SOU’WESTER EVENTS!
See what’s happening during your next stay or plan a visit around our free live music, workshops, wellness offerings and more!
Summer 2019 Wellness Retreat Series
The Art of Bright Leadership
with Gracie Koester
CANCELLED
Whether leading your own micro-biz, a crew, an organization, or just participating fully as an engaged team member–your work is to contribute your unique, powerful gifts and co-create conditions for others to do the same. The impact ripples across not only work, but life. You become both strong and fluid in leadership; adapting to change and enacting your vision. The results of Bright Leadership are thriving, joy, satisfaction, growth, and creativity.
This retreat will connect you to your core commitments, illuminate new ways to lead with ease and impact, and equip you with tools to reach greater reward. We will uncover your Highest Purpose, and draw lessons from Aikido and the roots of our humanness. We will hone your skills in seeing your ecosystem and optimizing the exchanges within, and channel your vision into inspiring goals with actionable, measurable metrics. You will emerge shining more brightly, doing more of your best work, and extending value and joy in your ecosystem.
- Connecting to our roots as biological beings
- Honing in on your Highest Purpose
- Identifying dimming cycles
- Setting inspiring & motivating objectives
- Working with an agile mindset
- Lessons from Aikido, yoga and meditation
Gracie Koester is a Business Geographer dedicated to helping individuals, organizations, and communities generate greater impact and reward. Trained to see in layers and interconnections, she has a knack for making the complex simple. She works individually and system-wide to connect dots–uncovering new insights and pathways to success.
Ecosystem thinking and agile strategy are central components of Gracie’s work, integrating a people-centered approach with a strong focus on metrics. She combines big picture thinking and attention to detail to help leaders and organizations design and implement nimble, powerful strategy and generate thriving cultures. The results enhance that sweet spot of productivity & creativity: brighter ideas, brighter work, brighter people.
Gracie is an experienced facilitator, speaker, listener, and consultant. She brings a decade-plus of experience coaching and consulting in the realms of agility, strategy, leadership, and team performance. Gracie has worked across industries, including healthcare, design, advertising, tech, retail, construction, and social impact.
At her core, Gracie is a lifelong learner. She holds a BA from Macalester, and has trained in Ecosystem Intelligence, The Master Moves, Leadership Embodiment, and Generative Leadership. She resides in Portland, OR.
SCHEDULE :
MONDAY
4pm arrive, settle in
5pm
Welcome; an invitation to Brighten
Agile warmups & new connections
Setting focus for the retreat
7pm dinner
TUESDAY
10am-1pm
Connecting to our roots as biological beings
Honing in on your Highest Purpose
Embodiment practice; lessons from Aikido
1-4pm
Lunch & reflection & self-guided rejuvenation
4-5:30pm
Identifying dimming cycles
Seeing and flowing in ecosystems
Illuminating exchanges
6pm
Highest Purpose meditation with Adrian
7pm dinner
WEDNESDAY
9-10am
Trio conversations & exchange
10-11am
Yoga w Adrian
11-12:30pm
Setting ‘Moonshots’ (inspiring & motivating Objectives)
Measuring with metrics that matter
12:30-3:30pm
Lunch & reflection & self-guided rejuvenation
3:30-5:30pm
Commitments as a listening act
Agile mindset & embodiment practices
5:30pm spa time
7pm dinner
THURSDAY
9-10am
Gratitude & Inventing the future
Commitments to Brighten
BEGINS: Monday at 5pm
ENDS: Thursday at 11am
COST: $300, plus lodging ($200 deposit reserves your space and is credited towards your total)
BRING: A notebook and pen, a comfy cushion and/or blanket for sitting, & a yoga mat, if you have one
BOOK ONLINE by clicking BOOK NOW (at top of page), enter the date range and the access code BRIGHT
*For SHARED LODGING OPTIONS please contact souwesterwellness@gmail.com
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Summer 2019 Wellness Retreat Series. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome.
Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/wellness/retreats to see the full schedule of retreats.
Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series
Sandalmaking with Rachel Sees Snails Shoes
We’ll explore every step of the sandal-making process, starting off by customizing trusted patterns to suit your own feet and design preferences. (Any design is possible: tying sandals, buckling sandals, or slides.) Then we’ll cut and assemble the leather pieces, paying close attention to fit and attach to a cushiony rubber sole. I’ll bring a wide selection of leather colors to choose from. You’ll be able to design and make any sandal as long as it has an open toe and an open heel. This class is hard work: be prepared to use utility knives, adhesive, hammers, wooden mallets, shoe anvils, and to get barefoot! The best part is, you’ll be able to replicate the process later on your own, with only a few basic tools.
My name is Rachel Corry and I make sandals and shoes in Portland, Oregon. I’ve been teaching sandal classes for 9 years. I believe that learning to make sandals is a great first step if you’re interested in making your own shoes. My brand, Rachel Sees Snail Shoes, began in 2010. Meeting a clogmaker in the UK first sparked my interest in shoemaking but it wasn’t until a fire in my apartment burned all my shoes (!) that I set out to learn to make my own, working to replace my favorite sandals one pair at a time. I drew upon the wisdom of various shoemakers, cobblers, and old books to help me along my way.
photo by Airyka Rockefeller
RACHEL SEES SNAIL SHOES makes simple, modern sandals- one pair at a time. RSSS believes in sustainable choices, working small, and empowering people to make their own shoes. Rather than creating just more products for the consumer market, I hope to make unique shoes that have a personal connection to their wearer. Whether you’ve made your own shoes in my class, or collaborated with me on a custom pair, I want my shoes to stand out as wearable art objects worn with pride and a knowledge of how they were constructed.
COST: $150 plus $100 materials fee (Please pay material fee directly to the instructor.) *SPECIAL NOTE: This class requires a deposit of $150 at the time of registration. Please no cancellations. If a student must cancel and does so before August 14th 50% of deposit will be returned. If the workshop is canceled for any reason we will refund 100% of the deposit to all students.
BRING: Wearing easy to slip on/off shoes is helpful. All supplies provided. Please bring a sack lunch and/or snack for lunch break around 1pm. Coffee and tea provided.
This workshop is for students age 15 years and up. 3 students min, 6 students max.
RSVP: via 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm *Please be ready to pay a deposit of $150 at time of RSVP.
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.
Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series
Women and the Frontier: Memoir Writing with Marianne Monson
In this writing workshop, we will discover some of the women who traversed Oregon’s frontiers with local author Marianne Monson. Through a variety of writing exercises, discussion, and on location prompts, we will explore the concepts of wilderness and frontiers in our own lives. The workshop will culminate in a class open mic for sharing original poems, stories, and songs.
Monson’s book Frontier Grit came out in 2016. It features twelve incredible pioneer women drawn from all corners of the globe who settled the American West who endured hardships, overcame obstacles, broke barriers, and changed the world. The book was nominated for the 2017 American Library Association Amelia Bloomer Award recognizing books that ”affirm positive roles for girls and women.” -Amelia Bloomer Project
“An invaluable contribution to American History shelves and utterly absorbing from cover to cover. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections.” -Midwest Book Review
”A compact, informative, briskly paced, emotionally rich, and eye-opening set of micro-biographies that will change truncated views of the West.” —Booklist
Marianne Monson is the author of ten books for children and adults, mostly centered on women’s history. She holds a BA in English Literature and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has two children and writes from a 100 year old house in the town of Astoria, Oregon. She has taught Creative Writing and English for a number of colleges, and currently teaches at Clatsop Community College.
COST: $40
BRING: a notebook and writing utensils. Please bring a sack lunch and/or snack. Hot tea and coffee provided.
This workshop is for all ages. 12 students max.
RSVP: via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.
Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series
Drawing as Seeing and the Acceptance of Chaos: A Sumi Ink Wash Drawing Workshop with Heather McLaughlin
Drawing is a way of seeing, a way of understanding, and an exercise. This drawing workshop will focus on pleinair (on-sight) observational drawing with the beautiful and chaotic material: sumi ink. The ink is an excellent tool to capture light and shapes, as compared to the way pencils and pens lead themselves to contours and patterns. This special ink has rich, deep blacks that are easy to swoon over. During this 4 hour workshop students will complete multiple small drawings. We will cover techniques for recording scale, light and shapes while practicing pleinair drawing skills and increase our understanding and mastery of the sumi ink medium.
Heather McLaughlin was born next to the Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore Maryland and relocated to Red Lodge Montana, on the north border of Yellowstone Park, in 1991. After high school, she continued west to Portland Oregon and continued her studies at Pacific Northwest College of Art, where she completed her Bachelors of Fine Art with a focus in traditional Printmaking in 2005. She served on the board of Flight 64 Studio (a Member-run Print Studio) from 2008 until 2014. She has managed the Printmaking Studio at PNCA in addition to teaching classes in the Continuing Education program. In addition to her art, Heather is a performer and production assistant, her main project is ROTTIES. Visit Heather’s website at hardcoremermaid.com
COST: $40 plus $10 material fee (Please pay material fee directly to instructor.)
BRING: Please wear clothes that you will be comfortable in outdoors that you do not mind getting art materials on. Please bring a snack if you’d like. Hot tea and coffee provided.
This workshop is for adults. 12 students max.
RSVP: via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.
Summer 2019 Wellness Retreat Series
Expansive Alignment: Committing to Your Vision
with Renee Sills
Just one week after the Autumn Equinox and supported by the auspicious beginning of a waxing crescent moon in Libra, we’ll gather together for an immersive exploration of Embodied Astrology and the personal and collective potentials of Jupiter’s upcoming transit through Capricorn.
Jupiter in Capricorn (December 2019 – December 2020) is an invitation to trust the future by actively shaping it. In astrology, Jupiter is a planet associated with optimism, good-fortune, vision, life purpose, broadening perspectives/horizons, philosophy, self-improvement and positive consciousness. Capricorn is a sign that helps us all to materialize on the earthly plane, confront and move through obstacles, grow stronger through challenges we face and manifest our ambitions. Jupiter’s transit through Capricorn happens once every twelve years, but in 2020 this transit will combine with several other long-term influences making it an important, and potentially pivotal time for personal and collective healing, transformation and development.
Regardless of your sun sign, each person’s natal chart includes Jupiter and Capricorn as active and important influences. Working with your own natal placements allows you to understand how this upcoming transit will affect you specifically and will give you clues, tools and timing for working most effectively with its challenges and opportunities.
This unique retreat combines astrological method and how-to, movement, meditation, somatic healing practices, and creative, intuitive journeying. You will:
- Learn practical skills for astrological chart analysis and gain a deep understanding of how Jupiter and Capricorn work in your natal chart.
- Be guided through intuitive and accessible mind/body explorations that will help reveal, clarify and synthesize your personal vision and life purpose, creative offerings and soul-commitments.
- Craft a personal manifestation design for the next year that works most effectively with the exciting and powerful astrology of 2020 and Jupiter’s transit through Capricorn.
- Enjoy a healing and regenerative retreat with a fun group of vibrant individuals on the beautiful Washington coast at a one-of-a-kind, female/queer-owned and operated retreat center where you can walk/cycle on the beach, use the Finnish Sauna, peruse the art gallery and pause in the wellness space!
Renee Sills is a multidisciplinary artist, consulting astrologer and embodiment coach/guide. She has worked with hundreds of clients and students worldwide who appreciate her unique insight and effective guidance. She specializes in crafting strategies for counter-culture success with artists, activists, makers, movers and visionary entrepreneurs. She offers astrology, embodiment and creativity as tools for cultivating and maintaining liberatory relationships, (re)generative occupations/vocation, and living in alignment with purpose, passion and integrated authenticity.
Renee is the author and producer of the Embodied Astrology podcast. She comes from a lineage of astrologers and intuitives. She has studied astrology in-depth for over 20 years and continues to train under experienced mentors. She has taught yoga and other movement forms for 15 years and holds several certificates in bodywork and energy healing. She has a BFA in Intermedia and CyberArts and an MFA in Art & Social Practice. She resides in Portland, OR.
SCHEDULE (subject to slight changes):
SUNDAY
3pm: Arrival and check-in
5 – 5:30pm: Welcome drinks and snacks
5:30 – 7pm: Opening talk, introductions and intention-setting for our work together in the retreat
7:30pm: Dinner at the Pickled Fish (optional, cost not included in retreat package) + sauna and free time
MONDAY
9:30 – 10am: Juice Flight Wellness Offering
10am-1pm: Embodying Your Vision – Exploring Jupiter’s astrological symbolism through meditation, movement, art and writing
1 – 4pm: Lunch and free time
4 – 7pm: Interpreting Jupiter in your chart: Understand how Jupiter works for you through its sign and house placements, disposter and planetary aspects
7pm onwards: Dinner on your own + sauna and free time
TUESDAY
9:30 – 10am: Complimentary coffee and tea
10am – 1pm: Clarifying Your Commitment – Exploring Capricorn’s astrological symbolism through meditation, movement, art and writing
1 – 4pm: Lunch and free time
4 – 5:30pm: Interpreting Capricorn in your chart: Understand how Capricorn works in your chart through its house rulership, natal planets and angles in Capricorn and Saturn’s placement
5:30 – 7pm: Synthesis – Interpreting Jupiter’s transit through Capricorn for your chart
7:30pm: Catered Dinner and evening lecture on important dates for Jupiter’s transit through Capricorn
9pm onwards: Sauna and free time
WEDNESDAY
9 – 9:30am: Complimentary coffee and tea
9:30 – 11am: Commitment to Vision – Embodiment practice and ritual
11am – 12pm: Prepare to depart (checkout at 12pm)
BEGINS: Sunday at 5pm
ENDS: Wednesday at 11am
RETREAT FEE: $250
**7 spaces are open to Sliding Scale, and are reserved for QTLGB+ and BIPOC only**
Sliding Scale suggestion:
$50-100 (greatest need)
$100-200 (mid need)
$200-300 (low need)
*If interested in Sliding Scale, please contact souwesterwellness@gmail.com
LODGING costs are separate from retreat fee. This is a nightly rate, individual to each room. Please see below how to book direct online.
DEPOSIT: $200 deposit reserves your space and is credited towards your total
BRING: Journal and pen/pencil, comfy cushion and/or blanket for sitting and a water bottle. Wear comfortable clothing
BOOK ONLINE by clicking BOOK NOW (at top of page), enter the date range and the access code ALIGN
*For SHARED LODGING OPTIONS please contact souwesterwellness@gmail.com
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Summer 2019 Wellness Retreat Series. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome.
Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/wellness/retreats to see the full schedule of retreats.
Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series
Intro to Oyster Mushroom Cultivation and Wild Mushroom Foray with instructors Holly Morgan and Jordan Weiss
Enjoy an informative afternoon of mycology!
We’ll start by sharing a basic intro to mycology and discuss the many amazing and different applications of mushrooms. An Oyster Mushroom Cultivation and Inoculation Demonstration by Pals Mushrooms owner/operator Holly Morgan will illustrate the workings of a sustainable urban oyster mushroom farm that you can recreate on a smaller scale at home. Buckets in various stages of growth after inoculation, from colonizing to fruiting will be displayed to illustrate the process and participants will see what primordia and pinners look like as they mature into full grown oyster mushrooms. Spawn will be provided for everyone to take with them after the demonstration. We’ll discuss the materials folks will need so they can cultivate their own mushrooms at home. These materials will not be provided and include a 5 gallon food grade bucket, substrate (straw or coffee grounds), a crock pot or pressure cooker to pasteurize with, a martha (basically a shelf covered in plastic to regulate C02 and humidity) in addition to the provided oyster mushroom spawn. This will be followed a talk and local Wild Mushroom foray by experienced mycologist Jordan Weiss as we move to identifying wild mushrooms. We’ll take a walk on the grounds and identify local species on site! Let’s talk resources, recipes, medicinal and other benefits plus how to find them and grow them! Join us.
Holly Morgan is the owner/operator of Pals Mushrooms, a small urban sustainable oyster mushroom farm in Portland, OR. Jordan Weiss, an experienced mycologist, has been interested in low-tech methods of mushroom cultivation for fifteen years and has given workshops and presentations in Oregon, Washington, Colorado and North Carolina.
COST: $30
BRING: Please bring a notebook, pen, and proper clothing for local mushroom foray/walk. Please bring a snack if you would like. Coffee and tea provided.
This workshop is for all ages. 20 students max.
RSVP: via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.
WEEKLY WELLNESS OFFERING
Self-Guided Chakra Balancing Aromatherapy
All are invited into our cozy Velvet Lounge in the lodge to choose a chakra that you would like to work on. Lounge, meditate and make your own chakra balancing aromatherapy spritzer to take home. Directions and pricing provided.
COST: various prices, depending on what you want to make, are listed in the lodge velvet lounge
RSVP: Call (360) 642-2542 at least 24 hours before this event so we can be sure to set out enough for everyone!
Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series
Spice Rack Remedies : DIY Kitchen Medicine for Common Ailments with Elyssia Maya Schaeffer
The contents of our spice rack, pantry and refrigerator offer much in the way of simple home remedies for the common ailment. That childhood cup of warm milk before bed and Grandma’s aloe plant for your summer sunburn were not just old wives tales! In this workshop, we will make DIY medicines for five prevalent health concerns – headaches, indigestion, rashes, eye irritation and sleeplessness while discussing why these simple solutions actually work. You will go home with a sample of each remedy and a deeper understanding of the herbal allies at your fingertips.
Elyssia Maya Schaeffer is a Certified Wellness Coach, Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Ayurveda & Yoga Teacher living in Portland, Oregon on her little slice of heaven affectionately known as “Schaeffer Family Farms”. When not health coaching, teaching workshops or managing the eclectic medicinary of a Naturopathic and Acupuncture clinic, Elyssia can be found reveling in the joys of her farmstead with her fun-loving husband, two cheeky chihuahuas, a sweet bunny and eight spunky Silkie chickens.
Elyssia believes everyone has the wisdom and power within themselves to make positive changes for their physical and emotional well being and truly enjoys supporting each person’s unique process in creating and putting into action the lifestyle habits that lead to the most balanced, vibrant, authentic expression of themselves.
COST: $30
BRING: All supplies provided. Please bring a sacklunch. A winter chai tea, homemade energy bars and fruit will be provided for snacks.
All ages welcome. 8 students max.
RSVP: via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.
Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series
DIY Screen Printing with Contact Paper Stencils with instructor Heather McLaughlin
Saturday Nov 9th noon-4pm
Sunday Nov 10th noon-4pm
Using tape and contact paper artists can create temporary screen printing stencils. This is a great way to make screen at home with little to no chemicals or equipment. In this workshop artists will create successful designs to cut, create the contact paper stencils by hand and pull a small set of prints. In addition to prints on paper, artists can also print on fabric or other flat materials. This workshop is a 2-day class: On Saturday students will participate in a stencil making and printing demo with work time. Sunday the instructor and all the materials will be available so students can complete additional or more complicated projects.
Heather McLaughlin was born next to the Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore Maryland and relocated to Red Lodge Montana, on the north border of Yellowstone Park, in 1991. After Montana, she continued west to Portland Oregon and continued her studies at Pacific Northwest College of Art. Heather completed her Bachelors of Fine Art in Printmaking in 2005. Since 2005 Heather has been teaching printmaking and youth arts classes in PNCA’s Continuing Education Program and a myriad of programs that partner with public schools like SUN and IRCO. Heather has also volunteered as an art instructor at Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls and served as the Director of Flight 64 (a member-run community print studio). In addition to her art, Heather is a musician, studio manger, performer and production assistant.
COST: $40 plus a $10 materials fee (Please pay material fee directly to the instructor.)
BRING: Please wear clothes that can get messy. Bring an art apron if possible. Students may also bring anything they would like to print onto aside from paper (like t-shirts, handkerchiefs etc.) Please bring a sack lunch and/or snack. Coffee and tea provided.
This workshop is for students age 16+. Age 11 -15 students okay with an adult partner. 12 students max.
RSVP via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.
Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series
Natural Fiber Dyes with instructor Kate Coulton
The natural world around us has an abundance of color to discover. We will use a variety of plants, including kitchen scraps and local plants, to learn the basics of natural dyeing. Each student will have the opportunity to customize their own unique dye bath to capture the essence of their experience at the Sou’wester. There will also be a walk to learn about plants in the area and their medicinal uses. On Friday night from 7-8pm there is an optional meeting to learn how to prepare the fibers for dyeing. Each student will be able to dye a mini skein of yarn or a silk bandana. *Please specify which you prefer upon registration.
Guided by the wisdom of the natural world and ancestral knowledge, Kate Coulton has forged an inspired career as a medicine maker, plant cultivator, educator, caregiver and artisan. The founder of Pinion Botanicals, Kate is driven by a reverence for the creative and therapeutic potential of all living organisms. Through collaborative projects that involve natural fiber dyeing, herbal remedy crafting, and personal empowerment, she encourages thoughtful interaction with the abundant flora of the Pacific Northwest. Her background in cultural anthropology instilled in her a deep respect for medical pluralism and influenced her current journey of becoming a certified nursing assistant. Gratitude and accessibility are at the core of her practice.
COST: $25 plus a $5 material fee (Please pay material fee directly to the instructor.)
BRING: Please wear clothing that can get dye on and is comfortable to walk in. Please bring a sack lunch and/or snack. Hot tea and coffee provided.
OPTIONAL FRI NIGHT 7-8pm MEET & GREET to learn how to prepare fibers
This workshop is for all ages. 20 students max.
RSVP: via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542 between 9am-9pm *PLEASE RELAY YOUR DYE CHOICE (YARN OR BANDANA) AT THE TIME OF RSVP.
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Fall/Winter 2019 Workshop Series. All classes are open to the public and all skill levels welcome. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/art/workshops to see the full schedule of artist-led workshops.