THE GIVING CYPRESS
Rewilding Nature Retreat
Immerse yourself in Nature and learn from Deaf/Deaf-friendly holistic practitioners and Nature Therapy guides at our Nature Retreats. Discover collectivist wisdom, practical skills, inspiring stories, and powerful spiritual offerings.
Immerse & rewild yourself in nature with like-minded souls:
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Forest & Nature Therapy Walks:
Walk through healing forest paths, learn about Nature Connection through a Deaf Forest guide​
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Flower Essence & Plant Medicine:
Connect with the earth through plant wisdom and learn about flower essence with a Deaf Clinical Herbalist
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Nutritional Meals:
Learn about and feast on healthy meals to nourish your body & become more conscious about what you consume, led by Deaf health-conscious chefs
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Dancing and Drumming:
Gather around the fire circle and unleash your inner wild, move and dance to rhythm of drums
What's Included: Activities and Guided Sessions​
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Teachings, workshops, experiences, and conversations on topics including Forest Bathing, Plant Medicine, Outdoor Survival, and Mindfulness.
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4 days of nutritious plant-forward meals prepared by health-conscious chefs.
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Nourishing tea prepared by certified Deaf Clinical Herbalist, Michelle Mansfield-Hom.
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Access to multiple trails in a rustic nature setting nearby a state park.
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Lodging and accomodations in cabins complete with hot tub, sauna, nature trails, and plenty of places to be at one with Nature.
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Note: Transportation to/from retreat site is not included. Our planning team will introduce all registered participants who would like to coordinate and share in the cost for transportation. Optional sessions during the built-in down time during this program may be an additional cost (e.g., customized flower essence consultations).
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Who is leading the Retreat?
Our Team of Deaf guides & instructors ​
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Summer Crider- certified Nature & Forest Therapy guide
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Michelle Mansfield-Hom- certified Clinical Herbalist
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Yoga/Movement teacher
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Drumming/Dancing teacher
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Energy/somatic therapy teacher
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Where is the Retreat taking place?
Lost River Vacations- a tiny house retreat center built by the deaf community
​​🪶✨🌲Lost River Vacations resides on land that includes ancestral territories of the Shawnee, Lenape, the Cherokee, the Haudenosaunee including the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), and many other Indigenous peoples.✨ The Giving Cypress recognizes the land of indigenous people many of whom lost their lives to genocide and were forced to leave their land. Partaking in this retreat we will pay our respects and acknowledge the history and peoples of the land.
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Check out their website https://lostrivervacations.com/​
Sponsor Our Retreats
At our core, we believe nature's healing embrace should be accessible to everyone, regardless of financial background. We understand financial challenges might exist for many reasons and we deeply respect each individual’s journey.
We seek to be transparent about our pricing. Part of our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging (DEIAB) involves paying our retreat team fairly, as many of us are working professionals in the holistic & outdoor-related field who would be giving up income to support this retreat. #SupportDeafEcosystem
This financial assistance provided to the participants is made possible by our sponsors. If you would like to sponsor one of our retreats or a person in need of financial support, please visit this page for more info on the various sponsorship options available.
Remember, every contribution, big or small, helps us fulfill our mission of making well-being accessible to all, while ensuring fair compensation for our diverse & skilled team and also supporting future retreat planning.
Join us on this journey to connect with Nature, together.
Scholarships
We strive to make our retreats accessible for those with finanical challenges. We are working diligently (through GoFundMe, letters to sponsors, etc) to make funding possible. Meanwhile, please seek other resources- organizations, donors, or businesses to sponsor you. If you have any questions, you can contact us!