Curated and facilitated by Jade Beall and Michelle Marks
Thursday, October 20th – Sunday, October 23rd 2022
Come spend three nights at the beautiful Aravaipa Farms Inn for an intimate, revitalizing, and nourishing retreat with your beloved. Delight in the exquisite canyon, and the balm of nature and her rejuvenative splendor. In Southern Arizona, about 70 miles from Tucson you will be surrounded by spectacular scenery, inclusive of nature trails, water running through, and wildlife. The conditions are idyllic to soften the system and settle into an opportunity for deeper understanding and connection with self and other.
Gorgeous meals from both local chefs/caterers, and some portions of our meals will be sourced from Aravaipa gardens, a fireplace in each casita, swimming pool, and a beautiful landscape host the space for you to have a memorable retreat. Our time together will have all the elements for you to both enjoy conscious activities, and also time for stillness and remembering how to simply be.
Your retreat will include morning movement and meditation, daily programming for learning practices of self and co-regulation, compassionate listening, and kindling the flames of deeper connection through dyad work, small group discussions, and exercises for moving deeper than the surface. This experience is an opportunity to play and steep in pleasure, and the erotic of your aliveness, as you weave in and out of the being and the doing. We believe our intimate relationships must be tended to. We believe that while we may all crave the experience of being known, most of us haven’t learned how to show up in that way for ourselves or other with the considerations of modern day romantic notions, and the quickening tempo of daily life. This retreat will host a big container for you to drop in and take sweet care of your lovership/your friendship. While we absolutely make a space of feeling held, we will also be reaching into the realm of going beyond our edges so we may look at patterns that get in the way of growing ourselves on all levels more fully. We also recognize this is a life’s journey. *There will be no nudity, or sexual content within the group.
Each couple will get to capture their playful, and their wild, and their moment in time with a coveted photo session with Jade Beall. Her work is the definition of body positive and a reclamation of the sacredness of being seen and celebrated as we are. Clients travel from around the globe to be witnessed by Jade’s lens and for good reason. Her passion for igniting the aliveness in her clients so they may wake up to their inherent beauty is contagious. Each session will be unique to the couple and their desires.
Facilitator Michelle Marks has been leading workshops and retreats for 20 years. Her treasure in the world is offering experiential practices for individuals, couples, and groups that bring us all back to the humanity that is at the center of all things. Her work is a revolution in the healthcare system, as it gives one the chance to remember the organic intelligence of one’s own organism and the incredible existence that can be lived when we learn how to flow with life better, inclusive of all that arises. Michelle’s style is unique and accessible creating an environment in which you can’t help feeling more empowered, embodied, and tender at the same time. And she always loves to throw in dollops of just how sexy it is to show up and build the musculature of relationship.
Your retreat will include three nights lodging, eight gourmet meals (including breakfast in your own casita), coffees/teas/lemonade throughout day, sit down lunch and dinner, morning movement and meditation practices, daily contemplations, programming throughout the retreat for cultivating practices of intimacy and connection. Take aways for how to communicate better and how to be more care-full within your dynamic relationship. There will be time for creek walks, and water dips, hiking the exquisite desert trails, and looking upon the orchards or simply reading and resting. Each couple will have a personal photoshoot during their stay, inclusive of their whole gallery of digital negatives. And each couple will have access to download all of the post edited 100+ images.
Guests are welcome to arrive anytime after 3pm on Thursday 10/20 and rooms will be ready by 4pm, dinner will be served at 6pm, and we will begin our collective experience at 7pm. Retreat will end Sunday 10/23 at 10am. Most all food allergies and dietary restrictions can be accommodated. We will be served an omnivore’s menu. *Please contact Orchards directly to give ample time with any food requests/restrictions. While we invite our guests to make the choice to have a glass of wine with dinner, this event is asked to be a substance free experience as we want our participants to be as fully present as possible.
Options for your included photoshoot prior to event or just after or an additional experience (at an extra cost) at Jade’s Tucson studio the Wednesday before retreat or the Monday or Tuesday after (just make this known upon registration). And Michelle will be available for live private couple’s sessions on the Monday or Tuesday post retreat, or follow up sessions to continue the work (virtual available).
This retreat is open to any couple ready to be in a group setting that asks for courage, vulnerability, inclusivity, and a conscious environment for all participants. LGBTQI inclusive. Space is limited to eight couples to maximize the setting and cocoon.
Couples may choose their preference for lodging/casitas on a first come basis, prices vary. Once registered, there will be a first come choice as well for timing of photoshoot. *we believe all of the lodging is wonderful, and there is no wrong time to be in front of Jade’s camera
Pricing is per couple for your all inclusive for entire retreat: lodging, food, taxes, facility gratuity, photo shoot, programming
*Please email michellehollymarks@gmail.com to reserve your room and make payment arrangements (check, Zelle, Venmo, PayPal). Payment plans available upon request. We will update this site to keep you posted on what is still available.
RESERVE by JUNE 1st and get $200 off
The Blue Door Casita $3,287 *No longer available
The Mountain Casita $3,347
The Garden Casita $3,380 *No longer available
The Orchard Casita $3,347
The Treehouse Casita $3,407 *No longer available
The Strawbale Master Suite $3,347
The Airstream $2,867
Daily Schedule (stay flexible as all life subject to change):
Arrive Thursday 10/20 3pm
Dinner 6:00-7:00pm
Relationship Program (RP) 7:00-8:30pm
Friday 10/21
*In room breakfast at your leisure
Morning Embodiment Practice/Meditation/RP 9:00-11:30am
Lunch 12-1pm
RP 2:30-4pm
Dinner 6:30-7:30pm
Pleasure and Play 7:30-9pm
Saturday 10/22
*In room breakfast at your leisure
Morning Embodiment Practice/Meditation/RP 10-12:15pm
Lunch 12:30-1:30pm
Dinner 6:30-7:30pm
Closing Circle 7:30-9:00pm
Sunday 10/23
*In room breakfast at your leisure
Check out 10am
Aravaipa Farms COVID-19 Policies – In addition, we would ask our participants to either have a Covid Vaccine, or a negative Covid test from within 48 hours of arrival. We will be doing our programming outside with conscious distancing, and eating our meals distanced as well.
*Cancellation Policy – full refund less $300 processing fee before 8/1, 50% refund given if cancelled before 9/1, after that there will be no refunds given (even for Covid). In this time of Covid we encourage participants to purchase trip insurance. There are many reasonable options available that cover all reasons for cancellation, including sickness/covid. Here is a list of possible plans.
Please reach out for any further information: michellehollymarks@gmail.com