XYZ Artist Retreat | Wintering

WE INVITE YOU TO MOVE WITH PLEASURE

We engage in creative problem-solving and expression to learn from each other and our bodies as our teachers about pleasure, communication, resiliency, adaptability, compassion, and vitality.

WHO IS THE WORKSHOP FOR?

All of you with a desire to move and an interest in human development from diverse experiences, ages, and abilities.

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WHEN IS OUR WORKSHOP RETREAT?

Three retreats for three seasons:

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X -  November 17-19 | Falling 

Y -  January 12-15 | Wintering

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Z  - TBA | Summering

Three days to dive in:

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FRI -  3-7 pm

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SAT - 11 am-3 pm

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SUN - 11 am-3 pm

*Grief Gathering and Bonfire after the workshop on January 14th 

MON - 11 am-3 pm

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WHEN CAN I ARRIVE?

Please arrive EARLY so you have time to settle and enjoy our retreat home studio. We will begin on time. Late-comers will miss the boat - the ship sails 5 after the hour. 

WHY THREE DAYS AND THREE SEASONS?

We chose to gather for four days for four hours to have plenty of luscious time to practice and also socialize and continue the conversations. Instead of one long day, we invite you to leave the city, come to the woods, and allow your body to process and integrate the information over our weekender retreat. Then, go home and sleep! When we rest, that's when the real learning begins. Dreaming in REM sleep creates crucial connections for neuroplasticity and we are here for it! 

CAN I COME ONLY ONE DAY?

Yes, one day is better than none, but three is even better than one. Why? We build a full journey through the weekend. If you come for only one day, it will just be a nice taste, but wouldn't you rather have the full meal? You deserve more than a treat. A retreat should nourish you. 

WHY ONE EACH SEASON AND NOT WEEKLY?

We believe in daily personal practices and rituals. It makes it a richer experience when we come back together. A weekly class can be challenging to step away from the grind. We like the practicality of a module format so when returning for a full weekend, we get to dive deeper into what could be a transformational journey. If you want to join an invite-only open weekly practice, write Amy (amy@thetheorists.org). We also value a practice that mirrors cyclical seasonal living with a few months in between each season so participants and hosts have time to process their life experiences and bring new perspectives into the room when we gather again. 

CAN I ATTEND ONLINE?

This retreat is only in person. We do not offer a hybrid option at this time so everyone can be fully present in the room. 

We do offer online courses complete with audio, video, and written materials. To register please visit www.thetheorists.org/calendar or email amy@thetheorists.org.

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WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT AT WOOD HAVEN:

Our host is Wood Haven ATX, a private studio and sacred space in the woods of SW Austin. The studio floor is the finest wood, and there are big windows but no mirrors. Mirrors spoil the soul. On breaks, we congregate on the back porch. You can enjoy fresh rainwater to drink, tea from my garden, or hot cocoa for your delight. Sometimes we have a bonfire and look at the stars. Parking is free. Our neighbors across the fence and grove of trees are horses, donkeys, and deer.

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WHAT YOU CAN NOT EXPECT FROM OUR PRACTICE:

You won’t get everything the first time, or the 100th time. This way it is more fun! We don’t practice static workouts because being an expert in only one great system creates even greater deficiencies. We are not machines. We are human. The chaos of life is also what makes it beautiful. The fleeting nature of dance is what makes our time together meaningful. Learn to trust your intuition and non-linear ways of learning. We learn more together by asking questions and experimenting with how we can teach without a teacher. I will guide the sessions, propose ideas, and offer my 20 years of movement research, but ultimately your body is your teacher and it is up to you what you bring and what you get out of our session together. I am excited when the “student” surpasses the “master” and our multi-generational practice continues beyond what I could imagine.

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WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE FROM OUR PRACTICE:

X, Y, and Z are coordinates for how we navigate life and find our way back to ourselves through each season of life. Let's dive into more detail. More about XYZ at www.xyzatlas.com.

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X - 1st hour of pleasure and play

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We are guided through personal somatic practices with Amy Morrow using tools inspired by fighting monkey, cultivating qi, gaga, and Feldenkrais, with inspiration from Jesse Zaritt, Deborah Hay, Kira Blazek, Jason Akira Somma and most importantly, each other.

• We challenge our speed, dynamic variability
• We are body-positive and pleasure activists - there is no shaming
• Weaknesses are opportunities for growth and deeper understanding
• What is your biological make-up, physicality, and personal expression?
• How does your solo practice bring you back to a baseline, a zero point, a balance of kinesthetic potential?
• What is the unique experience of being yourself in your body?
• We rest and digest the research

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Y - 2nd hour of creation

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We play with partners and group dancing as a vehicle for communication through movement situations. We explore the anthropological art of hugging.

• The tools we explore in the first hour now help us compose and create our own emotional journey as both the mapmaker and the traveler
• You are a world maker - shape and be shaped by your dance
• Everyone has the option and agency to modify or adapt these games to their comfort level with boundaries, communication, & consent
• What is consent? A verbal or non-verbal yes means yes and no means no - clarity is liberating and kind
• Movement situations test our problem-solving strategies through playful games that keep us young and aging gracefully
• We rest and digest the research

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Z - 3rd hour of integration

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We connect what we find artistically to our daily lives and areas of interest. Showing up is the show - when you find an end, the game is to begin again. This is our XYZ Practice.

• How do you find an internal desire to go from XYZ to ABC and begin again?
• How do you practice returning to your practice and what keeps you inspired to keep showing up for yourself?
• How is the voice a fifth appendage that opens channels inside the body and reaches past where the body can?
• Please bring a pen and paper, we often incorporate writing and drawing practices.

SUNDAY GRIEF GATHERING​

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Our Grief Gathering this Fall Season is an open invitation for our community to hold space for grief with compassion, and empathy, and deepen our relationships.

Come as you are. Bring what you need to rest and grieve and we will be here to receive you at Wood Haven.

We will co-create offerings of song, dance, writing, and sound baths, that center our grief from a place of rest within our community. We will share food (potluck style) and gather around the campfire at dusk afterward.

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