Seasonal Well-Being Retreat Program: “The Seasons of Self”

Where Personal Growth Meets the Rhythms of Nature

Join us at FireLoch for an immersive retreat series with facilitators Jennifer DeCoste and Britt Overmars. Designed to align your personal journey with the natural cycles of the seasons and inspired by the principles of permaculture, The Seasons of Self invites you to connect deeply with yourself and the earth while exploring seasonal themes of rest, growth, renewal, and celebration. Each session, offered during the transitions to each season, offers transformative experiences to nurture your body, mind, and spirit as you navigate the cycles of the year.

You can choose to participate in just one or join for every session – payment plans are available and some funding is being reserved to support participants from African Canadian or Indigenous communities for whom cost is a barrier to enrolment. Please reach out to jennifer@fireloch.com to find out about funding available. 

Program Information:

Winter Session – Preparing the Soil (Inner Work & Reflection)**  

**Date:** January 26th 

**Time:** 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM  

Theme: Rest, Reflect, and Renew . Just as winter prepares the soil for the abundance of spring, this session focuses on nourishing your inner self to create a fertile foundation for 2025.  

What You’ll Experience:

– **Grounding Practices:** Start your day with a tea ceremony and a community grounding circle to connect with yourself and others.  

– **Restorative Yoga:** Embrace relaxation and recharge your body through gentle, grounding poses.  

– **Nourishing Seasonal Meals:** Enjoy warm, hearty dishes crafted with seasonal ingredients to fuel your day.  

– **Values & Vision Exploration:** Guided journaling, and intention-setting to clarify your path for the year ahead.  

– **Guided Breathwork & Sound Therapy:** Release old patterns and create space for renewal through transformative practices.  

– **Reflection Walks & Accountability Partners:** Connect with nature and build meaningful connections with like-minded participants.  

– **Creative Vision Mapping:** Sketch your personal “soil preparation” plan during a collaborative, art-filled dinner.  

– **Closing Yin Yoga & Meditation:** Seal your intentions and find peace as you prepare for the months ahead.

Why Attend? 

This is your chance to pause, reflect, and rejuvenate. You’ll leave with clarity, calm, and tools to nurture a balanced nervous system, all while fostering a deeper connection to the rhythms of nature and a supportive community.  

—

Join the whole Seasonal Series: 

Explore the full journey through *The Seasons of Self*:  

– Spring Session: April 27th “Planting Seeds” – A time for exploration, new beginnings, and experimentation.  

– Summer Session: June 22nd “Growth” – Flourish, embrace change, and build resilience.  

– Fall Session: Oct 5th “Harvest & Celebration” – Reflect, celebrate, and integrate the year’s growth.  

(discounts available for purchasing all sessions – payment plans can also be coordinated. Reach out to jennifer@fireloch.com for details)

Each session is thoughtfully curated to mirror the natural rhythms of the seasons, offering practices that blend mindfulness, creativity, and connection

**Reserve Your Spot Today!**  

Tickets are limited to ensure an intimate and impactful experience. Secure your place now and begin your journey toward holistic well-being.  

For questions or additional details, contact jennifer@fireloch.com

Reconnect with nature. Reconnect with yourself. Start your seasonal journey with us!  

New to soap making or ready to take your skills to the next level?

We are offering a hands on Soap-Making class – perfect for those who have taken our basic class/have previous experience with soap making or those who are quick learners – no experience but lots of enthusiasm! We will work too catch you up 🙂

Together we’ll explore using natural colourants (using clays and infusions), the technique of making swirls and layers, ways to incorporate natural good-for-your-skin ingredients like carrots, cocoa butter and shea butter; and we will experiment with blends of essential oils for clean and balanced scents.

Each participant will take home 4 different beautiful soaps, 2 bars of each, plus the skill and confidence to try experiments at home with different combinations of colour and scent too.

Thanks to generous funding from the Federal Government we are pleased to be able to launch this cost-free program at FireLoch four times this year, once for every season! Seniors 55+ are welcome to join one or each of our 4-week programs for Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. In each series, we will explore gentle movement, yogassage,  breathwork, art and mindfulness practices for your mind, body and spirit. Find joy and meaning not only through social connections but also through guided art activities. Enjoy FireLoch’s beautiful private walking trails to get the blood flowing, socialize and take a big gulp of fresh air! This program is designed to awaken your spirit to fully engage in each new season.

Winterlude for Seniors :
Thursdays , 10am-12pm
January 9-30

Description:
This 4-week Winter Wellness Group is designed to support seniors in nurturing their physical, emotional, and creative well-being during the colder months. Through the gentle practices of yogassage (a blend of yoga and massage) and therapeutic art activities, participants will experience relaxation, connection, and creative expression in a warm, supportive environment.

Each session includes:
•    Gentle Yogassage: Facilitated by RMT and mindfulness coach Yvonne Landry. Yogassage is a soothing combination of yoga stretches, mindful breathing, and light massage techniques to ease tension, improve circulation, and promote relaxation.
•    Creative Art Exploration: Facilitated by Art Therapist Shelley Long.
Guided art-making activities tailored to all skill levels, fostering self-expression, stress relief, and joy through creativity.

Program Highlights:
•    Weekly themes to inspire mindfulness and intention
•    Opportunities to connect with peers and build community.
•    Tools and techniques for ongoing wellness practices at home.
•    No prior experience in yoga or art required—just an open mind and a willingness to explore!

Join us this winter to stay warm, relaxed, and inspired!

Cost: Thanks to generous funding from the federal government, this program is FREE for adults 55+ ( approx. $375.00 value per person!)

At checkout please use the code “FreeforSeniors” for a full (100%) discount

Transportation can be arranged to assist with accessing this venue – after you enrol you will be asked to fill in a form where you can indicate your need for transportation. Any other questions? We’d love to hear from you! Email our facilitators directly at: seasonalwellness2024@gmail.com

Join us on Valentines Day to celebrate the thing we all REALLY love – PIZZA! Everyone can make individual wood fired pizza and delicious cookies in the cobb oven at FireLoch. We’ll provide all the ingredients, you bring the family and come prepared for outdoor fun! There will be music and games and everyone is invited to wander the paths as well and if the weather holds out, we’ll hang all the hammocks in the forest and pretend it is spring!

After taking a ticket (and adding tickets for extra adults and children you will bring along), please email jennifer@fireloch.com with an allergies or dietary restrictions. Please note we can accommodate gluten sensitive diets with delicious gluten free crusts but we cannot guarantee gluten free cooking facilities, FYI

Adult Tickets $15, Tickets for Children (under 12) $10

Seasonal Well-Being Retreat Program: “The Seasons of Self”

Where Personal Growth Meets the Rhythms of Nature

Join us at FireLoch for an immersive retreat series with facilitators Jennifer DeCoste and Britt Overmars. Designed to align your personal journey with the natural cycles of the seasons and inspired by the principles of permaculture, The Seasons of Self invites you to connect deeply with yourself and the earth while exploring seasonal themes of rest, growth, renewal, and celebration. Each session, offered during the transitions to each season, offers transformative experiences to nurture your body, mind, and spirit as you navigate the cycles of the year.

You can choose to participate in just one or join for every session – payment plans are available and some funding is being reserved to support participants from African Canadian or Indigenous communities for whom cost is a barrier to enrolment. Please reach out to jennifer@fireloch.com to find out about funding available. 

Program Information:

Spring Session – “Planting Seeds” – A time for exploration, new beginnings, and experimentation.  

**Date:** April 27th, 2025 

**Time:** 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM  

Theme: “New Beginnings and Experimentation” – Partnering with nature we will spend a lot of the day out on the land, catching the energy of  spring! Sound therapy, movement practices and a guided exploration of self care practices to put into play this spring will fill our program, and we will have pockets of rest throughout the day so we have space to twin our roots together as we connect deeply with each other and ourselves. 

What You’ll Experience:

– **Grounding Practices:** Start your day with an opening circle in community to connect with yourself and others.  

– **Mindset Shifts:** Experience a wisdom council – assembled to support you in working through questions that are rising in you. 

– **Nourishing Seasonal Meals:** Enjoy fresh, light, and vibrant foods to fuel your day.  

– **Embodiment Practices:** Tapping into creative energy, laughter, joy!

– **Exploring New Self-Care Practices:** Introductions to techniques and support services from our community

– **Reflection Walks & Permaculture Projects:** Learn from and be inspired by active permaculture projects underway at FireLoch

– **Stepping into Flow:** Explore guidance coming to you from the universe during a collaborative, art-filled dinner.  

– **Closing Yoga & Meditation:** Leave with gratitude for new beginnings and connection with the present moment.

Why Attend? 

This is your chance to pause, reflect, and rejuvenate. You’ll leave with clarity, calm, and tools to nurture a balanced nervous system, all while fostering a deeper connection to the rhythms of nature and a supportive community.  

—

Join the whole Seasonal Series: 

Explore the full journey through our next sessions of *The Seasons of Self*:  

 – Summer Session: June 22nd “Growth” – Flourish, embrace change, and build resilience.  

– Fall Session: Oct 5th “Harvest & Celebration” – Reflect, celebrate, and integrate the year’s growth.  

(discounts available for purchasing all sessions – payment plans can also be coordinated. Reach out to jennifer@fireloch.com for details)

Each session is thoughtfully curated to mirror the natural rhythms of the seasons, offering practices that blend mindfulness, creativity, and connection

**Reserve Your Spot Today!**  

Tickets are limited to ensure an intimate and impactful experience. Secure your place now and begin your journey toward holistic well-being.  

For questions or additional details, contact jennifer@fireloch.com

Reconnect with nature. Reconnect with yourself. Start your seasonal journey with us!