The Higher Octave
Raise Your Personal Vibration with a blissful weekend of Movement, Breathwork, Nature and Sound!
Washington Spring Retreat 2025
April 25th-27th
Cedar Springs Lodge
31463 Barben Rd.
Sedro Woolley, WA 98284
Spacious and charming, the Cedar Springs Lodge is a converted 100+ year-old dairy barn and is a place of quiet beauty in the Skagit River Valley of Western Washington. It offers an ideal setting for retreats, workshops and celebrations of life.
Retreat Specifics
This uniquely curated retreat includes gentle Yoga + Gong + Pranayama (breathwork) classes, an educational talk series to maximize the effects of the Gongs, an All Night Gong Puja Ceremony (a Gong Puja is honoring and allowing space for our being’s ability to heal – physically, emotionally & spiritually. It is the truest form of honoring thyself), plenty of time for relaxation, reflection and much more. All classes and events are optional. Full class descriptions below.
Your Weekend Retreat Includes:
Lodging
All meals, drinks and snacks
Opening and closing sharing circle
Daily YIN/Restorative Yoga practice (with optional hands on assists) + Gong Meditation + Pranayama
All Night Gong Puja Ceremony (Saturday 10:00pm - Sunday 5:00am)
Calming Yoga Nidra practice (known as “Yogic Sleep”)
Access to nature trails + time to explore
Educational Talk Series - How Sound Heals and The Power of Intention
Private 1on1 consultation with Wayne regarding Sound Healing, Intention Setting or other interests
A chance to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones
A few other surprise activities and treats
SCHEDULE (subject to change)
Friday April 25th
4:00pm - 6:00pm Check in, Settle in + Explore and Discover
6:00pm - 7:00pm Welcome Dinner
7:00pm - 8:30pm Meet, Greet and Connect - Opening Circle and Orientation
8:30pm - 10:00pm Yoga Nidra + Gong Meditation
Saturday April 26th
7:00am - 9:00am Breakfast
8:30am - 10:00am YIN/Restorative Yoga + Gong Meditation
10:00am - 10:45am Educational Talk: How Sound Heals - The Five Yogic Koshas
10:45am - 11:30am Educational Talk: Breathwork 101 - Essentials to Build On
11:30am - 12:00pm Open Time
12:00pm - 1:00pm Lunch
1:00pm - 1:45pm Educational Talk: Intention Setting & Journaling
1:45pm - 2:15pm Educational Talk: Gayatri Mantra Chant Preparartion
1:45pm - 2:30pm Break
2:30pm - 3:30pm Slow Flow Yoga
3:30pm - 5:30pm Open Time, Walking Meditation
3:30pm - 4:00pm Private Discussion w/Wayne (please reserve)
4:00pm - 4:30pm Private Discussion w/Wayne (please reserve)
4:30pm - 5:00pm Private Discussion w/Wayne (please reserve)
5:00pm - 5:30pm Private Discussion w/Wayne (please reserve)
5:30pm - 6:30pm Dinner
6:30pm - 7:30pm Final Preparation for Gong Puja, Intention Setting
7:30pm - 8:30pm Open Time, Journaling
8:30pm - 10:00pm Breathwork + Gentle Movement + Yoga Nidra
10:00pm - 5:00am Sacred Sound Gong Puja Ceremony
Sunday April 28th
5:15am - 5:30am Gayatri Mantra Chanting
5:30am - 6:00am Light Breakfast (fruit and tea)
6:00am - 8:00am Open Time, Walking Meditation, Journaling
8:00am - 9:00am Slow Flow Yoga
9:00am - 10:00am Full Breakfast
10:00am - 11:00am Closing Circle, Group Photo
11:00am - 12:00pm Lunch
12:00pm Check Out
Our Yoga and Gong classes will take place in this gorgeous, cozy practice space
ACCOMMODATIONS
INVESTMENT
Pricing includes all meals, lodging and classes. Early bird pricing as posted until December 31st, 2024.
There are 9 Bedrooms, with 18 beds: 4 Queens, 2 Fulls, and 12 Twins. The Rose, Sunflower, and Honey Rooms have ensuite bathrooms.
The Crows Nest
Twin Bed - $749
Twin Bed - $749
Shared upstairs bathroom
The Pond Room (reserved)
Double occupancy - $1499The Lavender Room
Single occupancy - $1299
Double occupancy - $1499
Triple occupancy - $1699
Shared upstairs bathroomThe Rose Room (reserved)
Single occupancy - $1499The Honey Room (reserved)
Single occupancy - $1499The Sunflower Room
Single occupancy - $1399
Double occupancy - $1599
Triple occupancy - $1799
Private bathroomThe Eagle Room
Double occupancy - $1399
Shared downstairs bathroomThe Sparrow Room
Single occupancy - $699
Shared downstairs bathroomThe Dorm
Twin Bed - $699 (reserved)
Twin Bed - $699
Twin Bed - $699
Twin Bed - $699
Shared downstairs bathroomVitC Room (Owl)
Twin Bed - $699
Twin Bed - $699
Shared downstairs bathroom
Please contact Wayne with lodging questions at - wayne@beneficialsound.org or 425 296 6513
A $300 refundable deposit holds your spot. Full payment is due by February 15th, 2025
Cancellation/Payment/Refund Policy:
A $300 refundable deposit holds your spot
Full payment is due by February 15th, 2025
Cancel before November 31st, 2024: Full refund
Cancel after November 31st, 2024: Refund minus $300 deposit
Cancel between February 22nd, 2025 and April 1st, 2025: Refund minus $300 deposit and 50% of any amount paid over and above the deposit.
Cancel after April 1st, 2025: Refund minus $300 deposit and 80% of any amount paid over and above the deposit.
MEALS (subject to change)
Catered, buffet style, plant based and locally grown. Coffee, tea and fruit throughout.
Friday Welcome Dinner - veggie lasagna, mixed green salad + veggies. Bread options.
Saturday Breakfast - coffee, tea, granola, yogurt, milk/milk alternatives, fresh fruit, toast, gluten free options, butter, nut butter, jam and hard boiled eggs.
Saturday Lunch - Sandwich/salad bar, veggies, cheese, condiments, gluten-free options, egg salad, fruit and chips.
Saturday Dinner - vegan curry, rice, tofu on the side, big green salad + cashews.
Sunday Breakfast - coffee, tea, granola, yogurt, milk/milk alternatives, fresh fruit, toast, gluten free options, butter, nut butter, jam and hard boiled eggs.
Sunday Lunch - vegan and gluten-free vegetable chili, lots of side toppings, cheese, green onion, sour cream, vegan sour cream, tortilla chips and red cabbage
Please contact Wayne with any special dietary needs - wayne@beneficialsound.org or 425 296 6513
What to Bring
The following is a list of suggested items to bring to the retreat:
Yoga: mat, 2 blocks, strap
Meditation: sitting cushion(s)
Restorative: blanket, pillow, eye pillow, bolster
General: flashlight, evening jacket, rain-coat, mud shoes, toiletries
An intention to transform your life
COVID & SAFETY
Masks are not required to attend but are encouraged for those who feel more comfortable using one.
Wayne Marto is the Founding Director of Beneficial Sound, a 501(c)3 public charity committed to bringing wellness to the mind, body and soul through sound and vibration.
Wayne recently stepped away from the IT industry after 25 years to focus full time on Beneficial Sound. He worked in the content management space, performing numerous sales related roles for companies like Fujitsu, Hyland Software, Lexmark and Ibml.
He is a life-long musician who has studied the gong extensively under Gong Master Mehtab Benton. His authentic style of playing, infused with passion and intention, promotes deep relaxation and transformation.
He has a degree in Psychology, is a Certified Gong Practitioner and Yoga Instructor and is a member of the American Sound Healers Association.
"The gong has forever changed me, leading me on a journey of awakening, and uncovering my true passion: to share the healing sounds of the Gong with all those willing to listen."
Hilary Paris is a yoga teacher with over 15 years of experience in all styles of yoga. She is known for her calming nature and her ability to hold space for people. She is currently the studio director at Be Yoga Burien and leads retreats all over the world.
Hilary began her yoga journey in 2006, while residing in Southern California. She quickly fell in love with the practice and knew that she wanted to share it with others. She has since trained with some of the world's leading yoga teachers, including Shiva Rea, Janet Stone, and Jason Crandell. She studied yoga and meditation while living in India for six months in 2009, and was forever changed.
Hilary is passionate about creating a safe and supportive space for her students to explore their practice. She believes that yoga is for everyone, regardless of age, ability, or experience level.
Hilary is committed to making the world a better place through yoga. Her goal is to help heal the world through mindful movement, breath and laughter.
Class Descriptions
Gong Meditation is a transformative journey of healing and deep relaxation as we bathe every cell of the body in therapeutic sound and vibration. The Gong acoustically elevates us, creating a deep spontaneous meditative state that restores harmony and vitality to the mind, body and soul, leaving you feeling tuned, refreshed and at the height of physical and emotional wellbeing.
The Gong Meditation is best experienced lying down on your back or a similar comfortable position. Wear comfortable clothes and bring whatever you need to be relaxed for the meditation - yoga mat, blanket, pillow, water, eye mask, etc.
Yoga Nidra or Yogic sleep” is a type of meditation that can be traced as far back as 1000 B.C. and generally starts with you lying supine on the floor, supported in whatever way you wish - bolsters, blankets, or blocks, etc. Over the course of the class, Hilary Paris will provide a guided meditation, usually starting with an inventory of our physical body and mental states at that moment.
Using our breath, we’ll go through steps to help clear the mind, and then move to focusing our attention on different parts of the body, breath, and thoughts, until we gain the necessary awareness of our bodies and relaxed state of being.
As your body sinks, you will find yourself in a state between wakefulness and sleep. The objective is to remain in this state of not fully asleep but not fully awake. And in this place of deep relaxation, healing, reconstruction, repair, and reorganization can take place at a cellular level.
YIN/Restorative Yoga is a slow-paced style of Yoga as exercise, incorporating principles of traditional Chinese medicine with asana (postures) that are held for longer periods of time than in other styles. Advanced practitioners may stay in one asana for five minutes or more. The sequences of postures are meant to stimulate the channels of the subtle body.
Yin Yoga poses apply moderate stress to the connective tissues of the body—the tendons, fasciae and ligaments - with the aim of increasing circulation in the joints and improving flexibility. A more meditative approach to yoga, its goals are awareness of inner silence, and bringing to light a universal, interconnecting quality.
How Sound Heals is a class discussion on the impact of sacred sound on the human being as seen through the filter of the The Five Yogic Koshas (an ancient Vedic philosophy on the five levels of being - physical, energetic, emotional, wisdom and bliss). This class explores how we can harness the sound for optimal impact and transformation during the Gong Puja.
Intention Setting & Journaling is a class discussion that explores the simple and powerful practice of intention setting as well as offering journaling ideas to help clarify our desires. Gong Meditation is a great way to clear away emotions that no longer serve us, creating fertile ground for the seeds of our intentions.
Breathwork 101 is an insightful workshop on breathwork, the theory behind this ancient practice, its physiological effects, and the numerous benefits it offers. You’ll learn various techniques and have the opportunity to put them into practice, preparing you for a breath set later in the evening before our all-night Gong Puja. Pranayama (breathwork) helps balance the mind and body, putting us into an optimal state to fully absorb the benefits of sacred sound.
Slow Flow Yoga is a gentle Yoga practice that synchronizes breath with movement, cultivating mindfulness and deepening the mind-body connection. This session enhances physical well-being while promoting mental clarity and emotional balance, leaving you feeling calm and revitalized.
All Night Gong Puja Ceremony is a seven hour extended Gong immersion from 10:00pm to 5:00am. In Buddhism, Pujas are expressions of “honor and devotional attention.” A Gong Puja is honoring and allowing space for our being’s ability to heal – physically, emotionally & spiritually. It is the truest form of honoring oneself!
Fifteen tuned planetary Gongs are gently played throughout the night and into early morning hours while guests rest or sleep. The healing vibrations and subtle energies are imbued with intentions of the highest good, promoting a deep sense of peace and well-being. As the mind floats in a state of cosmic consciousness, the body rests on an optimal plane for healing - strengthening the nervous system, balancing the chakras and increasing energy and vitality
Gayatri Mantra/Chant is a universal prayer and that is considered the essence of the four ancient Indian religious texts, the Vedas. Veda means knowledge, and the Gayatri mantra fosters and sharpens our knowledge-yielding faculties.
It is a sacred chant that demonstrates the unity that underlies all creation. It is addressed to the Transcendent Divine and is considered as having three parts - (1) Adoration (2) Meditation and (3) Prayer. First, the Divine is praised, then It is meditated upon in reverence and finally, an appeal is made to the Divine to awaken and strengthen the intellect and discriminating faculty of mankind.
The Gayatri Mantra/Chant is repeated 108 times and lasts 27 minutes
Gayatri Mantra
Om Bhur Bhuvaḥ Suvaha
Tat-savitur Vareñyaṃ
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yonaḥ Prachodayāt
General meaning:
We meditate on that most adored Supreme Lord, the creator, whose Divine light illuminates all realms (physical, mental and spiritual). May this divine light illuminate our intellect.
MORE INFORMATION
About the resort: www.cedarspringswashington.com