MEDITATION TEACHER & SOUL COACH
Join meditation teacher & psychospiritual coach, Shawna Thibodeau and medium and spiritual teacher, Laurie Oakes for a transformative women's weekend retreat that nourishes mind, body & soul.
This retreat is for any woman needing time to heal, rejuvenate and learn skills & practices that can help navigate life's challenges and stressors with greater ease and to connect inwards to hear the wisdom and guidance of your soul.
Throughout the retreat you'll be learning and exploring the most effective skills & practices Shawna has found that help facilitate healing, growth and the development of greater self-love, inner peace, joy and empowerment within, as well as teachings and group mediumship from Laurie Oakes on soul growth, tuning in to one's truths and hearing the wisdom of your soul.
WHERE?
A beautiful, luxurious, riverfront mansion in Lewiston, New York - see pictures below! (Address provided on registration)
Modalities included on the Soul Expansion Retreat:
The Soul Expansion Retreat includes a powerful combination of modalities that can provide deep release, healing, clarity, insight and shifts within. These include meditation, breathwork, intuition development exercises, group mediumship sessions, inner child work, manifestation work and gentle yoga.
Meditation: Guided meditation sessions to explore the nature of mind, reduce stress and connect inwards.
Breathwork: Breathwork is a practice of consciously working with your breathing pattern, lying down, to music. The rhythmic breathing in breathwork helps put the mind into different meditative states. Putting our mind into meditative states allows us to experience our thoughts, emotions, and situations in life in a different way compared to the analytical/thinking mind. It's also a space for going inwards and connecting with your inner truths and your heart's needs & desires.
Meditation & Breathwork can help with:
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Insights and understanding of different situations in your life
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Healing of the mind and body
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Deep sense of peace and bliss
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New creative ideas
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Deep connection towards oneself
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Ideas of life direction/next steps
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Release of emotions that might be limiting you and keeping you stuck
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Calming of the nervous system
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Greater awareness of patterns of the mind
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Boosting of mood
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Boosting of self-esteem, confidence & feelings of empowerment
Intuition Development Exercises: Practices and group exercises to practice developing the skill of hearing and strengthening your own intuition, your own inner wisdom and your own messages of guidance. The practices of meditation and breathwork throughout the weekend will also help to strengthen and connect to this inner voice.
Group mediumship session: Laurie Oakes is a gifted medium who channels messages from the Divine that assist you on your life path. During a group channeling session, Laurie works around the room and channels a message for each person. Often these messages provide guidance, clarity and direction on different areas in your life and guidance is often provided on ways to work through and approach different challenges. You can also ask Laurie for guidance on a certain area of life.
Inner Child Work & Manifestation (i.e. Co-Creation) Work: Stepping into our highest path also involves healing things from the past that may still be affecting our lives (our thought patterns, belief systems, mood & emotions, behaviours and levels of stress). Through inner child work activities we work to heal the past so that we can move forward in a more confident and peaceful way. After we strengthen our connection to our inner voice and inner guidance system, we then also work to align our energy in the direction of our truths and desires, helping them become a reality within our lives.
Gentle Yoga: Gentle yoga & movement will be included in the week to help strengthen our relationship to our bodies and the messages our bodies hold.
What the retreat includes:
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Guided Meditation Sessions (taught by both Shawna & Laurie)
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2 Guided Breathwork Sessions
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2 Yoga Practices (no experience needed, beginners welcome)
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Workshop/Group Teaching: What is the Soul? - Why we experience life as a physical body + The path of the soul and the path of healing, evolving and raising consciousness
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Strengthening Our Intuition Group Exercise
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Trauma, Soul Growth & Healing the Inner Child Workshop - Saturday morning - **a favourite of past retreat guests!**
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Group Mediumship Session
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Working With Challenging Emotions + EFT Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) Workshop (Saturday)
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Empowerment Workshop: Using Law-of-Attraction & Manifestation to Step Into a Life of Greater Empowerment (Sunday)
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Sacred Letting Go Ceremony - Sunday morning
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Daily Group Coaching Circles for inner reflection, journaling, connection & healing
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Evening circle chats/hangouts beside the indoor fireplace
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Waterfront downtime for personal rest and relaxation
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Friday Evening Snacks
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Saturday Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (cooked by our private in-house chef)
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Sunday Breakfast (cooked by our private in-house chef)
WHEN?
Arrive anytime after 4pm on Friday June 21st (to relax and enjoy the home), and depart at noon on Sunday June 23rd. Programming starts at 6:45PM Friday.
*Note - Dinner will not be served Friday night - welcome to bring a dinner (and put in fridge) or go out in Lewiston prior to retreat. Evening circle snack provided Friday night.
**A retreat that includes skills, practices & concepts that can continue to heal, empower & benefit you for the rest of your life**
A take-home PDF booklet of the skills & practices covered is provided to help equip you with review & resources for continued use at home.
The Setting
A luxurious colonial-style mansion located in Lewiston, New York. A riverfront property, immersed among the trees, this is your luxury escape into relaxation, healing & rejuvenation.
Pictures from Past Retreats
Registration - Lewiston, New York
Cancellation/Refund policy: If using payment plan, the first payment/first instalment is non-refundable at any time of cancellation. If paying in full, 33% of payment is a non-refundable instalment at any time of cancellation. No exceptions to this policy. A 50% refund (on total amount paid minus non-refundable deposit) is available if cancelling 61-90 days from retreat start date. Then, due to limited retreat spots and costs to cover retreat, no refunds are available if cancelling 60 days or less prior to retreat. No transfer of dates available at any time. If one spot is cancelled in a double or trio getaway, the spot becomes open for another registration. Exchange for 5 Weeks of Manifestation or RISE DIY Digital online programs available if cancelling 60 days or less prior to retreat. If retreat is cancelled, a full refund is provided.
*Following travel policies of Ontario businesses, above registration is for retreat services, programming & meals. Accommodation and transportation is not included in retreat pricing however, accommodation for the retreat is graciously donated (at no extra cost) from the venue. Rooms are booked separately by contacting venue directly after retreat registration.
Past Retreat Reviews
Thank you to all past participants who have joined us at these magical retreats!
Got Questions?
"I'm thinking about coming alone...is this ok?"
Absolutely! YES YES YES! Going to a retreat alone can be extremely powerful and transformative. Common feedback we also receive is the welcoming, safe and connected vibe we create and the relationships you create on retreats sometimes turn in to lifelong friends. 50% of past attendees have come on their own.
"I'm not too experienced in yoga & meditation...is this ok?"
Another big YES! We welcome women of all levels and complete beginners too! Retreats are a great place to learn or to solidify established practices and routines.
"Is there a what-to-bring list?"
Yes, once you reserve your spot, a Retreat information email will be sent out immediately and again 2 weeks prior to the retreat.
"What if I have dietary restrictions?"
Most of the food and meals are gluten free with vegetarian and vegan options. Send an email to befree@shawnathibodeau.com if you have any dietary restrictions to ensure that weekend's menu will accommodate you.
Meet The Team
Shawna Thibodeau
MENTAL HEALTH NURSE, WOMEN'S COACH, MEDITATION, BREATHWORK & YOGA TEACHER
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Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology – McMaster University
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Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Trent University
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Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Certification - Canadian Nurses Association; 8 years experience as a mental health nurse
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Certified Meditation Facilitator (2014) – Naturality, Hamilton (in association with Yoga Alliance, Canada)
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Certified Breathwork Facilitator (1:1 & Group) - Breathwork by Jon Paul Crimi, California
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200 hr Yoga Teacher Traning - YogaRenew
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Yoga.Psyche.Soul (2015) - 120hr Yoga Psychology Speciality Certificate on the Psychology of Yoga - Ashley Turner (MA,LMFT)
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Level 1 & 2 EFT Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) Certification - AAMET International
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Level 1 & 2 Reiki + 35 hr Hands of Light Energy Healing Training - Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Fundamentals Program (2014) – University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
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Breathe to Heal - Max Strom
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Navigating Psychedelics for Clinicians and Therapists Certificate - Psychedelics Today
Laurie Oakes
MEDIUM, SPIRITUAL TEACHER & INTUITIVE COACH
Spirituality and mediumship have been interests and passions of Laurie's from a very young age. She can recall receiving messages and images and pondering her soul’s purpose and path in this life from a young age, seeking to find the answers to her questions about the meaning of life outside of this experience in a physical body.
Her interest in spirituality grew and she then met her mentor and good friend, Dagmar Butler. Through her time and dedication, Dagmar guided Laurie step by step in learning mediumship, channeling and spiritual teachings. She shared with Laurie God’s teachings and helped her to understand what it means to live a more positive and happy life. With Dagmar's help, Laurie learned how to communicate, channel God, and trust in following His Guidance.
In 2020, Laurie was honoured with the opportunity to work in the Dagmar Butler School for Spirituality as a channel for two years.
Laurie's soul’s purpose is to work as a medium and help to lift others, as she was. She is honoured to hear and receive God’s guidance in all areas of her life. She has experienced and learned that when you walk with Him, you walk on solid ground.