WE ARE NOW OFFERING ONLINE PROGRAMS
4th ANNUAL Creative Arts & Nature Retreat
You are invited to a unique and rejuvenating Creative Arts retreat. Shlomit and Ida will host 3 days and 2 nights in the breath taking nature reserve of Harriman State park in Pomona, NY.
This year we are offering 2 retreats. One for women only and the second for all genders
When
Women Only - July 7th to July 9th 2024
Time
Check-in on Sunday at 3:30 pm ET
Check out on Tuesday at 12pm ET (With the option to stay in the recreation camp until 3pm ET)
Location
Breakneck Lake, NY
Located in Harriman State Park, NY
ONLY 60 MINUTES NORTH OF NYC.
Investment
PRICE $725.00
Registration closes on JULY 1st
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**PAYMENT PLAN AVAILABLE!
About the CREATIVE Arts and Nature Retreat
Join Ida & Shlomit on a 3-day restorative Creative Arts and Nature Retreat.
Relax in a paradisiac nature environment, just 1 hour away from NYC.
Connect to your authentic self and a welcoming community.
Renew your energy through art making.
Together we will co-create an unforgettable experience that will ignite a deep connection to Mother Earth through the power of the Creative Arts.
We believe in the healing arts as a means for personal growth, transformation, and empowerment.
We are committed to providing you with a safe and loving space for authentic self-expression.
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No previous artistic experience is necessary.
Program structure
Day 1 - RELAX
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3:30 pm check-in​​
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4:30-6:00 pm Arrival ritual in nature
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6:00-7:00 pm Dinner (Delicious gourmet dinner prepared by the house chef)​
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7:30-9:00 pm Art making activity by the bonfire
Day 2 - Connect
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7:30-8:30 am Meditation/Yoga/Dance workshop by the lake.
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8:30-10:00 am Breakfast​.
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10:00-1:00 pm Creative Arts Workshop​.
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1:00-6:00 pm Lunch and Nature Time (Enjoy the amenities of the AMC Outdoors Center including swimming, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, relaxing, art-making, and more).​
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6:00-7:00 pm Dinner​.
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7:30-8:30 pm Cacao Ceremony & Sound Healing Journey around the bonfire.
Day 3 - RENEW
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7:30-8:30 am Meditation/Yoga/Dance by the lake​.
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8:30-10 am Breakfast​.
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10:00-12:00 am Closing workshop in nature​.
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12:00 pm Checkout.​
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12:00-3:00pm Lunch & Free Time. Enjoy the AMC Outdoors Center amenities (swimming, kayaking, canoeing hiking, relaxing, and more).
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3:00pm Good bye & see you next year!
The type of Creative Arts tools that will be explored during the program:
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Meditation
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Movement
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Writing
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Dance
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Belly Dance
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Visual Arts Making
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Drama therapy
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Music & Sound Healing Journey
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Cacao Ceremony
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Person-Centered Coaching
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​****No previous creative or artistic experience is necessary.
*****This is a trauma-informed & multicultural-competent program.
About the Amenities and what your package includes:
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The AMC Harriman Outdoor Center offers access to 64 acres of nature, A beautiful lake, a dining hall, canoes, kayaks, a sandy beach, hiking trails, designated swimming areas and more.​
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Participants will stay in a 4 bedroom cabin located walking distance from the lake. Each bedroom will have 4 single beds.​
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A shared bathhouse with hot showers, bathrooms, and a dishwashing station are located next to the cabin.​
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Dinner, breakfast, and a to-go trail lunch will be served.
Sunday- Dinner
Monday- Breakfast, to-go trail lunch, and dinner
Tuesday- Breakfast and to-go trail lunch.​​
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Your package includes:
- 2 Creative Arts workshops with Person-Centered Expressive Arts & Drama Therapists
- A cacao ceremony and sound healing journey
- A belly dance workshop taught by a certified instructor (For women's retreat)
- A somatic dance workshop taught by a certified instructor (For all genders' retreat)
- A meditation & restorative Yoga workshop taught by a certified instructor​​
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All art materials for the Creative Arts workshops are included. (Such as paper, canvas, acrylic, watercolors, pastel, markers, glitter, collage material, glue, scissors, musical instruments, hula hoops, costumes, and more).​
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All participants receive a gift and little surprises throughout the course of the retreat.
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Participants are in charge of their own transportation to the AMC Outdoors Center​. Shuttles are available from the Sloatsburg, NY train station.
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No pets allowed. Participants must be 20 years and older. Open for people of all cultural & ethnic backgrounds
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Registration closes on June 22nd 2024
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Limited to 12 participants per retreat only!
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PAYMENT PLANS AVAILABLE! 5 installments of $145.00 or 4 installments of $181.24 or 3 installments of $241.66 (For the early bird price).
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What to bring:​
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bed sheets/blanket
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2-3 Bathing suits
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2 towels and personal toiletry
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Hat
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Sun and UV protection
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Anti-bugs spray
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Loose and comfortable clothes
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Warm clothes as it can get colder in the evening (Brining layers of clothes is best).
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Flashlight
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Shoes suitable for trails or walking in nature and flip flops or shoes to access water
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Your favorite snacks (for in between the meals that are provided on site)
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A reusable water bottle​
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What is Creative Arts?
Creative arts therapy is the use of visual arts, music, drama, dance/movement, sound, poetry/writing, play and meditation in a supportive setting to facilitate growth and healing. It is a process of discovering ourselves through any art form that comes from an emotional depth. It is not about creating art that is "pretty" or ready for the stage. It is about authentically expressing inner feelings by creating outer forms.
Testimonies
About your facilitators
Ida Garcia
Idalmis García (LP- LCAT) is a Cuban-born drama therapist and performer residing in New York. She holds an MA in Drama Therapy from NYU and serves as the Co-Artistic Director of the Big Apple Playback Theater. With a diverse background spanning film, theatre, and television, Idalmis has dedicated her expertise to working with adolescents and young adults with special needs at Cooke School. Additionally, she founded Ida Garcia LLC, offering Creative Arts workshops and Nature Retreats. Her recent endeavor includes joining the Creative Arts therapy team at ABC and collaborating with Sinergias, a group of drama therapists, on producing “Resonancias Dramáticas,” a documentary exploring immigration and cultural identity. Idalmis advocates for the transformative power of arts in therapy, emphasizing self-expression, presence, and life skill rehearsal through play and spontaneity in Drama Therapy workshops.
Shlomit Oren
Shlomit is a multi-generational Person-Centered Expressive Arts facilitator and healer, owner of Gleeful Wellness LLC, multi-faceted performing artist, physical actress, belly dancer, and clown. Shlomit Is half Israeli & half Colombian. She has a BA in theater from Circle in the Square theater School and a BS in Psychology from NSU. She graduated as a life coach from the Spirit of A Woman Institute.​ She graduated from the Person-Centered Expressive Arts Institute in Sonoma, CA. She is a certified sound healing meditation guide and graduated from the International Sound Healing Academy in India.​ Shlomit is now pursuing a Somatic Therapy graduate degree at Prescott College.​ She offers retreats, 1:1 Expressive Arts counseling sessions, Women's Empowerment (WE) Circles, and Expressive Arts psychoeducational programs for for kids, adults and seniors. As a performing artist she has toured and made appearances nation wide in the US & around the globe with circus acts, theater shows, and dance performances. Shlomit's mission is to uplift communities through creative arts.
Click HERE to learn more about Shlomit
Laura, participant
This retreat was phenomenal. I will definitely be back next year! There was so much love and support going around. Thank you!
Liat, participant
It was beyond amazing. I have never experienced anything like it and I am forever grateful for this breathtaking experience. Waiting for next retreat!!!
Thais, participant
Being part of the Creative Arts and Nature Retreat with Ida and Shlomit, changed my life. This retreat allowed me to connect with myself at a deeper level, to be one with my happiness and my emotions. Days keep passing by and I feel like floating on a cloud, where there is only room for happiness, hope, and forgiveness. I love myself so much now…For me, there was a before and after being part of this retreat.