The Mask of Change
October 15 - 22, 2011

This will be our last retreat in Mallorca, so if you have always wanted to travel with us, now is the time to jump in!

We are offering a 10% thank-you discount to those who have taken previous classes with Heidi or with Anne at Amsa Yoga! Contact us if you are interested.

Guided by Heidi Darr-Hope, mfa
Yoga by Anne Miller, Amsa Yoga

For over 20 years, Heidi has been keeping a dream journal. The image to the left is an intuitive drawing she created about one the dreams she has had this year. It caputures the spirit of The Mask of Change .“A magical conversation took place between myself and a newborn, leaving me with feelings of shock and awe!  Speaking to no one but me, I am mesmerized…”

Such is the stuff dreams are made of, fantastic scenarios filled with symbols that have the potential to nudge us forward in our life.   To change, to unmask, to reveal… takes great courage and we are here to assist you.

La Serrania

Imagine yourself in the beauty of the Mallorcan countryside, amid the tranquil setting of La Serrania, part of a small group of people gathered to wander and explore within a supportive space.

Each day will hold a gentle centering yoga practice, readying our bodies to listen to our most intimate soulful voice. Through our dream study, this elegant, intuitive, poetic side of the psyche will unfold, gradually allowing unrealized abundant energies to emerge.

To create a mask of one’s self is an ancient practice.  By gently placing warm strips of plaster gauze around one’s face, an outward impression of our physicality is created.  In order to fully live out-loud, thoughtful change is inevitable.  Our modern life style leaves little room for self-reflection and our culture without personal tools to navigate life transitions. The art of dreams, creativity and yoga are the soulful tools needed for this journey.

As you slowly embellish and adorn your Mask of Change, your explorations into the symbolic visual world will guide you.

To create a sanctuary for self-expression is to engage ourselves creatively in a search for meaning. Whether we express ourselves through words, music, dance or images, our mind, body, and soul merge. We then experience a unique way to connect with the unseen spiritual forces that guide and support our lives.

Nighttime dreams surface from a deep mysterious wellspring offering us wildly creative images. Dream images appear nightly without effort. Our unconscious paints these bizarre mystifying scenarios, using a visual, symbolic language. This is the same language of the artist’s palette. They are the soul’s forgotten languages, the languages of Divine Inspiration.

Our dreams come whether called or not but our ability and confidence to consciously create art has been cut off from our realm of human experience.

Our dreams come to offer us insight into our lives urging us to open more fully and deeply into our Self. The language of art offers the same rewards. They are profound joyous muses. This retreat will reintroduce you to these ancient soulful muses, guiding you back into the language of creativity and the dream. These are languages full of vibrant colors, profound images, thoughtful words, playful phrases, and insightful symbols.

Anne is one of Heidi’s yoga instructors at Amsa, a beautiful intimate studio in Columbia, SC (USA). Anne’s gift to guide the body tenderly through the practice of yoga as well as her intuitive talent for remarkably insightful guided meditations, led Heidi to wonder what it would be like to unite the practice of yoga with her practice of art making.

Whether it’s the yoga matt or the studio table, Heidi and Anne see both practices as a means to allow the mind to still, the body to awaken and the soulful psyche to open into the unconscious. To interlace the wisdom of both of these ancient practices, each informing the other, is groundbreaking. This is new territory, rich fertile soil where seeds of growth can flourish . Creativity and yoga opens the space for unlived energies to emerge bringing us closer to the union of mind, body, and soul—closer to our truest authentic self.

Your Guides

Intensely interested in a creative process that respects intuition and introspection, Heidi brings over 30 years of experience in art making and teaching to this retreat.  Those who have experienced her work recount profound shifts in personal and spiritual awareness. Heidi’s method of teaching grows out of a deep respect for dreams, the work of C.G. Jung, as well as the joyous transformative qualities inherent within the creative act.  Her extroverted husband, her beloved “road less traveled” daughter, her  joyous newly wedded son and his beaming wife, along with her family dog Ziggy... keep her grounded and real.  

Anne’s interest in the body began with her dance studies in college, leading to personal training and then to yoga.  She has spent the last 8 years deepening her vinyassa yoga and meditation practice while raising a family of boys.  At the end of May, she completed her 200 hour yoga certification. Anne’s father is a Lutheran minister who instilled a practice of deep heartfelt intuitive prayer at an early age so her interest in reflective meditation comes to her quite naturally and effortlessly.  Vivid heartfelt words brush soulful profound images into the spirit of  all who are fortunate to have Anne’s voice wash over their practice. 

Together Heidi and Anne will lead you towards the inner aspect of your true self, stretching beyond your known borders into the spaciousness of the world around you.

Logistics

You fly into Palma, Mallorca (PMI), where for an extra fee, 25 euros each way, La Serrania will pick you up and transport you to the other side of the island, about a 45 minute drive. A taxi is 75 euros.

Must arrive at La Serrania for Orientation Dinner by 6:pm Saturday October 15th.