Step away from the noise of daily life and return to the quiet wisdom within. The Silence & Writing Retreat is part of our Rest + Reconnect series—a sanctuary designed to help you unwind, reflect, and realign before the new year.

Life is busy, and in the rush of daily responsibilities, it’s easy to forget the one thing you need most: rest. Rest is not a luxury; it’s the foundation for clear thinking, emotional balance, and sustainable productivity. Over four days in the tranquil countryside, you’re invited into a different pace—one where time slows down, your to-do list loosens its grip, and your only focus is you.

At SEED Lodge, you’ll be gently guided into silence through Kundalini yoga, pranayama (breathwork), guided meditation, and simple nervous-system-informed practices that help you slow down and settle from the inside out. As your body softens and your breath deepens, the mind begins to quiet. From this place of stillness, we turn to the written word. Reflective writing prompts and guided journaling sessions support you in integrating the year that has passed, examining the different areas of your life, and beginning to vision what you want to cultivate in the year ahead.

This retreat is also a complete digital detox. Upon arrival, you’ll be asked to hand in your electronic devices—creating a rare opportunity to experience time without interruption or distraction. The peaceful rhythm of the countryside, nourishing seasonal meals, the warmth of the lodge, and the quiet companionship of others on the same path all invite you to turn your gaze inwards more deeply than you have in a long time.

If you’ve been running on empty, this retreat is an invitation to stop. You’re encouraged to engage in the art of not doing: to rest deeply, to be cared for, and to remember what it feels like to simply be. There is nothing to perform and nothing to prove. You can join every session or choose to sleep, walk, write, or sit quietly with tea. Silence, space, warm meals, soft beds, forest air, and unstructured time help you return to yourself at a pace that feels right for you.

Because this retreat is held near the winter solstice, it naturally leans toward themes of deep listening, introspection, and resetting. Everything is designed to create predictability and ease—so your system can finally relax.

Sample Schedule (this is a guideline only)

Thursday — Arrival & Settling In

• Arrivals from 4:00pm

• Light dinner

• Opening Circle: Kundalini Yoga + Gong Bath

• Optional sauna

• Silence begins after the evening session

Friday & Saturday — Deepening Into Silence

• 5:30–7:00am Optional early movement & meditation

• 7:00am Sauna available, forest walks, quiet morning

• 9:30–11:30am Kundalini Yoga + Breathwork for nervous system support

• 12:00pm Lunch + spacious free time

• Afternoon Art-making, herbal medicine making, snowshoeing, writing, or rest

• Optional add-ons: massage, sound healing

• 4:30pm Dinner

• 7:00pm Gentle yoga, yoga nidra, or sound bath

• Silence lifts on Saturday evening

Sunday — Integration & Closing

• 9:00–11:00am Final Kundalini yoga + breathwork session & closing circle

• 11:00–12:00pm Light lunch & departure

What You’ll Experience

• Daily guided silence and meditation practices to help you deepen into silence

• Kundalini yoga + pranayama sessions (breathing)

• Reflective writing prompts and journaling

• Spacious unstructured time for rest and personal reflection

• Nourishing meals made with care that support your body’s detox process and herbal medicine supports for your nervous system

• Access to the wood-fired sauna, forest trails, and cozy common areas

• Optional therapeutic treatments (massage, sound work)

• A complete digital detox so you can truly reset

All activities are optional. You’re invited to move at your own pace and listen to what your body needs.

The Benefits of Silence

Silence isn’t empty—it’s clarifying. When distraction falls away, a different kind of knowing appears. Many guests experience:

• relief from chronic stress and overthinking

• renewed emotional clarity

• restored energy

• deeper connection to intuition

• increased creativity and insight

• spiritual nourishment (in whatever form that means to you)

• simple, genuine rest

This retreat is non-religious and open to people of all backgrounds.

A Supportive Environment

If questions, concerns, or emotions arise during the retreat, you can write them down and pass them to Esther or request a brief check-in. You don’t need any meditation or yoga experience; everything is guided, clear, and accessible.

Most importantly, this retreat gives you space to slow down, think, feel, rest, and listen—in ways that simply aren’t possible in daily life.

A 4-Day Rejuvenating Retreat for Your Nervous System, Spirit & Soul

Breathe. Pause. Listen.
You do so much. You hold so much.
And sometimes, in the middle of holding it all together, you lose touch with you.

The ART of Breath is a rejuvenating weekend retreat for people who are ready to take a break—from the noise, the hustle, the constant demands—and come home to themselves through the breath. 

Breathing is the easiest way to connect deeply to your body and your soul. 

Led by Esther Kalaba, registered psychotherapist, art therapist, breathing specialist and founder of the People of the Prana, this psychotherapy retreat blends Kundalini yoga, breathing practices, contemplative art-therapy, and quiet reflection to help you feel grounded, clear, and connected again.

Over the course of the weekend, learn simple but powerful tools to regulate your nervous system, release emotional tension, focus your mind and listen deeply to your body and intuition. You’ll also get to rest, move at your own pace, and enjoy the healing rhythm of nature. Whether you're new to breathing and meditation or seeking to refine your practice, this immersive weekend offers a down-to-earth and powerful approach to healing. 

You’ll leave not only feeling lighter, more grounded, and recharged—but with a toolbox of breath practices and creative rituals to help you reset anytime, anywhere: breathing practices, art and journaling rituals, and the felt experience of what it’s like to reconnect with your own inner strength and wisdom through your breath. 

This is:

SPACE TO BE

SPACE TO BREATHE

SPACE TO FEEL

What You’ll Experience:

• A step-by-step introduction to the Begin with Breath from the People of the Prana method for nervous system support, stress management, emotional regulation, body connection and self-awareness

• Therapeutic art-based activities designed to help you listen to your body’s wisdom and engage with your inner world in a safe, creative way

• Time to rest, walk the land, journal, connect, sleep and simply be

• A supportive, like-minded community (no need to perform, impress, or hustle—we’re here to slow down together)

• The gift of stepping away from your screens, schedules, and responsibilities so you can come home to yourself (this retreat is a Digital Detox retreat, no phones or screens allowed)

This Course is for You If...

• You’re craving a nervous system reset—from burnout, chronic stress, anxiety, or a high-intensity job

• You want a natural and effective way to access calm, anytime

• You’re a therapist, healthcare provider, or yoga teacher looking to bring conscious breathing and embodied awareness into your professional toolkit (Option to receive CE credits for health practitioners, please inquire)

• You’re feeling disconnected from your body or inner voice and long to reawaken that relationship

• You need rest but can’t seem to find it in day to day life

What’s Included:

• 15 hours of in-class breath and art therapy practices, meditation & Kundalini Yoga

• A beautiful manual to guide your continued exploration and reflection

• Early morning yoga and breath sessions

• Access to walking trails, nature, and snowshoes (winter)

• Nourishing meals, teas, and snacks (Lunch included for day guests; All meals for overnight guests)

• 2 months of free access to People of the Prana’s Morning Breath Community (Wake Up & Breathe)

• Daily Sauna

• Healing gong sound baths

• Massage and treatments (additional cost)

• Optional reduced-fee access to the Begin with Breath Online Course for continued learning at home

• Eligible for psychotherapy coverage in Ontario and Quebec (tuition is also tax deductible)

• Eligible for CE credits for health practitioners, please inquire

The Details:

• Location: The SEED Lodge (Rocklyn, ON—2 hours north of Toronto)

• Skill Level: Absolute beginners welcome. Experienced practitioners too. This is a great course for yoga teachers or health care workers looking to integrate breath practices into their tool box of clinical and teaching skills

• Carpooling encouraged (let us know if you can offer or need a ride)

• Organic/local meals provided—please share dietary needs in advance

• This is a screen-free, alcohol- and drug-free event for nervous system health

• Art therapy is woven throughout the weekend to help you access your inner voice and creative intelligence through guided, gentle, and expressive exercises (all materials are provided)

Take a breath. Take a break. 

Take your power back—one inhale at a time.

This mid-winter retreat is all about tending to the heart—gently, lovingly, and without pressure. Through breathwork, restorative movement, guided journaling, and creative self-expression, we’ll explore what it really means to practice self-love. Expect cozy spaces, heart-opening practices, and time to reflect on what nourishes you most. Come as you are, and reconnect to the deepest part of yourself—the part that knows you are already enough.

In the heart of winter, this retreat invites you to slow down and turn inward. Held mostly in nourishing silence, you’ll have space to listen—to your body, your breath, and your own deep intuition. Nestle into stillness with gentle practices, guided reflection, and long, quiet walks through snowy forests. Warm up in the sauna, enjoy nourishing meals, and let the hush of winter hold you. This is a retreat for deep rest, inner clarity, and quiet reconnection to self.

This revitalizing retreat is your seasonal reset—designed to support gentle cleansing and renewed energy as we transition into spring. With a focus on raw foods, fresh juices, and herbal liver support, you’ll nourish your body from the inside out. Daily Kundalini Yoga practices will help stimulate detoxification pathways, clear stagnation, and awaken your vitality. You’ll leave feeling lighter, clearer, and more connected to your body’s natural rhythms. A perfect way to welcome the new season.

This retreat is a sacred pause to honour the women who care, carry, and keep it all together—often at the expense of themselves. Whether you're a mother, mothering others, or healing your own relationship to motherhood, this weekend offers space to rest, reflect, and reconnect to what it truly means to mother in these times. Gather in circle with other women, share stories, laughter, tears, and tenderness—and celebrate the strength, softness, and sacredness of this role. You deserve to be held, too.

This retreat is an invitation to return to the wisdom of the earth and the healing power of food as medicine. Through simple cooking practices, herbal teachings, and connection to land and season, you’ll explore how nourishment comes not just from what we eat, but how we live, breathe, and relate to the natural world. Rooted in herbal wisdom and whole-food traditions, this is a restorative weekend to deepen your relationship with your body, the earth, and the plants that support us.

Sometimes the most powerful medicine is simply to walk. This retreat invites you into silent, mindful walking through the trails, fields, and forests that surround the SEED Lodge—moving slowly, together, in shared presence. As we walk, we’ll tune into the quiet beauty of the land and the steady rhythm of our own breath. Along the way, you’ll be invited to co-create land art using natural elements—stone, stick, leaf, snow, light—marking moments, stories, or prayers in conversation with the earth. A meditative, heart-opening retreat for those craving connection with nature, creativity, and the space between words.