Dear Friends,
While on retreat at Feathered Pipe Ranch there are many ways to tap into your creativity. The place itself serves as a muse for many, providing space, beauty, and inspiration. The nature and location, the people, the food, the classes.
With spontaneous jam sessions at the bonfire or last night follies (talent-no talent shows), your musical tendencies may be awakened. You may get brought to your knees through a quiet moment gazing at the Milky Way or taking a hike. Sometimes you can’t help but write a poem about it.
Aside from spontaneous creative impulses we’d like to highlight that many of our retreats, in addition to yoga and movement, also offer components to consciously kindle creativity through the channels of music, chanting, singing, journaling, art, photography, poetry, and ceramics.
Photography, Art, & Writing: Baxter Bell and Melina Meza help you discover the world through a new lens including creative exercises using your smartphone camera, found objects and poetry. (And you never know when Baxter may pull out his violin during class.) Lanita Varshell and Diane Ambrosini include artistic journaling sessions, while Stacy McGinty and Teresa Gonzalez provide sound healing, journaling, and mandala art to help you in your journey of reflection.
Pottery/Ceramics: Lara Warren’s program includes pottery with three hands-on classes at The Bray, world-renowned ceramic arts center in Helena, Montana. Lara will interlink the mindful approach and skill required in both yoga, and pottery and how they mirror and complement each other. Participants will learn how skillful attention and movement can free one to intuit expression of self and manifest creativity in yoga, art, and life itself.
Music: At The Mindful Unplug, Matthew Marsolek and his musically-talented family (the Drum Brothers) share a sumptuous variety of heart-opening sessions built around participatory sound, rhythm practices, and voice awareness. Music. Rhythm. Joy. Meanwhile, the forest is filled with love as Nat Kendall leads his group in chanting and singing with harmonium music.
Being surrounded by nature and a group of cool human beings will undoubtedly spark your creativity.
Inspired@FeatheredPipe
Speaking of creative inspiration, we share some of the utterly cool works of art and music that were created at and/or about the Ranch through our Inspired@FeatheredPipe webpages. The latest treat for you is Wild Mountain Thyme — a song written at the Ranch and performed by Marianne and Randy Sutin — that is coupled with a film by Kai Lee. The music and fly-through film carry you on a journey through the forested camping area to the nature deck and stupa, gliding across the lake to reveal the Ranch buildings and zooming out to the expansive eagle’s eye view.
Scholarships-Reminder
For those needing financial assistance to come to the Ranch in 2024, please remember to apply by tomorrow Monday, February 26.
With love and gratitude,
Crystal Water
Executive Director of Feathered Pipe Foundation
*Featured image credits: Melina Meza