Summer Soul Intensive : Earth, Body & Psyche

A Journey into Self through Yoga, Dreams, Bees and Plants

with Doug Van Houten and Susanna Raeven

THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED WITH THE EARTH-IN-MIND to strengthen your sense of embodied wholeness and deepen your connection to soul. To help bring the sacred into your daily yoga practice and your everyday life.

We will stretch our sensory bodies and wild imaginations toward a conversation between our earthly home and our soul’s calling. We will work with shadow, be in ceremony, wander the land and practice daily Vinyasa yoga (all levels welcome) in the beautiful forested hills of Raven Crest.

Dream plants from our herb gardens help us to deepen the connection with our dream maker and travel the landscapes of our subconscious. We will apprentice to the honey bees on how to embody the seasons and recognize our Earth mother's gifts. Sound baths and guided meditation bring us closer to the wild essence of our being.

Our dreams, bodies and waking encounters in Nature guide us to becoming more of who we are destined to be.

Doug von Houten

As a seasoned Animas guide, Doug draws on the wisdom of the natural world, depth-psychology, eco-psychology, dreams, somatic knowing, poetry, and many pan-cultural, soul furthering practices that includes: The Way of Council, vision fasting, trance dancing and conversations with the more than human world. Doug’s true calling in life is to support others as they uncover their own unique gifts and in so doing, transform their lives in service to what Thomas Berry called ”The Great Work” of our times. Doug is also an ardent beekeeper, a visual artist, a wily wanderer, a dream tracker, a deep ceremonialist, a heart-centered activist, and yoga instructor.

Susanna Raeven

Susanna is an herbalist, wise woman, medicinal herb grower and owner of Raven Crest Botanicals. She holds in her heart a deep connection to the natural world and lives and breathes with the plants in her gardens. Her teachings are guided by Earth centered spiritual practices and cultures. Her prayers are for the Earth and all her children. While practicing herbalism Susanna calls on the wisdom of healing master plants from the Amazon. She offers herbal consultations, leads plant walks, is a guest teacher at Arbor Vitae School of Traditional Herbalism and holds soul and herbalism retreats at Raven Crest.