebbio, you will be captivated by the undulating hills swept with thriving vineyards, olive trees and enchanted forests. The amazing part is that Ebbio is still a working Tuscan Farm. A nearby annual harvest of grapes foregrounds the chianti wine that Tuscany is so well known for.

Remembering the old country ways of living, you can still discover the Tuscan feeling. Silence, earthy colors and fragrances abound. The food is vegetarian and mostly organic. On free time, guests can hike, enjoy the farm animals, or simply soak in an old wine barrel transformed into a unique floating pool. Meditation in nature is also a way to experience this abundant landscape.

In the photographs above, see religious history, art, and the landscape through Sondra Fraleigh’s camera, Sondra and Kay enjoying the ambiance of Siena.

Arrival and Departure: Arrive at Florence airport or Siena train station. Airport and train transfers to Ebbio can be arranged when you register. Airport transfer 40 Euros; train transfer 10 Euros. Arrival day for the retreat is the 24th. Sessions begin at 6, after dinner at Ebbio. The last day of the retreat is the 29th, with departure on the 30th after breakfast.

• Learn Somatic Methods with Sondra Fraleigh
• Become Certified through Shin Somatics® and ISMETA
• Certificate graduates of Eastwest with seven levels of study are eligible for registration through ISMETA
  
• Become certified in Shin Somatics® Land to Water Yoga with five levels of study.

What if you could learn through travel while doing the things you love?
I do. As a wanderer, I have experienced ethics and aesthetics improvisationally. Travel has become a spiritual encounter with myself through the minds and hearts of others, and Italy offers me the riches of the ages, especially through its art, the beauty of its cities and landscapes. I find Tuscany golden and soft, welcoming and warm. The civil religion of italy ( as I have studied) emerges through Mary the mother. Yes, this is a country infused with goddess energy, and thus the power of the earthy root chakra. Italy enlivens my feet. In the early morning and late evening, the Tuscan colors are most vivid. I sink into the glow and meditate. When I first traveled in Italy in 1965, I gathered post cards to remind me of the architecture and art. I filled a large suitcase, and eventually used the cards in teaching the architectural backgrounds of dance history. --Sondra Fraleigh