This was a wonderful, spiritual, soul-connecting retreat. Vanessa VerLee is a creative and gifted guide/facilitator/organizer who will put you at ease immediately. The Castro Valley venue was beautiful. I left feeling a deep connection with the other people on this retreat.

It was more than I imagined it could and would be. I’ve been on one other retreat similar to this with Vanessa in January 2020, but this was different and more profound for me. I’ve done a lot of growing and evolving since our last retreat, but also this time my partner decided to join us. This time I was happy to not have my phone on me at all because our dog was with someone we trust and I didn’t have to waste time and energy missing him because he was there! I loved seeing old familiar faces, new ones who seemed familiar, and connecting with ones in a new way that I haven’t before. I am really proud of how open I allowed myself to be, and I know it was largely in part because this group and the exercises we did were so nurturing, heart-opening, loving, and compassionate. Vanessa and Jeremy continue to hold healing space and make me and everyone else feel so taken care of, seen, and heard. It was such a gift to see how this group embraced my love and I and to see a new, shinier, happier, more open and present version of himself emerge. It brought us closer together and helped us heal after a lot of what we went through this year together. I manifested everything that I had on my list of intentions and goals for the weekend, and I’m so grateful and proud. I have never in my life felt more comfortable speaking in front of a group of people, especially about something so personal as the story I shared, and especially not crying in front of people. I also reconnected with my inner child and creative side which was so fun. I loved the Kukuwa dancing, martial arts class by Nelson, the mandala art table by Karen, the random musical gift bombs Amy dropped on us, the restorative yoga with sound healing and meditation that sent me into the multiverse, and so much more. This group was amazing at finding synchronicities and staying in tune with each other’s vibration so that there were a lot of common themes, experiences, desires, fears, wounds, intentions, etc. I never thought I’d come out of this feeling like I got to spend a weekend with the grandmother I never had, and to feel so nurtured by that. I’m so in awe of everyone I got to spend time with, get to know, and hold space with this past retreat. I have been telling all my clients about it and encouraging people to book sessions with Vanessa and to book the next retreat she has. The only complaint I have is that we didn’t have Kayla, because I felt that her cooking was much more delicious. Oh and that these retreats don’t happen more often. 😘

I've been working with Vanessa in her Somato-Respiratory Integration practice for several years now, and my experiences with her have always been so powerful that I immediately signed up when I saw she was offering this retreat. What I got out of the weekend was exponentially more potent than anything I could have anticipated. I've attended many retreats of various sizes at this point, and I've never been part of a group of people where the EVERYONE was in complete synergy with everyone else. The house we stayed in was a beautiful facilitator for the profound connections we made over two days. Magnitudes of generational healing took places, an experience which none of us is likely to soon forget.