We loved it so much we’re doing it again!

Spacious in Spain

Clearing Our Selves and Claiming Our Stories

One Week Retreat for Women

September 14-21, 2013

with Stephanie Bennett Vogt, MA 

and Nancy G. Shapiro, CPC

About the Program

Behind our stress, clutter, and confusion is an infinitely spacious place one might call stillness or joy. This is our natural state of being, yet we hardly know it because we are caught in a web of attachments to things, worries, and outcomes.

Practical and profoundly simple, this week-long retreat is designed to give you a direct experience of spaciousness and powerful clarity by inviting you to call back what is yours, and let go of what is not: to slow down, reflect, release, rebuild, and remember.

Clearing Our Selves

In the first segment you will learn a powerful and practical Personal Clearing technique designed to release patterns and attachments – to things, thoughts, habits, relationships, unfinished projects, painful memories – that get in the way of experiencing your best life. Discover how negative thoughts and emotions affect you and your living spaces, and how clearing others clears you too.

Blaze a pathway to your spacious life by clearing…

• Your self and others;
• Attachments to things, thoughts, people, and outcomes;
• Emotions that negatively affect you and your living spaces;
• Resisting patterns and difficult situations that keep you, your friends, or your clients stuck and unable to move forward;
• Relationships from the past and the present that are unresolved, unsupportive, or painful;
• Possessions that don’t serve you, or don’t feel “quite right”;
• Unfinished projects that need to be completed – or let go of once and for all – to make room for something new;
• Collective issues and environmental disturbances that that affect the wider community and world at large.

This supported journey of “shedding layers by shedding light” is designed to expand your awareness, deepen your sensing abilities, and make room for a more spacious you that we will cultivate when we “rethink our stories.”

Claiming Our Stories

Claiming your stories—the thoughts, tales, beliefs, and habits accumulated over a lifetime—is a conscious, ongoing conversation with all of your interconnected parts. Writing (both prose and poetry), creating a personal piece of intentional art using collage, group sharing, awareness practices, and the curious, willing spirit of beginner’s mind will be used to create a lively, wholehearted conversation, an active engagement with your heart, intellect, body sense, and intuition in order to unleash:

• Insightful knowing that pinpoints what works in your life and what does not;
• Clarity, compassion, and choice birthed from your core wisdom and experiences;
• The freedom of focused, creative actions;
• The ability to be mindfully present;
• Awareness tools, including communication skills and brain-based knowledge;
• The inspiration, joy, and strength within the common threads of your stories.

Nourishment for the Soul

“An unforgettable adventure, bridges crossed & space cleared for our discomforts, joys &  freedom.” - Nancy S.B., California

“Truly an experience of how life should and, now, will forever be…space to live fully. I learned tools for myself, and to share.” -Debbie S., Washington, DC

“A week of friendship, joy, and laughter. All is welcome here…in beautiful surroundings.” -Ilona S., Denmark

“I expanded more than I could have imagined.” -Meghan G., Rhode Island

“Restore, refresh, rejuvenate! Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, I took flight.” -Victoria S.

Facebook users: check out our photo album here

A Mystical Setting

Almàssera Vella is located in the south east of Spain within the ancient village of Relleu, an unspoilt mountain village in the dramatic Marina Baja, one hour from Alicante, Spain. It is a half-hour drive from the ocean at Villajoyosa and 50-minute drive from the Alicante airport. It has an exceptional church and many period buildings. The surrounding valley is mountainous with terraces of almond and olive trees.

“Marisa and Christopher North, an Anglo-Spanish couple, have converted and expanded a long-abandoned olive press into this delightful, roomy, tastefully furnished retreat, where they run regular writing and painting courses. The food, in the main plucked from their fruit trees and vegetable garden, is melt-in-your-mouth fresh.

In the spacious, light-filled communal area, books (more than 3000 of them)  and family photos abound, together with a magnificent old olive press. Outside, the terrace has uninterrupted views of the valley below and the 11th-century castle on the hilltop above, while waters from its tempting pool slop to the orchard and vegetable garden below. From here fresh-picked produce appears on the dining table – and what a table, big as a barn door. Marisa, born and brought up in Alicante, serves wholesome fare, seasoned with herbs that grow in profusion on the balcony.”

–Miles Roddis, Lonely Planet author

There is significant local evidence of Iberian, Roman and Moorish origin and the village has a number of sites of historic interest including the ruins of an 11th century castle, one of the oldest pantanos in Europe and the remarkable cultivation terraces (known locally as ‘bancals’) which ascend up the sierras to incredible heights. There are a number of dramatic mountain walks accessible from the village. The village has a modern pharmacy, a general store, butcher, fishmonger, baker, an internet café, a cashpoint and four bars. It also has a good mobile phone connection.

Retreat Details

When:  Sepetember 14 – 21, 2013

Where: Almàssera Vella Retreat, Relleu, Alicante, Spain

Retreat Cost: $1,495 USD

Cost Includes:

• Spacious in Spain program
• Private room (either in retreat center or located close by).
• Buffet breakfasts, buffet lunches, and 3-course evening meals (vegetarian option available and wine included with lunch and dinner).
• Transportation from and to the Alicante airport on Saturday, September 14th, and on Saturday, September 21st. (Transportation for early arrivals and later departures is extra.)
• Use of retreat center facilities, including loggia, terrace, pool, and grounds, extensive library, work stations, two computers, Wi/fi, copying and printing when necessary (see description of retreat center above).
• All materials for the workshop portions of the retreat (except for a few personal items noted in the “What to Bring” list, emailed with confirmation of registration and payment).

Free Day: Mid-week (on Wednesday) will be a free day, with several sight-seeing options available: a mountain walk with a village paella lunch, a visit to the beach in Villajoyosa, or just a lazy day by the pool. Breakfast only will be served on this day; participants will be responsible for their lunch and evening meals. The retreat center is located in the village of Relleu where there are several dining options.

CE Units: Nancy’s portion of this workshop will count for 15 CE units for licensed MFTs and LCSWs in California. (California Board of Behavioral Sciences, PCE #2704). If you would like these units, please include your type of license, license #, and current mailing address in your registration information.

Travel and Other Details

Participants are responsible for all personal travel arrangements and costs.

Once in Spain (or Europe): Alicante is a very well-serviced international airport. The growth of low-cost airlines means that it is now easy to get a great deal on direct flights to Alicante from London, Madrid, and Barcelona.

Please note: When making flight reservations, be sure to arrive in Alicante, Spain on Saturday, September 14, 2013 at a reasonable hour, as introductions and an overview of the week will happen during dinner. Retreat program will begin Sunday, September 15th, after breakfast.

Details about the free day and what to bring will follow with confirmation of registration and payment.

Registration and Payment

Get Ready

To receive the most benefit from this program we invite you to read:

• Your Spacious Self: Clear the Clutter and Discover Who You Are, by Stephanie Bennett Vogt
• “The Roar of the Lotus: An Invitation,” and “Art of Your Soul” by Nancy G. Shapiro

About the Presenters

Stephanie Bennett Vogt, MA, is the author of the award-winning and re-released Your Spacious Self: Clear the Clutter and Discover Who You Are (Hierophant), and a contributing author of Pearls of Wisdom with Jack Canfield, Marci Shimoff, et. al. and The Thought That Changed My Life Forever. As New England’s leading space clearing expert she brings over thirty-five years of experience to SpaceClear, the teaching and consulting practice she founded in 1996 helping homes and their occupants come into balance. Stephanie teaches her inspirational clearing programs at centers worldwide including Kripalu and the New England School of Feng Shui, and shares her unique perspectives on simplifying, personal reinvention, and letting go as a course contributor at DailyOM and a blogger for the Huffington Post. For a a more detailed Bio, click here, or visit: www.spaceclear.com.

Nancy G. Shapiro, CPC, is a life coach specializing in personal and professional transitions, and the founder of Common Thread Coaching. She is a graduate of Goddard College and the International Coach Academy, and a member of the International Coach Federation. A writer and poet, her work has been published in several magazines & anthologies. Nancy has taught writing/wellness workshops with the Chief Executive Organization in the U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica, Africa, and Bhutan, and currently facilitates private groups in fascinating settings worldwide. She works with clients internationally and at LifePath Retreats in San Miguel de Allende. For more about her work, visit: http://www.nancygshapiro.com.

More Information

• Stephanie Bennett Vogt – info@spaceclear.com – 978-369-3629 (US)
• Nancy G. Shapiro – info@nancygshapiro.com – 760-322-5754 (US)

Facebook users: Check out our photo album here