A Virtual Retreat

Join me for an embodied journey of taking off the incessant Need to “do more,” in order to harness and create honest self-expression and rooted action

Since the quarantine began, I have seen a huge influx of shame around what to DO.

Every morning, I log onto instagram and see 20 LIVE videos of people leading yoga or dance classes, and other free or donation-based services. And while this is INCREDIBLE - it is certainly a testament to our community and how willing we are to share what we have to offer - it is also a page out of the book, “do more = be better.” And in this strange time where we are not only dealing with a looming and constantly changing threat of illness and death, but we are also starting to see all of our human-made systems collapsing, doing more…doesn’t really make sense. Doing more in what way? For who? By when? With what goal? And what does that goal mean right now? And what will it lead to in the future?

Without the predictable structure of job reliance, friend and family outtings, even going out on dates or maintaining romantic relationships within some sort of framework of how you see each other….who are we? And if we don’t have footing in who we are without those things to lean on…then what are we actually doing?

Almost every single person I’ve spoken to since lockdown first began, has said something along the lines of, “I feel like I should be doing this or this or this, and I just can’t seem to do any of it, and then I really hate myself for it.”

Yes.

Your system (mind and body) is processing a huge physical threat, financial threat, loved-one threat, and the destruction of so many things you’ve previously known. Phew. So doing all the things you previously did…might not make sense. Or taking this time to learn the skill you’ve always wanted to learn…might not be relevant right now. Or training in your current profession day after day…may not mean what it did before.

Perhaps, instead, this time is for us to pause doing.

For us to heal.

I don’t know about you but I’ve noticed that without all the constant interaction with people, and having to be “on” for someone or something else…my thoughts have been different. I have uncovered pieces of myself to heal, and I have discovered new pathways of clarity and connecting to my truth. Boundaries have been easier. Connecting to my body has been easier. Finding pleasure and really enjoying the moment has been easier. Crying or being angry or being with whatever emotion is present has been easier. And then totally processing it and letting it go has been easier.

And honestly, I don’t think ANY of that would have been possible had I been “doing” for the sake of doing more, and being better.

Now’s the time to redefine that. Internally, and externally.

This retreat is a reset. It’s an opportunity to drop in to this moment in time. To hold and process some of the BIGness that is going on in our world. To move through some of the stickiness and fear that you hold. To start to really train your body to understand how to feel safe, and capable in this time. And to start to CREATE your desires for your life and our future from a place of alignment, safety, and trust.

Then perhaps, we can DO from a place of goodness, from a place of being capable and WHOLE, rather than simply trying to keep up. In fact, perhaps this time is a strange gift, in that there is ACTUALLY NOTHING to keep up with.

the journey is May 8-10

Enroll Now

This is for you if …

you are feeling guilty about not doing enough, or don’t know what to do right now
you are needing a break from care-taking or working
you get overwhelmed with the state of the world and want support in processing it
you are feeling lots of emotion, and are not sure how to regulate it
you miss taking yoga classes in community, talking to people at coffee shops, or just generally interacting with other humans
you are struggling to stay motivated or to find purpose (during this time, or in general)
you are already connected to your body and want more embodiment and movement, especially right now
you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, or have trouble slowing down at night
you are generally a “planner” and are feeling anxious about what’s coming
you are prone to loneliness and are feeling low, alone, or depressed
you are having trouble setting boundaries with roommates, loved ones, family members
you are wanting to create or be in action with what you LOVE doing, but keep getting stuck

I'm in

The Details:

What:

2 Day, 1 Night Virtual “retreat”

Yoga, Embodiment Practices, Discussion, Personal Connection

when:

May 8-10

Friday 7-10 pm PST

Saturday + Sunday 1-7 pm PST

where:

Home sweet home (and ZOOM)

Who:

Women-identifying

why:

To connect deeply to yourself in the midst of all this instability.

To create direction towards being in action in a way that is authentic and aligned.

To build a pattern of being able to trust yourself to work through what comes up for you as we continue to navigate this strange territory.

To break up the repetition of the quarantine life, and have new experiences with new people in a safe, supportive way.

To supercharge your connection to your body, and learn how to take that with you wherever you go (or wherever you stay :-P.)

To dig into your truth so you can expand your capacity to handle this current challenge, and anything that comes your way.

To process the depth of what’s going on so you can come out intact.

To share this moment with others: to be seen and see others in truth, rather than through social media goggles.

Investment

Choose What You Pay:

Because of the volatility of this time, I have decided to give you the choice of what you pay. I believe connecting to ourselves in a group setting like this is so important for our ability to be OK right now, that I want to make it accessible to anyone who needs it. That said, I ask that you practice checking in with yourself, and pay what is honestly right for you.

In addition to the weekend experience, you may choose to sign up for a single 1-on-1 session with Jessie to hone in on what you’re navigating. Priced at $75, you may add this to your purchase at any time.

See below for all pricing options.

take it off: $225

Still priced well-below any previous Take It Off retreat, this mid-range option allows more women to participate and contribute to the community during this time.

take it off lite: $125

Whether you’ve been financially affected by COVID-19, or you simply do not have funds to spend, I get it. This lite option allows you to be supported by our community, while still contributing to the economy in a productive way.

take it off super: $325

Gift this retreat to yourself and another Take It Off community member. This option allows me to offer discounted rates to those who may be financially struggling at this time. Thank you for your generosity and support.

*Scholarships may be available to select individuals. Inquire for more information.

Join the experience

How does it work?

I hear from my clients and students over and over again that they get “un-stuck” SO MUCH faster working with me than in YEARS of therapy. Most of my client packages are 3 months long, and my yoga retreats are just a long weekend.

How could this be so? Why does transformation happen so quickly?

Well, it’s not because I’m a wizard (although…I might be…) or because there’s some magic pill in my work. It’s simply because of the embodiment piece. We can analyze ALL DAY LONG with our minds, but our bodies make up about 80% of what’s happening in our existence, much of that without consciousness. Much of that is ALWAYS going to rule over what our minds are saying and dissecting. So if we can learn how to communicate with and feel our bodies effectively, the continual conflict starts to release.

So this weekend is about a lot of things: it’s about connection, community, deep nourishment, resting, sharing, feeling, processing, healing, creating…

But really - what “works” about it?

What is going to have you feel a SHIFT is that after one weekend of these practices, your body learns them. And it knows (probably better than your brain) how to apply them as you move on in your life. By doing this, together, we create a SUPER charged mind-body connection, that will be your resource as you go back into the regular quarantine living. And even as we start to enter into the external world again.

You’ll start to see and FEEL that this resource is in you…always. And you’ll be able to call on it.

THAT’S why this is big work.

Because it’s IN YOU.

Here’s the schedule.

What’s Included:

Our daily “retreat” activities will be done together, LIVE on zoom.

We will move throughout our respective homes, separate but together, moving our bodies, discussing, and doing practices in a way that creates a beautiful shared experience.

We will be together for 15 hours of sweetness (breaks will be had!).

You will receive guided recordings for you to continue to practice what we do together, on your own.

This a great opportunity to build upon the nourishing resource we create during this weekend, and bring the yumminess of the retreat into your everyday.

I know we all have been deprived of getting to interact with new people in new ways. While we can’t be together in person just yet, we can share new experiences together, and open up new channels of connection.

The community bond is an important aspect to this journey. You will have time to meet people 1-on-1 or in small groups, and connect in a more personal way.

One of the beautiful things about this journey, is that you get to cultivate this goodness in your own space. So we are not only sharing one special weekend, but we are building a resource for you in your home.

Who am I?

Over the last 3 years I have been offering Take It Off Yoga Retreats in California. We have traveled to various different beautiful locations, embarking on a delicious yoga retreat filled with self-development work, nude photoshoots in nature, and lots of self and communal love.

A few months ago, I put a pause on my retreats. I’ve been focusing my energy on 1-on-1 coaching, and allowing myself the space to see what I arises.

Well of course, a month into quarantine and I realized…OH! It’s time for a retreat :).

This retreat is certainly quite different than our usual. No nude photoshoots. No nature. No airbnb. No hugs.

But, I think it is equally, if not MORE, important at this time that we create ways to connect and be with each other. In addition, I have some really useful tools that I have been using in my day-to-day quarantine life over the last month and a half, and if I didn’t have them…I honestly don’t know how I’d be feeling. That’s not true. I do know - I’d be pretty depressed.

With these tools, I’ve been able to regulate my mind, my heart, and my body. And I want to share this with you, because what I’ve heard time and time again, is that it is so challenging to get through the day. Whether that means the to-dos and navigating other people in the house is overwhelming, or the nothingness of the day feels empty and lonesome - I feel you. I know it, intimately.

When I was first brainstorming this retreat, I told a friend, “I just want to do the yummy things I do everyday…but with friends!” Her reply was, “that is so sweet!” And that is truly my intention here. To integrate this feel-good, body-listening, heart-feeling work into your life in a way that is safe, and almost easy and effortless.

I believe that we can use this time to deeply heal. To get more embodied. To hear ourselves and others more fully. To question the structures that keep us going and going. To unravel the patterns that keep us hooked in self-sabotage and hurt.

And I want to be here to support you in that.

In addition to leading yoga retreats since 2017, I have been teaching yoga for 7 years, running yoga teacher training programs for about 5 years, and most recently, doing 1-on-1 emotional embodiment coaching. I have been actively training in understanding the nervous system, and how that relates to our healing and our connection with ourselves. I am a first year Somatic Experiencing student (trauma healing), and always learning more.

But mostly, I am a sensitive, emotional, goodie-goodie type of woman, and I want to serve you in your journey of feeling whole and loved, while I am learning to to do the same.