Spring Alchemy of Earth 2022: Yoga + Ayurveda + Natural Dye Retreat

Nevada City, CA, USA

GC
Gaby Colletta
  • Email address verified
  • Facebook verified
18 reviews
May 27 - 30, 2022
Group size: 4 - 18
Spring Alchemy of Earth 2022: Yoga + Ayurveda + Natural Dye Retreat
Nevada City, CA, USA

Gaby Colletta
  • Email address verified
  • Facebook verified
18 reviews

May 27 - 30, 2022
Group size: 4 - 18

About this trip

Led by Ayurvedic Health Counselor + Yoga Instructor Gaby Colletta E-RYT 500 and Natural Dye +  Textiles Artist Kristin Arzt RYT 250


Journey to the Yuba River in the heart of Northern California for a 4-day wellness retreat and discover the art of creative living. Reconnect to body and soul through daily yoga practices rooted in the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda. Discover self-care rituals that align with the rhythms of the Earth. Nourish your creative potential with a workshop series on the art of natural dyeing. Join for a gathering of connection, intuition and inspiration.

A Wilderness Immersion to the Yuba River

Explore the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the sacred Yuba River. If you ask any local, they’ll tell you the Yuba is a place like no other. Come to be cleansed, inspired, or simply soak the crystal clear waters for rejuvenation. We believe Nature is medicine and beneath all our conditioning, it’s our inherent state of being. Through wilderness immersion, we reconnect with the land, the plants, the animals, and the subtle rhythms of the river to strengthen our intuition, creative flow, and connection to life. A return to nature is a way home to ourselves. 

  • Excursion to the Yuba River at our private swimming hole
  • Workshop on Ancient Ayurvedic rituals of self-care + medicine making 
  • Workshop Series on Natural Dyeing using healing plants such as Indigo, Eucalyptus, Madder root, and more.

The Movement

Enjoy daily yoga, intended to inspire embodied awareness and personal expression. Each class is guided with mindfulness, alignment focus, and Ayurvedic principles to integrate body, mind, and heart. Morning Asana is inspired by solar energy, a Vinyasa class unfolding consciousness through the dance of breath with movement. In the afternoon, we wind down the day with a lunar-inspired practice such as Restorative, Aromatherapy Grounding Flow, or Yoga Nidra. One can expect meditation, pranayama, breath awareness, mudra, and mantra. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner or new to yoga, instruction and modifications are given for each individual to explore one’s potential.

The Nourishment

Enjoy a retreat menu intentionally crafted to nourish and heal. Each meal is made with Ayurvedic principles that align with the transition of seasons and the local harvest. We believe food is medicine and our chef, prepares each dish with enthusiasm, mindfulness, and love. All meals are plant-based with organic ingredients that are sourced for their high quality, nutrient-dense, and nourishing essence. We support our local farmers when possible. If you have any special dietary needs or restrictions, we can happily accommodate them. 

Workshop Series: Natural Dyeing

Enjoy two thorough and fun natural dye workshop days! We will go in-depth with natural indigo dyeing and resist techniques and immersion dyeing. Using only organic plant matter, you will gain knowledge and experiment with the art of natural dyeing. You will take home samples in a variety of colors and fibers. 


All workshop materials are included, but you are also welcome to bring your own small items to dye. Please mordant your personal items in advance before the retreat. We're happy to share resources if you need guidance on mordanting.

The Retreat Space

Our home away from home is located on a habitat preserve; adjacent to 650 acres of state parkland, along the beloved Yuba River. Explore creek waterfalls and private trails along the Yuba River. 

With the backdrop of nature’s sounds, the aromas of old pine and oak trees, the medicinal plants that live in the winding trails, our getaway is the ideal place for rejuvenation, rest, and reconnection. There is ample space to spread out and enjoy each other’s company safely. 

Intentional in design, the home itself holds an artistic aesthetic. With a big, sunny deck overlooking the forest, it’s easy to bathe in the simple luxury of feeling the warmth on your skin and attuning to the subtle rhythms of nature around. Every bedroom is made up with organic linens. Each bathroom features organic towels with natural products. 

You may book a private king bedroom with your own bathroom, a private queen bedroom with shared bathrooms, a shared queen bedroom {shared households only—please message us to arrange}, a private cabin near the river, or pitch on one of our campsites. WiFi is available at the main retreat house but is very limited in the surrounding area.


If you have any questions about the accommodation, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

WHERE: NEVADA CITY, CALIFORNIA

Explore the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the sacred Yuba River. If you ask any local, they’ll tell you the Yuba is a place like no other. Come to be cleansed, inspired, or simply soak the crystal clear waters for rejuvenation. We believe Nature is medicine and beneath all our conditioning, it’s our inherent state of being. Through wilderness immersion, we reconnect with the land, the plants, the animals, and the subtle rhythms of the river to strengthen our intuition, creative flow, and connection to life. A return to nature is a way home to ourselves. 

Meet your Guides

Gaby Colletta 

Gaby is Yoga Teacher and Ayurvedic Health Counselor who leads retreats, workshops and trainings worldwide. Her practice is steeped in 10 years of study, inspired by the Eastern philosophies of Tantra and Buddhism, modern psychology, the Ancient healing arts of India and varying traditions of folk medicine. When not in Berkeley, she is off rock climbing, trekking or sipping tea with a stranger in a far corner of the world. 

W: www.gabycolletta.com

IG: @wanderingvayu


Kristin Arzt 

Kristin Arzt is a natural dyer, educator, gardener and designer based in Western North Carolina. Kristin believes that by exploring the collision of textiles, plants and sustainability, she can help make the study of natural dyes accessible to everyone through education and enthusiasm. When not teaching workshops and retreats, Kristin grows her own seasonal dye plants in her home garden for closer experimentation; often sharing seeds and sprouts with students. After becoming enamored with the world of natural color, Kristin has taken years to expand her toolkit, traveling far and wide to learn directly with specialized teachers in the dye community.  By day, she works at The Crucible, a non-profit organization dedicated to making arts education accessible to local youth and the surrounding community.

W: www.kristinarzt.com

IG: @scramblesquilts

Cancellation Policy

  • Deposits are non-refundable. 
  • If you cancel your booking more than 30 days prior to departure, the penalty is 50% of the trip price. 
  • Within 30 days of departure, the penalty is 100%. 

What’s included

  • Welcoming Circle + Cacao
  • Daily Yoga
    Element-inspired, solar + lunar practice
  • 3 Meals Ayurvedic Meals
    3 full meals per day and nourishing snacks
  • Accomodation
    For 3 Nights and 4 Days
  • Ayurveda Workshop
    Rituals for Self-Care, Herbal Healing + Folk Remedies
  • Natural dye workshops
    Learn to dye with plants to create vibrant colors and patterns on natural fiber
  • Indigo Dye Workshop
    Dye with an organic indigo vat and shibori resist techniques to create patterns on natural fibers
  • All workshop materials
  • Sound Meditation Journey
    A soundscape of Tibetan Singing Bowls
  • Yuba River Excursion
    Guided hike and river cleanse

What’s not included

  • Transport to Retreat

Available Packages

Campout

Make it a campout and pitch a tent in one of our dedicated campsites! If you don't have a tent, we can provide you with everything you need to be comfortable for a $25 rental fee. You will still have access to the house, the shared bathrooms, hot showers, and all the comforts of the common space! 

$925
Deposit: $350
Private Queen

Enjoy your own room with a comfortable queen-sized bed. Shared bathroom.

$1,250
Deposit: $350
King with Private Bath

Enjoy the king bedroom suite with your own private bath in our main house.

$1,400
Deposit: $350
Private Cabin with River Views

Two off-the-grid, solar-powered cabins perch just overlooking the Yuba River. Each yurt is equipped with a queen-size bed, organic linens, artistic stonework and wood-carved furniture. The cabins share a sun deck and a bathhouse that boasts an indoor shower, an outdoor shower that overlooks the river, and a state-of-the-art composting toilet. This is the perfect option for those seeking more quietude on retreat (there is no reception or WiFi here, making connection to nature imminent). The biggest perk is the easy river access and peace and quiet.


We recommend this for folks with a vehicle as it is a short 7-minute drive to the main retreat house where yoga, dyeing, and meals take place. 

$1,550
Deposit: $350
Shared Cabin with Review Views

Two off-the-grid, solar-powered cabins perch just overlooking the Yuba River. Share one of these consciously designed cabin yurts equipped with a queen-size bed, organic linens, artistic stonework and wood-carved furniture for $1250 USD per person.


The cabins share a sun deck and a bathhouse that boasts an indoor shower, an outdoor shower that overlooks the river, and a state-of-the-art composting toilet. This is the perfect option for those seeking more quietude on retreat (there is no reception or WiFi here, making connection to nature imminent). The biggest perk is the easy river access and peace and quiet.


We recommend this for folks with a vehicle as it is a short 7-minute drive to the main retreat house where yoga, dyeing, and meals take place. 


SHARING OPTION: Please specify who you'd like to book with in the registration notes. Thanks!

$1,250
Deposit: $350

Available options



Your Organizer


GC
Gaby Colletta
18 reviews
E-RYT 500, YACEP, AHC. Gaby is a Meditation and Yoga Instructor and Ayurvedic Health Counselor with over 12 years of practice in integrative wellness. She facilitates transformational nature-based retreats, guides mind-body courses, leads teacher trainings and coaches individuals on how to create an ecosystem of internal resources that bring forth one’s greater potential.

Reviews

I had an amazing time! The home was beautiful! The food was wonderful. The people were amazingly wonderful. Gabby was incredible. She is so soothing with her voice. Her yoga lessons were great. Her sound bath was transforming! It was an experience I will never forget! Thank you!
By Beverly W for Embodied Ojas Retreat - Yoga & Ayurveda Rituals for Rejuvenation on Nov 08, 2023
This trip was truly relaxing and restful. Gabby held the space with tenderness and compassion. The food was absolutely delicious and the space was cozy and spacious. She led us in some beautiful yoga sessions, paying careful attention to our individual needs and collective goals. Gabby is knowledgeable in Ayurvedic practices, yoga and yoga nidra, she welcomed any questions we had. I loved that she checked in with us and gave us flexibility. I would highly recommend a retreat with her. She has a lovely and caring disposition that you’ll fall in love with. I’m so gratuito have shared space with her and Anjali in this way. Thanks Gabby, for creating the cocoon and reset. My heat and body needed.
By Dulce A for Embodied Ojas Retreat - Yoga & Ayurveda Rituals for Rejuvenation on Nov 07, 2023
I've attended this retreat for the 3rd year in a row and it is always perfect. I have a different experience every time and Iove it. This year I really enjoyed the rainbow dyeing workshops. The yoga sessions were wonderfully relaxing and diverse. I really enjoyed she soundbath. The food is always so amazingly nourishing and full of love. Thank you Gaby, Kristin and Alexandra for making this unique offering.
By Rahmat B for Spring Alchemy of Earth 2023: Yoga + Ayurveda + Natural Dye Retreat on Jul 06, 2023
KY
This was my first retreat, and I wasn't sure what to expect. They exceeded my expectations! I went in knowing more about Kristin's work, and I came for the plant-based dye and rainbows, but I loved learning from Gaby as well! The food was great, the company was fantastic, and I really appreciate how thoughtfully this was planned. I got so much more out of it than I expected, and I'm so glad I went. I am looking forward to next year already!
By Kate Y for Spring Alchemy of Earth 2023: Yoga + Ayurveda + Natural Dye Retreat on Jun 06, 2023
Loved it. Gaby and Kristen are so welcoming and supportive and attract a likeminded crowd. I always leave refreshed and with new friends. So thankful for this beautiful space.
By Eileen R for Spring Alchemy of Earth 2023: Yoga + Ayurveda + Natural Dye Retreat on May 31, 2023
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