Interbeing 08: Woodland Creatures Conference

Full Camping Weekend: Friday – Sunday, September 20-22, 2024
Day Passes Available: Saturday, September 21
Ages 18+

@ Silvae Spiritus Northwoods Nature Retreat
68441 Rhine Lake Rd Finlayson, MN 55735

Program:

Welcome to Interbeing 08: the woodland creatures conference, a personally engaging and special weekend curated by a group of multidisciplinary friends to help awaken and enliven our bodies, engage our minds, relax and rejuvenate our spirits, and spark artistic fun and flow—all in partnership with Nature. Centered around community and supported by a host of wellness modalities, every participant is valued and encouraged to explore the intersection of nature, creativity, wisdom, embodiment, reflection, and joy. Unlike traditional lecture-based gatherings, this is an interactive experience, fostering collective participation and shared growth.

Explore 30 acres of wild and tended forests, meadows, ephemeral ponds, with walking trails throughout as you camp for the weekend. We provide morning and evening meals, and guests are encouraged to bring their own food to share or enjoy at their leisure. Embrace nature’s beauty and nourish your soul in this inclusive and serene environment with abundant wildlife and expansive skies.

Interbeing 08 offers you a unique opportunity to recharge, explore, learn, play, and immerse yourself in the harmonious entwining of sound, movement, reflection, and nature. As you connect with like-minded souls, you’ll find yourself elevated in mind, body, and spirit, leaving with newfound energy and a sense of wholeness.

We take deep pride in the feedback from our past attendees, who have described Interbeing events as “life-changing.” This testimonial is our greatest honor, inspiring us to mindfully curate an experience that allows the spaciousness for authentic resonance, touching hearts and transforming lives.

Join us at Interbeing 08, where community, wellness, and interconnectedness await. 

Presentations:

Cold Plunge
Hosted by Nick Fox

Embrace the energizing benefits of the cold with a guided ice bath with Nick Fox, certified Wim Hof Instructor. Nick will teach you the techniques to breathe and stay focused through a two minute ice bath. He will also demonstrate natural warm up practices so that you can enjoy the power of being a mammal and heating up from the inside. Lastly, he will explain what is happening in the body during cold exposure, and discuss the known benefits.

Community Art + Ethical Foraging
Hosted by Leigha Horton

Over the course of the weekend, participants are invited to contribute to a community ephemeral art piece – one that will serve as a mindful and bodyful exploration of, and interplay with, natural materials, colors, shapes, and patterns to create impermanent art infused with personal resonance and generous intention.  

The Friday evening session will be an introduction to the art piece “skeleton,” and I will offer a framework in which we can respectfully engage and interact with the work as it emerges over our three days together. Additionally, we will discuss Ethical Foraging, as outlined by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer – botanist, poet, and acclaimed author of the seminal work, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants – so that participants can forage respectfully from the Silvae Spiritus land from a place of relation rather than extraction.

Coloring Meditation
Hosted by Kate Shannon

When we color, we’re invited to engage in the art of this practice for its own intrinsic value—because it brings us joy, calm, some respite, peace/quiet, or delight, because it reminds us of how fun it was to color as as a kid or of how stinky Sharpies are.  

And if you need more reason than that: among other things, coloring can help reduce anxiety and stress, can relax the brain, improve sleep, induce a meditative state, and create a positive state of mind. One study found that coloring therapy can help reduce self-perceived anxiety in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (PubMedID: PMC9773305). Coloring can improve fine motor skills and hand strength, which can lead to improved writing skills and endurance (think: for journaling and the writing of long, juicy love-letters!) coloring can help improve cognitive functioning and memory and may even help prevent cognitive decline in adults with dementia. 

All participants will be given a coloring journal and will be provided with ideas + supplies. Beauty, creativity, markers… let’s go!!

Forest Bathing
Hosted by Leigha Horton

Forest Bathing is a slow-moving, deeply sensory, mindful and bodyful walk in Nature that has shown to result in measurable physiological, cognitive, and emotional benefits – most importantly, a reconnection to Nature in concert with our inner nature.  This late-morning / early-afternoon session will directly follow brunch, and be guided along the trails through the 30 acres of woods and meadows and past the ephemeral ponds of Silvae Spiritus. We find that rain heightens the senses and can make for truly magical experiences, and therefore the walk will take place outdoors rain or shine.

Warm Up
Hosted by Marne

Paired with Cold Plunge, this Warm Up is a functional body-movement exploration crafted specifically to enliven our inner fire, warming our bodies naturally from within. Incorporating elements of Qi gong and shaking, this somatic exercise will get our blood flowing and ground us in personal fortitude and presence.

Meditative Sound Immersion
Hosted by Dendrotic

An exploration of the resonance between your inner nature and the natural world, between mental and physical wellbeing, and between personal and collective growth.  Sound Immersion sessions at Silvae Spiritus offer an opportunity to travel freely through our ever shifting emotional and mental landscape, creating communal space in which serene audio and meditative instrumentation gently guide us toward a restorative state of deep simplicity and true relaxation. This invitation to temporarily decenter from the overactive chatter and ego narratives which drive our day-to-day functioning can allow our inner voices to speak with greater clarity.  Released from distraction, we are beckoned back into relationship with the present moment, luxuriating in the river of time as it flows around us.  Untethered from anxiety, our mental and physical systems come back into equilibrium and are able to function at their peak potential.  This is the core concept that motivates my approach to “sound healing” – if there is healing to be had it will emanate from your own personal strength – your intuition and intention coupled with your body’s innate ability to reach for the balance it needs.  Concurrently, if there is to be “magic”, it will be conjured in a manner of co-creation, as opposed to any special variable that I alone might bring to the equation.  Rather, it is together that we have the honor and delight of letting the process unfold around us, bathing in the medicine of frequency and vibration while undertaking a journey of introspection and connection.

Drawing on my history of live electronic music performance while interweaving the acoustic energy generation of melodic drums, crystal singing bowls, chimes, bells, and percussion I’ll be seeking a holistic nourishment of body + mind + heart, one that can replenish the core vitality we all hold as humans.  My hope will be for participants to leave enlivened with the physiological refreshment and psychological focus that can serve as a foundation for engaging deeply with the more beautiful and limitless world that awaits us…

What to bring: any pillows or blankets you’d like to help find your cozy place; an open mind + a compassionate heart + curious ears

Morning Pages Session
Hosted by Kate Shannon

Morning pages are a stream-of-consciousness journaling habit done first thing every morning on a daily basis. The idea is to wake up, open your morning journal, and write three pages—longhand—of any thoughts that come out of your head. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, created this approach to journaling as a way for people to unleash their creativity. 

Writing in a journal is an act of self-expression that is done periodically to record feelings and inspire ideas. Morning pages serve a deeper purpose. This type of journaling is a cathartic, ritualistic writing process that clears your mind, builds confidence, and creates a path for greater creativity. The practice draws on principles of free association, allowing thoughts to surface and be released onto the page. It helps break through creative blocks, quiets the inner critic, and fosters self-discovery by delving into subconscious thoughts and patterns. 

Every participant will receive a beautiful, substantial, unlined journal + pen (or of course feel free to bring your own). We’ll have one hour to write: three, long-hand, stream-of-consciousness pages. Journaling prompts will be provided, noting that there is no wrong way to do Morning Pages—they aren’t high art. They aren’t even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind—and they are for your eyes only.

Solfeggio Frequencies
Hosted by Ryan Miller

Ryan will create a live performance consisting of a meditative drone journey through a range of Solfeggio frequencies. 

Solfeggio frequencies are a set of musical tones believed to have profound effects on the human body and mind. Advocates of Solfeggio frequencies claim that each specific frequency corresponds to a different aspect of human consciousness and can bring about various therapeutic benefits. Listening to these tones can result in numerous positive effects, such as reducing stress, improving sleep, enhancing focus, and even supporting spiritual growth. 

While scientific evidence on the direct effects of Solfeggio frequencies remains limited, many people report experiencing subjective benefits from listening to this music, finding it a helpful tool for relaxation, meditation, and overall mental and emotional well-being.

Wim Hof Method
Hosted by Nick Fox

Nick Fox, Minnesota’s first certified Wim Hof Instructor, will teach and guide four rounds of the famous Wim Hof Method (WHM) breathwork. This breathwork is a combination of deep circular breathing followed by relaxed breatholds. Participants will have an opportunity to visit another level of consciousness and observe the autonomic systems of the inner body. It’s also an opportunity to process emotions in a safe environment. The WHM breathwork is an excellent practice to balance your nervous system and set up a positive breathing pattern for the day.

Wood-fired Sauna + Cold Plunge + Wood-fired Hot Tub + Bonfire
Hosted by Leigha Horton and Travis Norman

Hot. Cold. Rest. Rehydrate. Repeat.

Thermic Bathing Cultures can be found around the world and throughout history. Finnish Sauna, Korean Jimjilbang, Native American Sweat Lodges, Mexican Temezcal, Turkish Hammam, Icelandic Spa, Japanese Sento, and Russian Banya all have one thing in common: people coming together in community to experience the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing that can occur with exposure to intense heat and steam. 

Our clean, modern wood-fired sauna nestled in the woods and designed to be harmonious with the landscape features high-quality heat from an elegant wood-fired stove surrounded by heavy stones, fresh air ventilation, natural steam, and large windows with 360-degree forest views to bring you into closer connection with nature. The exterior features a cold water bucket-shower and two cold plunge tubs, a Goodland wood-fired hot tub, as well as outdoor seating with a Solo Stove fire pit for those looking to join the community but stay temperate.

An antidote to the pace and distraction of modern life, this restorative session is an opportunity to refresh and revitalize while reconnecting us with ourselves, each other, and our living world.

Women, Wolves & Change 
A Community Conversation

If you were born a woman or know one, then it’s likely that, sooner or later, you will be affected by the power and complexities of menopause. Led by several of our community participants, we will have an open and sharing conversation about all things to support health, books/studies, resource-gathering, story, laughter, experience, and support for women who run with the wolves. 

Woodland Dance Party Under the Stars
Hosted by Dendrotic

Out past Cricket Circle, past The Orchard, past the Hidden Stream, on the far side of the Far Meadow’s Nursery lies the bushcraft-style Woodland DJ Booth.  There, sound sculptor & musical explorer, Dendrotic, will entwine danceable beats with the abundant nature surrounding us. Bonfires and fire torches will light our surroundings, and the starry sky will arc high above. Come as you are, move how you like.

Yoga
Hosted by Julia Andrighetti

SATURDAY
Earth Embodied Yoga- This 60-minute flowing hatha class will honor our connection to our natural world as we embrace ourselves as nature. We will move, breathe, flow, and rest, tuning into the subtleties of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air within, building on these energies to carry into the day. This holistic practice will incorporate breath (pranayama), poses (asana), and visualization to help you drop into a state of moving meditation balancing effort and ease.

SUNDAY
As we wind down our retreat, this slow flow class will move us towards integrating our time together as we tap into the element of Ether. Building on our previous day’s session, we’ll weave in mudra, mantra, community poses, and guided meditation. This 60-minute session will fortify our bonds to the weekend, the earth, the cosmos, each other, and the wisdom within.

Retreat Agenda:

Friday:

2:30 pm – Guests arrive; set up campsites prior to event start

5:00 – 5:45 pm  – Opening Circle – Welcome + Orientation (The Lounge)

5:45 – 6:30 pm  – Community Art + Ethical Foraging (Outdoors)

6:30 – 8:00 pm – Dinner – grilling (Patio)

8:00 – 11:00 pm – Wood-fired Sauna + Cold Plunge + Wood-fired Hot Tub + Bonfire (Thermic Oasis)

Saturday:

7:30 – 8:45 am – Morning Pages (Lounge) 

9 – 9:45 am – Yoga (Outdoor or Lounge)

10 – 11:00 am – Brunch (Guesthouse)

11:30 am – 1:00 pm – Forest Bathing (Outdoors)

1:15 – 2:45 pm – Cold Plunge (Thermic Oasis)

3:00 pm – 3:45 pm – Warm Up (Lounge) 

4:00 – 5:00 pm – Solfeggio Frequencies (Lounge) 

5:15 – 6:15 pm – A Community Conversation (Lounge) 

6:30 – 8:00 pm – Dinner – taco bar (Guesthouse) 

8:30 pm – midnight – Dance Party with Dendrotic (Woodland DJ booth)

Sunday:  

7:00 – 8:30 am – Coloring Meditation (Outdoor or Lounge)

8:45 – 9:45 am – Wim Hof Method (Cricket Circle)

10:00 – 11:00 am – Brunch (Guesthouse)

11:30 – 12:30 pm – Sound Bathing (Lounge)

12:45 – 1:45 pm – Yoga (Outdoor or Lounge)

2:00 – 3:00 pm – Closing Circle

3:00 pm – Event Close

Facilitators:

Julia Andrighetti

Julia is a passionate facilitator of Yoga as moving meditation and somatic empowerment. Her background in dance imparts her classes with creativity and empowers authentic expression. Her depth of knowledge in yoga, energy work, and healing modalities guide her inner compass as she teaches yoga that inspires freedom, wholeness, and connection to oneself, nature, and the mystery that unites us all. Her goal as a yoga teacher is to compassionately walk alongside you in your practice, holding a brave container for your journey “through the self- to the self.”
As a nature lover, she spends time outside when she can- backpacking, hiking, playing among
the trees, or by water. In her spare time, you might catch her at the gym, making macrame
jewelry, or traveling this wild and beautiful world.
Instagram.com/julia.journeying

Dendrotic

AKA Travis Norman, is a co-founder of Silvae Spiritus, as well as a musician, DJ, and sound explorer committed to staying ever curious. Passionate about helping others deepen their relationship with our living world, Travis is a certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide & purveyor of ways in which vibration, frequency, and resonance shape our shared reality and can help welcome us into the home we call the present moment. Whether letting loose on a dancefloor or relaxing in a sound immersion, he hopes you’ll join in on this journey of rewilding, reconnecting, and remembering.

🔊 Click here for original music releases or here for DJ mixes || instagram.com/dendrotic

Nick Fox

Nick Fox is Minnesota’s first Wim Hof Method (WHM) Instructor. He’s traveled twice to the WHM training grounds in Poland to earn certifications after years of individual practice. Since 2021, he’s been teaching Fundamental and Advanced WHM workshops across the midwest. He also coaches athletes in Oxygen Advantage breathwork, teaches Winter Dipping classes at the American Swedish Institute, and runs a portable sauna in Minneapolis. 

Before all this, Nick taught Philosophy, History, and Art at both the high school and college level for ten years. He is also Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserves and spends his summers training cadets at the Military Academy in New York. When he’s not playing Army, he’s reading and writing short stories, and drawing with his young children. Teaching people deep conscious  breathing and cold exposure techniques is his new adventure, and he looks forward to helping you explore your inner strengths.

Leigha Horton

Silvae Spiritus co-founder, ANFT-Certified Forest Therapy Guide since 2018, Certified Morning Altars Teacher™, and a communicator by training and by trade, Leigha has spent over 24 years as a professional voiceover, screen, and stage actor – voicing and producing national television and radio commercials, museum exhibits, documentaries, video games, training films, educational games, animation, and audio books – and has contributed to several medical research grants by conceiving, facilitating, and producing audio-guided Forest Bathing walks for study participants. With nearly 15 years additional experience in the museum field – developing and delivering programming about science, history, and arts to tens of thousands of visitors at the Walker Art Center, The Science Museum of Minnesota, and the Minnesota History Center, Leigha now continues her passion for guiding and teaching through inquiry via nature-connected modalities – Forest Bathing, Morning Altars, and Woodland Sauna, on behalf of Silvae Spiritus – co-created with her husband, Travis Norman, in 2018.   

Ryan Miller

American-born artist Ryan Miller is a prolific electronic music artist, producer and live performer, releasing work under a variety of aliases (Tunnel, Darkcloud, FWD//, +) for record labels devoted to experimental music, industrial techno and genre-fluid bass music. He has released on labels such as Aether Sound, Instruments of Discipline, The Brvtalist, Gegen Records, House of Reptile, Omen, Depth Request, FWDSLASH, and his own imprint, Webuildmachines. His latest ambient release, Dronethera, can be found on Aether Sound here: https://aethersound.bandcamp.com/album/dronethera

Kate Shannon 

Lover of color, art, the ocean, the desert, and soft things. Cruelty intolerant. Mother, writer, Black Belt in Shorin Ryu. Working to change our national grief paradigm. University of Minnesota B.A. in Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature. Indiana University M.A. in Philanthropic Studies. Jane Addams-Andrew Carnegie Fellow. Tiny Home on Wheels builder (320 ft2). Founder of Blue Dream Books, LLC. Author of 17x award-winning book: Hey, Baby, Look! Six-year board member and Chair of the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance. Three-time Co-Chair of the Indianapolis Philanthropy Symposium. Veterans’ advocate. Eighteen-year wealth manager + financial advisor. Other hobbies, interests, and passions include: systems-change philanthropy, reading brain research, being on and near water, intactivism, tango, travel, design, yoga, painting, circle sweaters, sunrise, music, elevating consciousness, the meaningful exploration of existential purpose, the thoughtful navigation of “this one, wild and precious life,” and sharing these values + inspirations with others through conversation and curated events… like this! 

Marne Skusa

Marne has been practicing holistic medicine since her youth. Her interest in herbs and natural ways of healing led her to massage therapy 22 years ago. From there Marne has acquired several certificates including Thai Massage, Ashiatsu Massage, Yoga Teacher Training, and hundreds of hours spent in self-healing and self-teaching. Her path as a healer has only just begun as she finishes up her education in leading Akashic Ceremonies. Marne is passionate about connecting the dots between science + spirituality. Guided by her connection to the Cosmos and Mother Earth, Marne uses somatic movement and light language to integrate light codes into this 3D timeline. When not deep diving in the quantum realms Marne enjoys spending time (preferably in nature) with her teenager and two beloved four-legged friends. She enjoys moving her body through Qi gong, dancing, yoga, hiking, biking, swimming, etc. while also enjoying reading, writing, eating, and being overall merry. 

Additional Considerations:

• Arrival: When you arrive (event opens at 2:30 pm on Friday) you’ll be greeted and have a chance to choose a campsite and get settled in.
  
• Amenities: You will have 24 hour access to “The Lounge” which includes an indoor restroom, plenty of power outlets you may charge things in, and a hot tea + coffee preparation station. 
  
• Comfort + Safety: Please bring a flashlight for navigating at night, and clothing to accommodate all types of weather.
  
• Food: We will be providing dinners on Friday & Saturday as well as brunch on Sunday; vegetarian options will be on the menu (please inform us if you have any allergies or other considerations); please bring your own mid-day snacks and lunches. Any treats and beverages you’d like to share with the group are very much welcome.
  
• Trash + Recycling: Please plan to pack out any trash & recycling as you would at a state campground.
  
• Prepare: We will be relaxing together in the sauna, cold plunge tubs, and wood-fired hot tub; please bring a swimsuit, flip flops or other easy on/off sandals, and towel. Forest Bathing and Earth Art Medicine Practice will take place outdoors, rain or shine – and the weather is often quickly changeable – dress accordingly for comfort.
  
• Cell Service: Verizon cell service here is excellent; other providers sometimes have a weak signal. Limited Wi-Fi available, but subject to event usage load.

Registration:

All are welcome (ages 18+), registration required no less than 24 hours prior to event start.

Full weekend + camping passes – $349 per person
Saturday-only day passes – $199 per person

Discounted tickets available for Early Birds! Register by August 9, 2024 and use promo code “EARLYBIRD” for $70 off your ticket!

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ABOUT INTERBEING EVENTS AT SILVAE SPIRITUS

We focus on the wisdom at the center of the circle:

At Silvae Spiritus, we embrace a philosophy of personal awakening and development within a context of “progress, not perfection” – an attempt to meet people wherever they are on their journey, and an acknowledgement that each step along that path is necessary and can be offered spaciousness.

Our Interbeing Events give participants an opportunity to slow down, shift from your everyday routine, and re-focus your attention toward yourself in relation to community. In contrast to the vast majority of wellness events, ours are a more interactive experience: rather than solely absorbing what we and our guest facilitators offer, participants are invited to contribute their own insights and unique gifts, thereby co-creating a more richly nuanced and memorable experience for everyone.

One of our foundational beliefs is that when we come together to immerse ourselves in shared authenticity, a deep wisdom may be accessed; one which emanates not from any particular individual, but arises from the center of the circle: the point of intersection which joins each perspective and coalesces into something greater than, and more true than, any individual would be capable of on our own. We don’t come with any answers or prescriptions for how to best navigate these complicated times, but we are honored to hold space for the conversation to unfold.

We believe effective ecology starts with love:

One of the most simple and accurate definitions of the word “love” is the expansion of self to include another. Within the context of deep ecology, the term “ecological self” describes how a natural maturation of the human is toward ever-widening fields of relevance and caring, as your self-interest expands from being just what affects you (constrained by long embedded notions of yourself as a discrete and isolated entity) to encompass your family or community or country, to eventually include what happens to Earth.

People protect what they love.

The levels of energy, buoyancy, optimism, and compassion available to a person actively enraptured in the process of falling in love are unequaled in the vast scope of human experience. This abundance is just what we will need to meet the challenges ahead. Join us at an Interbeing Event as we remember how to fall in love with Earth.

We encourage nourishment for body + mind:

All Interbeing Events at Silvae Spiritus include Nature as an active participant, not just a setting. Whether Forest Bathing, thermic cycling through the practice of Sauna + Cold Plunge, Star-gazing, Bonfire-sitting, or immersing in an ambient sound exploration, we believe an embodied interaction with the community of flora and fauna are what supports full, grounded wellness.

What to expect when you arrive at an Interbeing Event:

Whether you’re new to the practices and modalities on offer, or an experienced enthusiast, and whether the totality of your experience with nature is a houseplant or you’re a lifelong wilderness backpacker, we believe that nature is for everyone and all are welcome here.

Upon arrival you will be greeted, checked-in, and given an agenda and an overview of the land and available facilities. Coffee, tea, water, and healthy snacks are always provided.

We’ll fully communicate with you to ensure you arrive prepared and have anything you might need to comfortably participate.

Questions? Contact us anytime.

“In ecology, we understand that the wellbeing of one is inseparable from the wellbeing of all… In the story of Interbeing, life is a gift. The world and everything in it is a gift.” 

— Charles Eisenstein