Spacious in Spain 2012

Spacious in Spain

Clearing Our Selves and Rethinking Our Stories

A One Week Retreat for Women

May 12 – 19, 2012

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.”

Rethinking Our Stories

To rethink our stories—the thoughts, tales, beliefs and habits accumulated over a lifetime—allows us to “be in conscious conversation with all of our interconnected parts.”

This rethinking is a lively conversation; an active engagement with your intellect, your heart-felt sense, and your intuitive “gut” feelings. Through writing, interactive exercises, cutting-edge brain-based tools, and the art of collage you will discover and unleash:

Insights and clarity that pinpoint what works in your life and what does not;
A refreshing freedom of focused action, creativity, curiosity, and compassion;
The ability to integrate past stories and become mindfully present and re-energized;
An ongoing source of support that will sustain you for years to come.

This concluding segment of the retreat will strengthen your newfound spacious self through the alchemy of all we have witnessed and experienced in our week together. The presence of your intentional collage at home will continue to support you in the daily practice of reflection, release, rebuilding, and remembering.

“In no previous workshop have I felt such a sense of collaboration and unity. The experience for me was healing, and at the same time it was fun. An unbeatable combination.”–Polly, Washington

“This was life-changing! –Sarah, US/Canada/Mexico

“I truly had an epiphany–with the newly acquired knowledge of my inner roots that have created what I have now. I will always remember it, and how all were there along with me; the group was truly special.”–Mari José, Mexico

A Magical 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), knick-knacks 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: Arrive Saturday May 12, 2012; departure after breakfast Saturday May 19, 2012

Where: Almàssera Vella Retreat, Relleu, Alicante, Spain

Retreat Cost: $1, 395 USD (does not include airfare)

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 May 12th and May 19th
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 to follow with confirmation of registration and payment)

Free Day: Wednesday, May 16th, 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, make sure you arrive in Alicante, Spain on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at a reasonable hour. Retreat will begin Sunday, May 13th, after breakfast. •

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

Registration and Payment

Click here to complete registration and payment.

Get Ready

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

Your Spacious Self: Clear Your 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 New England’s leading space clearing expert and the author of the award-winning Your Spacious Self: Clear Your Clutter and Discover Who You Are. She brings over 35 years of experience to SpaceClear, the teaching and consulting practice she founded in 1996 helping homes and people 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 columnist for the Huffington Post and as the #1 top-selling course contributor for DailyOM. Stephanie’s second book Pearls of Wisdom with Jack Canfield, Marci Schimoff et. al. comes out in the spring 2012. 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.