There’s something special taking shape on Vashon Island

We’re talking about Hestia Retreat Center for Women.

As many of you know, Hestia Retreat is being created as dedicated space for all women to nurture their personal development and emergence.  Spending time at this exceptional sanctuary – in private retreat or connecting with others in an inspiring, educational, and healing environment – women can tend to what Hestia, the Greek goddess of heart and hearth, held dear and sacred: their own internal fire, their place of deep center.

Hestia Retreat’s vision is a world where women receive the solitude and community we need to reconnect to this deep center. This allows us to replenish, restore, and revitalize our beings and our lives so we can spread the Hestia flame out to the world, one woman at a time.

As founding members of this organization, Valerie Manusov and Mela Bredouw, along with a committed Circle of Directors and volunteers, have been working for almost five years to bring the Hestia Retreat vision alive.
 
A 501(c)3 organization, we have obtained necessary classification for building a residential retreat center and conceived both structural design and programming.  Plans for the facility include private cabins, a great hall for workshops, a dining room, a bathing house, and a set of treatment rooms.  The grounds will center on beauty and inspiration.  The site design will use Universal Design principles and be built with sustainable practices.

We’re thrilled about this creation thus far, and we’re ready to embark on the necessary next steps to birth this vision.  We invite you to join us on this journey as a donor, a volunteer, or as an attendee at one of our many wonderful events.

The organization’s premiere event, our annual Women’s Day of Wellness, will be held this year on Saturday April 26 from 10-5 at CoHousing on Bank Road. It will be an exquisite day of restoration, inspiration, and rejuvenation – the hallmarks of Hestia Retreat.  We invite you to “Step Into Your Radiance.”

Our schedule:
9-7 “Sparkle sessions”: chair massage (Erin Mawhirter), table massage (Jill Bulow), intuitive readings (Lisa Fox), life coaching (Amy Kessel), Ayurvedic face and scalp massage (Kael Balizer), and angel card readings (Auona Berlin) – These are optional, fee-based sessions that can add to the vitality of your day

9 – 10 Registration
10 – 10:25 Tai Chi led by Lyn Solander
10:30 – 10:40 Introduction and overview, Valerie Manusov, Hestia Retreat for Women CoFounder
10:45 – 11:25 “The Mysterial Woman Awakening: Finding the Courage to Give Birth to Your True Self” a discussion with Suzanne Anderson
11:30 – 11:55 Restorative world dance led by Kelly Chevalier
12:00 – 12:25 Partner foot or hand massage led by Jill Bulow
12:25 – 1:15 Lunch
1:15 – 1:35 Meditation led by Ronly Blau
1:40 – 2:25 “Radiating Presence: Using our Authentic Nature to Align us in our Bodies, Lives, and Personal Vision” a discussion with Cody Strauss
2:30 – 2:50 Journaling, quiet reflection
2:50 – 3:50 Creating art (three art stations to choose from: mosaics, Kim Pearmain, soul collages, Diane Schulstad; watercolors/drawing, Wendra Lynne)
3:55 – 4:40 “The Five Circles of Women’s Health: Becoming Your Radiant Self” a discussion with Katherine Oldfield
4:45 – 5:00 Setting intentions and closing

All that, plus lunch, snacks, and fantastic door prizes are all only $75 (or 2 for $140 – so bring a friend!) if you preregister. Volunteer opportunities in lieu of payment are available. Send a check to Hestia Retreat, PO Box 2185, Vashon, WA 98070. Or pay for a small fee with your credit card at Eventbrite.  Space is limited, so be sure to preregister soon!

Please feel free to visit hestiaretreat.org to learn more about Hestia or write to us at info@hestiaretreat.org. And we welcome your questions and excitement for this next treasured addition to our warm and inviting island.