Saundaryam
HEALING RITUALS & DANCE RETREAT
WITH JOAN NGO & COLLEENA SHAKTI
AUGUST 11 – 18, 2023
Registration open
Healing Rituals & Dance Retreat
with Joan Ngo & Colleena Shakti
August 11 - 18, 2023
the program
Immerse yourselves in the Ayurvedic healing arts, ancient wisdom traditions, dance and yoga on the lush Greek island of Crete!
In celebration of feminine beauty and grace, we invite you to rejuvenate your senses through reverent acts of self care and dance explorations of your body in flow with nature.
This week- long residency is a carefully curated experience for those seeking to reconnect with the healing rhythms and intelligence of their body and to replenish their expressive artistic nature.
Joan Ngo, (an Ayurvedic Health Practitioner, Panchakarma Therapist, Integrative Bodyworker, AyurDoula and Beauty Ritualist) will lead daily classes on women’s wisdom, self massage therapies, nutrition, aromatherapy, ancient ayurvedic beauty secrets and herbal medicine.
Each day will begin with breath-based yoga and meditation with Colleena Shakti, followed by studio dance classes (Fusion Bellydance & Indian dance) and daily explorations of dance and ritual movement in the stunning nature of Western Crete surrounding Villa Shakti.
Saundarya Prakāsh: The Light of Beauty
As we explore the sacred landscape of the feminine body, we experience beauty through ancient healing rituals, intentional movement, purifying the senses, immersing in sacred fragrances and flowers and communing with nature’s great elements.
Yoga Sessions:
Revive and refresh your senses and body each morning through gentle breath-based yoga practices drawn from the Vinyasa Krama Yoga tradition. Each session will include graceful, flowing vinyasa sequences with a special focus of the day, followed by pranayama and a short meditation. We will experience a special Nāda yoga class with live classical Indian Veena music.
Healing Arts Classes:
Activate your body’s rich inner wisdom and radiance through the ancient healing secrets and beauty rituals of Ayurveda. Joan will take you on an insightful, multi-sensory journey of reigniting your unique primordial feminine glow and healing potential. Explore traditional Ayurvedic practices that ground, energize, detox and uplift the body, skin and spirit. Awaken your intuition with sacred rituals aligned with the lunar, solar and seasonal cycles. Your subtle and physical body will be deeply nourished by the healing foods, oils, elixirs, gems, aromas and sounds.
Dance Classes:
In Studio & Ritual Movement Explorations in Nature
Drawing from dance traditions of the Middle East and India, Colleena will share gentle inspiring dance compositions exploring daily themes both in the studio and in the beautiful natural landscape of Crete. This dance immersion focuses on allowing our embodied experience, storytelling and nature to guide our movement, while also exploring symbolism in the aesthetics of Indian dance and Fusion Bellydance styles. Daily studio classes will include some technical breakdown and practice of compositions, while the ritual movement explorations in nature will encourage spontaneous responses to our environment (waves, sands, mountain tops, etc).
Self-Care Rituals in NATURE:
The sacred days will begin and end with self-care ceremony to awaken our senses and bless our sacred body temple. Sacred time will be dedicated to anoint and self-massage our feet, wombs, bellies, face and head using specialized Ayurvedic techniques, fragrant botanicals and precious healing metals. By the end of the week, you will be beaming with inner radiance, joy, wisdom and tranquility. Empowered with self knowledge and a practical guide to preventative care for all the sense organs of your sacred body.
* PRICING: Please refer to the accommodation section below with drop-down menu to see pricing for Shakti Summer School
Guest Teacher Joan Ngo:
Joan is an Ayurvedic Health Practitioner, Panchakarma Therapist, Integrative Bodyworker, AyurDoula and Beauty Ritualist. She is the founder of Dakeeni, a holistic spiritual sanctuary offering radically restorative sessions for the mind, body and spirit rooted in lineage-based traditions. With her seer-like multidisciplinary approach, she custom blends a sublime cocktail of nurturing treatments that gently guide your soul back to center. She is a spiritual counselor, sacred birthkeeper, medicine maker, ardent connoisseur of ancient beauty rituals, a highly sought after Kansa/Gua Sha facialist, a devoted student of Colleena Shakti and an initiate of Mystery School and High Priestess teachings. With a waitlist of well over 200, new clients wait at least 4-6 months to experience her transformative therapies.
2023 ITINERARY
Arrival Day:
Welcome circle, Introduction & Welcome Dinner
Day 1: LOVING HANDS & Lotus Feet
Self Care Wisdom & Rituals: Marma points to Rejuvenate, Relax & Release. Marma Self Treatment with herbal oils on hands, feet, chakras
Yoga & Dance Rituals: Deep rooting Yoga practice. Indian classical dance mudra and pada vinyasa, pranam and dance in nature exploration.
Day 2: Moon Cycles
Self Care Wisdom & Rituals: Inner Seasons & Cycles, Understanding Common Reproductive Imbalances. Yonidhupana, Yonipichu and Uttarbasti. Menstrual Wisdom & Wise Woman Care
Yoga & Dance Rituals: Hip opening Yoga. Finding the body’s true core. Fusion Bellydance flow: Hips/Pelvis, Circles & Spirals.
*Day trip & Taverna Dinner
Day 3: Sacred Belly Fire
Self Care Wisdom & Rituals: Woman’s Kitchen Apothecary – Healing foods, herbs & spices for common conditions; remedies & recipes. Ancestral Abdominal Massage & Belly Packs
Yoga & Dance Rituals: Yoga Vinyasa and Pranayama for Radiance. Bellydance with the elements and Sunset Drum class by the sea.
*Day trip & Taverna Lunch
Day 4: HEART
Self Care Wisdom & Rituals: Heart Chakra, Lymph and Breast Care. Moon Breasts: Detox & Toning Massage.
Yoga & Dance Rituals: Heart Opening Yoga and Spine Health. Dance Undulation and Flow from Heart.
Day 5: Lotus Petal Eyes
Self Care Wisdom & Rituals: Skincare, Eye care & Oral care regimens for types & seasons. Ayurveda Face Treatments, Eyewash & Eye Poultice.
Yoga & Dance Rituals: *Nada Yoga & Rejuvenating Vinyasa with Live Rudra Veena music. Indian dance elements: eyes, gestures and gazes in Fusion dance phrases.
Day 6: Crown
Self Care Wisdom & Rituals: The Art of Holding & Being Held. ‘Closing the Bones’ Sari Wrapping. Ceremony and Sisterhood.
Yoga & Dance Rituals: The Dance of Breath: Pranayama for physical/emotional healing. Whirling dance and culmination.
*Day trip & Taverna Dinner
Departure Day:
Closing circle & Brunch
Retreat
This week-long retreat is a sacred reset and remembrance of our true feminine essence.
Through herbs, teas, ointments, foods and rituals we explore the landscape of our subtle and physical bodies as well as the greater landscape of nature that surrounds us and shapes us.
As we nurture our skin, senses and spirit, we become more expressive, more fully awakened and more in tune with the rhythm of our bodies and the rhythms of the cosmos.
Sacred movements of yoga and dance will saturate our tissues with prana and aliven deeper layers of creative expression.
ANCIENT BEAUTY BUNDLES
Joan will have a limited selection of divine Ayurvedic tools, handcrafted herbal blends, beauty products and curated kits for pre-order (prior to the retreat) and for purchase during the retreat. Explore her apothecary collection at www.dakeeni.com to grab her bestselling essentials to enjoy throughout the retreat and to integrate into your refreshed beauty regimen.
Why join this retreat?
This rare, multi-disciplinary feminine beauty retreat is an opportunity to relearn, rediscover and reclaim the most exquisite parts of our cosmic female anatomy through Classical Ayurveda, Yoga and Dance. Explore the many facets of beauty and the inner landscape of our divine feminine being. Deepen your connection to Mother Earth and her cosmic rhythms through elemental movement and medicine. Unlock your inner wells of wisdom and inner radiance with Vedic rituals of self-love, self-care and self-nurturance (marma therapy, herbs, massage, beauty treatments, nourishment).
Who is this retreat for?
Those who wish to explore their feminine body and spiritual essence through the lens of classical Ayurveda, Vedic beauty rituals, Yoga, Indian dance, Bellydance and Sanskrit literature. Those who seek to learn potent daily practices that will awaken their body’s inner medicine to realign common female imbalances. Those who are seeking a sacred reset, embodiment and a remembrance of their highest creative expression.
SHAKTI SUMMER SCHOOL TERMS & CONDITIONS:
Please read our updated Terms & Conditions Page before you apply, which includes: *School Cancellation Policy, *School & Villa Shakti Policies, *Health & Safety in Covid Times, and *Assumption of Risk.
AccommodationS & Prices
(2 per room, shared bathroom, includes meals and transport)
The rooms at Villa Shakti includes bath towel set, Greek beach towel, bedding and blankets, table fan, WIFI, access to apartment kitchen, spacious living room and dining area, cable TV. Places are limited. The house is strictly vegetarian.
Includes:
- 40 hours Training
- Double Share Room at Villa Shakti
- 17 Healthy Vegetarian meals
- Transportation (see transportation section for more details)
(up to 4 per room, shared bathroom, includes meals and transport)
These traditional restored apartments are a 10 minute walk from Villa Shakti on peaceful a country road. The apartments are in a rustic traditional village with a plentiful organic garden, traditional orthodox church, goats, a fresh spring fountain and many flowers!
Includes:
- 40 hours Training
- Dorm or double shared room at Village Apartments (10-15 minute walk from studio)
- 17 Healthy Vegetarian meals
- Transportation (see transportation section for more details)
(Includes 8 meals including all lunches, welcome dinner and farewell brunch. Does not Include any transport.)
If you are looking for more privacy, you will find many other villas and rentals nearby our village of Aikirgiannis (Topolia). We suggest you have a look at Airbnb or booking.com. We recommend looking in the Topolia area and no farther than Kissamos so travel time to classes are not an issue. You can use the FB event page to post if you are looking for others to share a villa with you. You will need your own rental car for this option. Greece is a very popular summer destination so book soon!
Includes:
- 40 hours Training
- 8 Healthy Vegetarian meals
- Transportation *NOT INCLUDED* (please rent a car or taxi to join day trips)
Food
Our in-house catering team are mainly local Greek women (and a passionate Italian) who love cooking! We enjoy offering a healthy Vegetarian take on local Cretan recipes. Cretan and Greek cuisine is full of roasted vegetables, rices dishes, cucumber salads and of course, a decadent selection of homemade local cheeses! Occasionally we change up the menu by preparing mild Ayurvedic Indian food or Italian pasta, etc. All meals are served buffet style – all you can eat! Special dietary needs such as vegan, gluten free, and allergies can be catered to with prior notice.
*Our villa is strictly Vegetarian in celebration of life! Yet we can offer you local goat, sheep and cow cheese and a range of farm to table dairy products.
TYPICAL MENU:
Breakfast: Coffee/tea, fruit, toast and spreads, yogurt, granola, porridge, smoothie.
Lunch: Main dish, 2 salads, bakery breads, spreads, vegetable side dishes, local olive oil/olives, ice teas infusions.
Dinner: Main dish, salads, bakery breads, spreads, bean dish, vegetable side dishes, local olive oil / olives, and desert!
WEEKLY MEAL PLAN:
Check IN Day – Welcome dinner feast served at sunset on the veranda!
Daily – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner served (except a few meals out at local tavernas)
Check OUT Day – Farewell Brunch
Transportation
ARRIVAL DAY Monday August 11. Please check-in between the hours of 5 & 8 pm to Villa Shakti*
Guests will want to arrive to the closest airport: Chania (CHQ). Airport it is a 1 hour drive to the villa. Heraklion is 3-4 hours drive. *Students are requested to arrive in time for welcome circle & orientation on arrival day.
Most visitors on Crete rent a car to enjoy exploring the wild nature and beaches. This is what we always recommend to guests since there are many secret beaches and isolated trails to discover on the Western side of the island within an hours drive, however for our onsite guests transportation is provided.
*Late check-in is not allowed (after 8 pm). If you will be arriving beyond our check-in hours, we request that you book a hotel or airbnb in Chania or near our area and arrive by 8 am to Villa Shakti on check-in day.
The cost of transportation is now included in your tuition. Villa Shakti is in a rural location, so please be aware buses are not an option and taxis will need to be booked in advance.
Scheduled Shuttle Transportation Includes:
(Times are fixed, no exceptions.)
ARRIVAL DAY AUG 11:
- Chania Airport or Port Pick up: 5pm
DEPARTURE DAY AUG 18:
- Chania Airport or Port Drop off: 11 am
TRANSPORT DURING SUMMER SCHOOL ~ 2023 PROGRAM:
- We will enjoy a few day trips to epic beach locations! Transportation to and from these sites for our on-site guests is included.
Please meet our driver at the scheduled times, the driver can not wait for late passengers. If your flight arrives or departs at another time than the scheduled shuttle pick up/drop of times, you can easily get a local taxi to/from Airport to Chania Port to enjoy some time there and then meet at the scheduled time and location to catch your ride to Villa Shakti.
If you wish to have your own car, we recommend booking online. Prices are approximately €25-45 per day / per vehicle. Non EU licensed drivers will need and International Driving License to drive in Greece.
- Taxi booked directly from Airport to Villa Shakti: Approx. €100
- Local Taxis to Kissamos or Local beaches: Local rates apply. Please book directly.
REGISTRATION
Program fills up on a first come, first serve basis
Read and agree to our terms and conditions page before you fill out an application. You will digitally sign the waiver form on your application which indicates that you have read this page all the way through. READ HERE
Send in your payment to secure your spot. First come, first served. See accommodation section above for options and prices.
~ Pack your bags for Greece!!!
Upon completion of your payment you are fully registered for Shakti Summer School at Villa Shakti Crete!!!! Stay tuned for an informational email with a PDF about how to prepare for the program and for Shakti Summer School ~ Greece. Another email will be sent to participants before the program starts with more information about arrival and updates.
REGISTRATION OPEN!
Official Cancelation Policy
The Shakti School of Dance /Shakti Summer School cancellation and refund policy is in place to guarantee the fair allocation of slots in the program to students who have been accepted and are ready to commit.
Your registration payment to SSD/SSS is not refundable, returnable or transferable to a future workshop or to another person. No exceptions. Even in the case of medical or family emergencies, etc. Because there is an application and selection process, students can not ‘sell their spot’ in the program to another person.
Please register with full awareness of the agreement you are entering into. Payment (via Paypal), as well as this ‘Mandatory Waiver Form’ must be completed upon acceptance in the given time period to guarantee enrollment in the Intensive sessions.
Health/Safety: Student agrees to inform SSD/SSS Administration of any health conditions or important medications they are taking. Student assumes full responsibility for her/his safety and all risks of participating in this training and while enrolled at SSD/SSS. We hold no responsibility for any such illness or injury that a student sustains while enrolled in the program.
Students who cancel will not be eligible for refunds as per our official cancellation policy. *By completing your payment, you have agreed to our refund terms and conditions already.
We look forward to welcoming you to Villa Shakti Crete!
For questions not already answered on this website, please contact us.
