Next retreat: September 25-28, 2026

The Spiral Way: A Study of Self

September 25–28, 2026
Magnetawan, Ontario

The Spiral Way is a retreat for bodywork practitioners, somatic therapists, movement artists, facilitators, healers, and other caring professionals whose work involves presence, touch, attention, movement, and deep listening.

It is an invitation to step away from the speed and demands of everyday life and enter a slower rhythm.

The Retreat Experience

The location is serene and nature will guide this retreat.

There is time to notice the light, the water, your breath, the way your body feels when no one is asking anything of you.

The Spiral Way is grounded in the idea that we are always changing. We are shaped by memory, relationships, work, responsibility, and the roles we take on. But underneath all of that, there is still something in us that is alive, curious, and able to move in a new direction.

Over the retreat, we will slow things down.

There will be time to move, rest, make art, sit in silence, wander outside, and listen for what begins to surface when there is less noise.

Nothing has to be figured out. Nothing has to be fixed.

The invitation is simply to pay attention.

The Five Pillars

1. Returning to the Body

We begin with the body.

Through movement, breath, touch, anatomical exploration, and sensory awareness, you will be invited to notice what is happening inside.

A practice may begin with something very small: the movement of the ribs, a shift in weight, a hand wanting to reach, a place that feels tense, warm, tired, or alive.

The body often knows things before we have words for them. It carries memory, protection, longing, fatigue, and possibility.

You do not need to change what you find. You only need to meet it with attention.

For people who spend much of their time caring for others, this is a chance to turn that same care toward yourself.

2. Slowing Down in Nature

Nature has its own pace.

Light changes. Water moves. Wind passes through trees. Things shift without needing to hurry.

You may sit by the lake, walk without a destination, listen to birds, watch the light change, or stay with one tree, stone, sound, or patch of earth for longer than you normally would.

These longer periods of stillness and attention give the nervous system time to settle.

A memory may come. An image may appear. A feeling may move through. Or perhaps nothing dramatic happens, and you simply experience the relief of not needing anything to happen.

3. Slow Art and Creative Exploration

What you notice may begin to take shape through colour, movement, writing, sound, image, or natural materials.

You may draw, paint, write, gather objects from the land, create a simple movement, or stay with one mark or gesture for a long time.

Slow art is not about making something impressive.

It is about staying with the process long enough for something unexpected to appear.

There is no need to be an artist. There is no finished product you have to produce.

The value is in the attention itself.

4. Listening and Conversation

At different points, we will gather and speak together.

These conversations will be slow, honest, and spacious. There will be room for silence, and no pressure to fill every pause.

You will be invited to speak from your own experience and to listen without trying to fix, advise, or interpret.

For people who are often the ones holding space, this is a chance to be heard without having to perform a role.

5. Bringing It Together

Toward the end of the retreat, you will be invited to notice what has changed.

Perhaps something has softened. Perhaps a question has become clearer. Perhaps you feel more connected to your body, your creativity, or your own pace.

You may gather what has emerged through writing, movement, art, ritual, performance, or quiet reflection.

There is no need for a dramatic breakthrough.

Sometimes the shift is small: a little more space, a little more trust, a little more room to breathe.

The invitation is to carry that with you when you return home.

What You Can Expect

The Spiral Way offers a quiet and supportive space to:

  • Rest and step away from daily responsibilities

  • Experience periods of silence and stillness

  • Reconnect with your body, breath, and senses

  • Explore gentle, unhurried movement

  • Spend sustained and attentive time in nature

  • Engage in slow art and creative practice without pressure

  • Write, draw, make, wander, and reflect

  • Be witnessed without being analyzed or fixed

  • Listen to your own needs, questions, and inner wisdom

  • Return to your work with greater clarity, presence, and embodied trust

There will also be space simply to be: to sit by the water, take a quiet walk, rest, swim, read, observe, or do nothing at all.

This is not a retreat built around a fixed method, clinical model, productivity goal, or promise of instant transformation.

Instead, it creates the conditions for something quieter and more personal: time, space, attention, stillness, creativity, rest, and honest connection.

Each participant will be invited to follow their own process and engage at a pace that feels supportive.

Who Is This Retreat For?

The Spiral Way may be especially meaningful for:

  • Bodywork practitioners

  • Somatic therapists and practitioners

  • Movement artists and educators

  • Psychotherapists and counsellors

  • Facilitators and group leaders

  • Healers and wellness practitioners

  • Caring professionals whose work requires deep presence

  • Anyone drawn to embodied practice, slow art, nature, stillness, and self-exploration

Retreat Details

Arrival: Friday, September 25, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.
Departure: Monday, September 28, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
Location: 473 Rocky Reef Road, Magnetawan, Ontario P0A 1P0
Cost: $800, all inclusive

The cost includes accommodation, vegetarian meals, retreat programming, and facilitation.

Food allergies and other dietary needs will be accommodated.

A limited number of subsidies are available.

Facilitators

The Spiral Way is co-facilitated by Dorit Osher and David Grand.

Learn more about David’s work at:
https://davidgrand.ca

Inquiries and Registration

To ask questions or express interest, please email:

doritosher1@gmail.com or text at 519-435-1237

This retreat is small with a maximum of 8-10 participants. Please register early to hold a spot.

This retreat can be used for CCP requirements as ongoing professional and personal growth through your career.

Please email me if interested in the retreat for September 25-28, 2026

Join the interest list and I will contact you with more detailed information.