The Higher Octave
Raise Your Personal Vibration with a blissful weekend of Movement, Breathwork, Nature and Sound!
Spring Retreat 2024
April 26th-28th
Cedar Springs Lodge
31463 Barben Rd.
Sedro Woolley, WA 98284
** THIS RETREAT IS SOLD OUT - SIGN UP FOR OUR FALL RETREAT HERE **
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
Optional Educational Talk Series
A chance to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones
A few other surprise activities and treats
SCHEDULE (subject to change)
Friday April 26th
4:00pm - 6:00pm Check in, Settle in + Explore and Discover
6:00pm - 7:00pm Welcome Dinner
7:00pm - 8:30pm Opening Circle, Orientation
8:30pm - 10:00pm Yoga Nidra + Gong Meditation
Saturday April 27th
7:00am - 8:30am Breakfast
8:30am - 10:00am YIN/Restorative Yoga + Gong Meditation
10:00am - 12:30pm Open Time, Walking Meditation
12:30pm - 1:30pm Lunch
1:30pm - 4:30pm Open Time, Walking Meditation
4:30pm - 5:30pm Breathwork: Alkaline Breathing
5:30pm - 6:30pm Dinner
6:30pm - 8:00pm Educational Talk: The Power of Intention Setting
8:00pm - 9:00pm Open time
9:00pm - 10:00pm Yoga Nidra + Gong Meditation
10:00pm - 5:00am All night Gong Puja Ceremony (easy exits each hour)
Sunday April 28th
5:15am - 6:00am Gayatri Mantra Chanting
6:00am - 7:30am Breakfast
7:30am - 8:30am Open Time, Walking Meditation
8:30am - 10:00am Slow Flow Yoga + Gong Meditation
10:00am - 11:30am Bringing it All Together Closing Circle & Group Photo
11:30am - 12:00pm Open Time
12:00pm - 1:00pm Lunch
1:00pm - 2:00pm Check Out
Our Yoga and Gong classes will take place in this gorgeous, cozy practice space
ACCOMMODATIONS
INVESTMENT
(prices below include all meals, lodging and classes, but does not include local sales tax)
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 (reserved)
Double occupancy $1400
The Rose Room (reserved)
Single occupancy - $1099The Sunflower Room (reserved)
Double occupancy - $1699The Honey Room (reserved)
Double occupancy - $1699The Lavender Room (reserved)
Double occupancy - $1599The Pond Room (reserved)
Double occupancy - $1499The Eagle Room (reserved)
Double occupancy - $1399The Sparrow Room (reserved)
Single occupancy - $699The Dorm (reserved)
4 twin beds ($650 per bed)VitC Room (Owl) (reserved)
2 twin beds ($650 per bed)
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 March 21st, 2024.
Cancellation Policy:
Cancel before March 1, 2024: Full refund
Cancel after March 1, 2024: Refund minus $300 deposit
Cancel between April 1 and April 14, 2024: Refund minus $300 deposit and 50% of any amount paid over and above the deposit
Cancel after April 15, 2024: Refund minus $300 deposit and 80% of any amount paid over and above the deposit.
MEALS
Catered, buffet style, plant based and locally grown. Coffee, tea and fruit throughout.
Friday Welcome Dinner - vegetable lentil (or wild rice) stew, French bread
Saturday Breakfast - egg/potato/vegetable frittata, bagels + cream cheese, fruit
Saturday Lunch - sandwich and salad bar, egg salad, garbanzo bean salad, cheese sandwich options
Saturday Dinner - baked potatoes with lots of toppings, kale salad
Sunday Breakfast - oatmeal with baked apples, toast/bagels, hard boiled eggs
Sunday Lunch - vegetable lasagna, salad, garlic bread
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.
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS
Wayne Marto & Hilary Paris are bringing together their shared love of the outdoors, the healing forces of movement, breath and sound and the blessing of community.
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.
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