Autumn Equinox Gathering with Modern ŌM
With Amanda Gilbert, Donato Helbling, Jonathan Marcoschamer, Soo Se Cho and Collin Goodine
September 22 - 25, 2022
The Autumn Equinox;
The Autumn Equinox is a time to tend and harvest; restore and rebalance. During this important transition, gather with your Miami community of seekers, wanderers, and dreamers. Together we will recalibrate, meditate, write, dance, listen, learn, relax and celebrate all that this new season will bring.
Only a short drive from Miami, ChoZen retreat center offers a beautiful escape into nature, and a wonderful opportunity to rejuvenate and connect with the community. You can expect daily meditation and movement classes, kayaking adventures in the St.Sebastian River Nature Preserve, permaculture gardening workshop & farm to table cooking, plenty of space to connect with each other and with nature, relaxing time in the sauna, pool, hot tub & cold plunge, and rituals to celebrate the Autumn Equinox.
Schedule
Thursday
Arrive on Thursday afternoon at 3:00pm, with time to settle into your accommodations before a nature walk at 6:00pm to explore ChoZen’s grounds and become acquainted with the land. We gather at 7:00pm for a bonfire and opening circle. Here we drop in with new friends, set our intentions for the weekend, and explore the significance of the Autumn Equinox. We move into a delicious farm-to-table, riverside Dinner at 7:30pm while we connect and prepare for an incredible weekend in nature.
Friday
Wake up to the sound of birds in a lush tropical jungle. Walk to the gathering tent in silence and sit for morning meditation with Amanda.
Next we tap into our inner wild with a Budokon movement class led by Donato. This combined practice of yoga, martial arts & calisthenics will leave you energized and activated for the day ahead. Make your way to the Cold Plunge for a ritual drop in with the group.
Head to brunch for a taste of Collin’s gourmet vegan cuisine, a fine dining experience that will leave you inspired. Afterwards we get comfy in the living room for a workshop with Amanda that dives into the magic of this Autumn Equinox.
Next, take a couple of hours at the spa – choose your bliss in the saline pool, sauna, cold plunge, saline hot tub or sign up for a massage. If a nature adventure is more your style, take out one of our kayaks on the breathtaking Sebastian River.
After family dinner, we relax into the sound waves of Yoni Marcos.
Saturday
Now we’ve found our flow. Deepening into stillness we meet with Amanda for our morning meditation, then effortlessly rise into movement with Donato for another inspiring Budokon class.
After a light and healthy breakfast, Join Soo Se, ChoZen’s Director of Permaculture, for an Autumn Harvest in our vegetable gardens. Start with plant identification walk, learn about permaculture and home gardening, then take your harvest to the kitchen.
Enjoy a quiet afternoon and choose your own adventure at the spa, on the trails, or quietly swaying in a hammock.
Carry what you’ve learned about food to the Farm to the Table in a Cooking Class at “Elements” – our off the grid kitchen with ChoZen’s world renowned Chef Collin. In this newly designed space located amongst the mushroom garden, you will learn the basics of Functional cooking. Chef Collin will teach you the true meaning of intention cooking and intuitive eating as it pertains to your body – empowering you to navigate a fast paced world while slowing down eating to ultimately create a healthier food relationship. Using classic cooking techniques, rooted in ancient medicine aided by Chef Collins simple philosophy, you’ll understand the Prana received from mother natures bounty to obtain longevity and balance in your life
We close the night with a Bonfire and Drum Circle led by Yoni, feeling activated and grateful for new and deepening connections with each other and the natural rhythms of nature.
Sunday
Before we part ways on Sunday, enjoy one last Meditation with Amanda and our Closing Circle. Now grab a smoothie and a bite to eat, and hit the road feeling refreshed and enlivened for the week ahead.
MODERN ŌM
Modern ŌM is a global community that explores mindful practices and wisdom. In Miami, we organize world-class programs and gatherings for the conscious community. Our latest endeavor is our LIVE + On-Demand digital platform that draws on the knowledge of 100+ expert facilitators. Our origins are as a family-owned product brand. We hand-make items of intentionality in North Carolina, which you can find on our website, Amazon, and discerning retailers. Modern ŌM has served over 10,000 ŌMies since April 2016 and has been recognized by Well & Good, LA Yoga Magazine, The Miami Herald, and more as a leader of the mindful lifestyle.
CHOZEN RETREAT
WHERE RAW NATURE AND ECO LUXURY INTERSECT
Set in the lush, sub-tropical environment of the 22,000 acre St. Sebastian nature preserve, ChoZen Florida is a gathering place for thought leaders, change makers, and community builders who seek reconnection to nature.
Find yourself among the spirit of the earth — the sun, the stars, the moon, the water, the animals, the elements. Located within the most biodiverse lagoon system in the Northern Hemisphere, this area is home to 10,000 species of flora and fauna and 35 endangered species, including the Florida Panther. It serves as a nursery ground and spawning for oceanic species, lagoon fish and shellfish, and regular sightings of wild turkeys, turtles, manatees, schools of dolphins, bobcats, and hawks are a part of daily life.
Come explore your relationship to our closest celestial neighbor, the moon, through movement, music, and meditative & healing practices. We will create the grace and space for harmonious transformation for each of us as individuals and for the group as a whole.
CHOZEN EXPERIENCES
Geodesic Domes |
St. Sebastian River Tours |
Walk the ChoZen Path |
Saline Pool |
Safari Tent Camp |
River Lounge |
Outdoor Showers |
Massages |
River Sunsets |
Indoor Villa |
Cold Plunge |
Gathering Tent |
Comic Fire Pit |
Bike Paths |
Cold Plunge/Spa/Jacuzzi |
COVID-19 POLICY
It is of our utmost concern to keep you safe and healthy while at ChoZen.
All guests will be required to take a complimentary Rapid Antigen Test administered by a ChoZen staff member upon arrival.
A 50% refund will be issued to those who cannot attend the retreat due to a positive COVID-19 test result.
About the Facilitators
Amanda Gilbert
Amanda Gilbert is a meditation teacher, speaker, lecturer of mindfulness at the University of Southern California, and the author of Kindness Now: A 28-Day Guide to Living with Authenticity, Intention and Compassion. Before dedicating herself to teaching full-time, Amanda was Center Director for The Aging Metabolism and Emotions Center at the University of California San […]
Learn more about Amanda Gilbert
Donato Helbling
Donato Helbling is a well-established leader in the Miami movement scene and a truly special man with a uniquely wide background. He has been studying and teaching Martial Arts, Yoga, Meditation, and Philosophy for over 15 years at Budokon University, served as the Movement Director for Aman Resorts, heads Human Development Labs - an incubator […]
Learn more about Donato Helbling
Jonathan Marcoschamer
Jonathan Marcoschamer (aka yoni marcos) is a percussionist and music producer that activates direct-to-headphone performances with his live looping, creating beats on the fly with both acoustic and electronic instruments like the handpan, djembe, synths, and samples. His intention for every live set is to flow and weave infectious grooves with ethereal ambients by introducing riffs, […]
Learn more about Jonathan Marcoschamer
Soo Se Cho
Soo Se is a native to Florida’s Treasure Coast. He is the Director of permaculture and adventure for ChoZen. Having been raised in community, he values bringing people together for the greater good. He has been growing food, practicing permaculture, and educating others for over 10 years. Subtropical fruit trees are one of his greatest […]
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Collin Goodine
Chef Collin is a passionate plant based Chef with over 27 years of Culinary experience in some of the world's best hotels and restaurants. As a youngster who grew up in a small farming town in Canada, learning the discipline of sustainable living and organic farming. This childhood fueled a desire in Chef Collin to […]
Learn more about Collin Goodine