The program is oriented toward embodiment. Every morning is Catalyst Training. This is a 3-hour embodiment class aimed at helping you connect to your body, stretch and strengthen your muscles, learn to move gracefully, and feel into your breath. This class will meet you where you are. Neva, the creator and instructor, is incredibly good at personalizing the class to work for each participant (see quotes below).

We have found that singing is a potent element of embodiment and finding your voice. Each day during our morning and evening practices we will sing together.  During most retreats, people also sing these songs throughout the day. Many participants say these songs help them bring their new-found wellness back into their home lives.

We will open and close our retreat with ceremonies. Ceremonies help us identify what is working and what isn’t working in our lives, call in changes we want to make, and mark transitions. We will practice having small ceremonies throughout the retreat, and hope to send people home with the tools to create their own ceremonies.

As is true for all retreats at the Art Monastery, you can also expect delicious food from our on-site garden, plenty of nature (including hiking and swimming), guided creative exercises, a sense of community, and meditation practice.

“My experience of Catalyst Training with Neva was a full mind, body, spirit nourishing and full contact experience. Neva’s shared wild vibrant energy is truly contagious.”

—Maria Pilar Pina, Alexandria, Virginia

“I’ve raved about my Catalyst Trainings since I experienced them at Art Monastery. Catalyst Training is like the dream blend, to me, of the best movement forms ever: intuitive dance, strength training patterns, muscle isolation challenges, and yoga. The way Neva creates the flow of movements shows a deep intelligence of the physical and emotional body. I experienced in myself and observed that Catalyst is incredibly accessible for a wide range of abilities and mobilities. All the while shaped by Neva’s substantial understanding of human anatomy and expertise in all these forms; she offered alternatives and adjustments to people throughout the session.”

—Becky Miller , Burlington, Vermont

“I’m a movement snob. I’m one of those people who feels like they know their body, they know what it wants, and they don’t like other people telling them what to do. But in Neva’s hands I’m putty; she’s one of the few people I really trust. Catalyst creates a container that allows me to give my body what it needs, while also pushing me to push myself. I achieved more than I thought I could, worked harder than I thought I wanted, and loved it way more than I thought possible. This isn’t “exercise” or “strength training,” it’s an expression of joy in sweat.”

—Shawn, Brooklyn, NY

“I am VERY picky when it comes to facilitated workouts. Finding just the right combo of cardio, stretching and SPACE to do my own thing has been a challenge for years. Working with Neva was exactly what my body needed. Get Catalyst on your calendar now!”

—Kaitlin June, Chapel Hill ,  North Carolina