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Mindfulness, Magic and Re-Wilding Retreat May 14-21, 2016, Sedona, AZ
“You were wild once. Don’t let them tame you.” ~Isadore Duncan 
This week in magical Sedona will be a celebration of the natural you. Inside each of us is a wild being who is naturally curious instead of fearful; who longs for connection with other beings and the natural world; who needs some spaciousness and quiet to be at peace.
Throughout the ages, Sedona has been the perfect place for wild tribes to gather; a place where magic is made; where like-minded and like-hearted people come together to cultivate the things that really matter and to invite the divine to dance. This will be a delicious combination of mindfulness retreat and exploration of Sedona’s gorgeous beauty, with the added bonus of your own re-wilding photo session with award winning artist Bon Miller. The daily flow: Mornings: Mornings will be spent at our gorgeous and peaceful retreat center, Grace Grove, which is perched right on Oak Creek. These will not be ordinary mornings. 
We’ll do some gentle yoga, mindfulness practice, guided imagery, gentle inquiry and other practices to help you tap into your own stillness, peace and wisdom. Specific practices will be offered to enhance the mind-body connection and strengthen positive emotions. We will start our days with poetry (to open our hearts and help set the stage for magic to happen) and gratitude for all that is going right. We will set intentions, explore our deepest places and share what really matters. All of this will be an invitation and you’ll be encouraged to honor your own rhythms. Maybe you will be called to sit by the creek, wander through the woods, or lie in bed with your journal…you will decide what’s best for you moment by moment, and you will have many delicious options to choose from. We are here to support you on your journey. 
Afternoons: A vegetarian lunch will be served. After lunch, we will head out into the red rock beauty of Sedona to explore the natural world. We will experience some of the magic that Sedona has to offer including:
- some of the vortex sites.
- relatively short hikes (2-3 hours) to experience the beauty of the backcountry
- oak creek and red rock crossing for sunset
- the stunning Chapel of the Holy Cross
- Amithaba Stupa and Peace Park
- Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village
Evenings: We will eat most dinners at one of the local restaurants, including ChocolaTree Organic Oasis and Picazzo’s Organic Italian Kitchen. Sedona has been named one of the few remaining “Dark Sky Communities” left in the US because there is so little light pollution. This means that it gets very dark at night (as it should in the wild!) and that the skies are phenomenal and breathtaking. We will return to the retreat center after dinner where we can enjoy star-gazing from the roofdeck and spend some quiet time. Our Sanctuary: To learn more about Grace Grove and our fabulous roof deck, yoga studio, and more, and to see some gorgeous photos, click here. 
Sedona: Sedona has been a muse for Erin and Bon (and many others) for many years. With her red sandstone formations set near the cool waters of Oak Creek and underneath deep blue skies, Sedona is a stunner. Millions of people come each year to experience what USA Weekend has called “The Most Beautiful Place in America.” Many feel this is a sacred spot and Sedona has been calling mystics and magic-makers to her for centuries. This is the perfect place for our mindful, magical, re-wilding journey. 
Your Re-Wilding photo shoot with Bon Miller: This will be your chance to shine. Under Bon’s watchful eye and with her gentle guidance, you will lose your self-consciousness and inhabit your full magnificence. As you romp and play, she will capture the intoxicating and magical light of Sedona as it interacts with your physical form. You can get as wild and playful as you want. Props, headdresses, costumes, and adornments of all types will be welcomed…as will nothing extra at all. Bon will work with you before and during your session to some up with something bold and beautiful that captures your uniquely wild spirit. As you can see, she has a style that is all her own. 
Come solo and make a tribe of new friends or share this adventure with your partner: 
You will go home with a high resolution digital image, an artful portrait that is an unforgettable visual representation of your embodied beauty and wildness (downloadable online via email and online gallery for convenient sharing, printing, and enlarged canvas orders).
Your Guides: 
Erin Sharaf is much bigger than her body gives her credit for. This is a woman who will surprise you with her big vision and ability to conjure up practical magic. Her calm exterior belies a fierce and fiery core that is unafraid to give voice to that which she knows to be true. She tends to this fire with her mindfulness practice and by surrounding herself with other magic-makers. She is a chameleon and shapeshifter who wants to experience the full 
richness of a human life and refuses to subsist on crumbs. She is fueled by periods of stillness alternating with adventures that delight and enrich the senses. Erin is equally as comfortable on a 10-day, silent retreat as she is dancing the night away in Buenos Aires, tracking snow leopard in the Himalayas or climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. She loves to bring others along for the joy ride. For more information about Erin, click here. 
Bon Miller is the badass visionary that we all want living next door. Sexy, defiant, fully alive and incredibly capable, Bonnie has always marched to her own drummer. Whether flying airplanes and helicopters in and out of the southern California mountains, racing mountain bikes or training horses, Bonnie brings her own unique flair and style to the party.
Her current passion is creating artful photographs in the breathtaking natural world and her huge talent quickly catapulted her to the top of her field. Her award-winning photos are whimsical and unforgettable. She is as kind and playful as she is fierce and a session with her feels like a date with your favorite girlfriend-except at the end of it you’ll have a piece of art (starring YOU) that will blow your mind. For more information click here. To see a video of Bon at work, click here.
Please click here for some FAQs and other stuff you need to know if you’re joining us. You belong here: If you’re still reading and this is speaking to you in some way, please reach out. We are certain that we will attract the right blend of brave, bold, vibrant, adventurers to this gathering and if one of them is you…let’s talk! Give yourself a Mother’s Day present. This will be limited to 8 people. If you are interested, fill out our retreat intake form and email Erin (Erin@erinsharaf.com) to arrange payment. Pricing: $1,995 per person for shared room (2 twin beds) $2,300 for private room 
“I thoroughly enjoyed a recent mindfulness retreat with Erin. Although I hadn’t met her or any of the other participants previously, I immediately felt welcomed and at ease. I was comfortable sharing my thoughts and emotions as they arose because Erin created a setting of openness and trust. She skillfully organized a perfect balance of daily practice, healthful meals, quiet reflection, and optional activities with fellow retreatants amidst a stunning setting. It wasn’t easy saying goodbye to everyone as the retreat came to a close – a sense of friendship and interconnectedness had developed in our short time together.” ~Nancy Mackenzie; Growing Mindful Facilitator of Mindfulness in Education Bristol, Vermont
To read about the magic that showed up on the last retreat, please click here.
