Somatic Based Compassion Retreats

RETREAT DETAILS

Head & Heart combines Neuroscience teaching, Nature Immersion, Yoga practice, & farm to table meals for an unforgettable learning experience. Cultivate a sustainable neurobiological shift towards compassion & healing anxiety, stress, and trauma.

Next Scheduled Retreat September 19th - 21st, 2025. See below for retreat details and click here to read through training curriculum.

Receive 12 Continuing Education hours for licensed professionals, or leave with a certificate in Compassionate Leadership, taking this beyond your personal life into family, community, and work settings.

Overview

WHAT

A weekend of learning The Art of Somatic Healing with Ellen Slater. Alongside Ellen’s teaching enjoy farm to table meals, morning yoga, and nature immersion. A getaway in the center of a beautiful riverside mountain town.

COST

$925 includes farm to table meals, yoga, The Art of Somatic Healing Training, a Compassion Leadership Certificate &/or Continuing education hours. (Travel & Lodging not included)

WHERE

The entirety of the event will be held in the beautiful light filled Head & Heart studio at 104 Riverside Avenue, Winthrop, WA. Accommodations not provided, see below for walkable lodging.

What To Expect

4 MINDFUL & COMPASSION BASED YOGA CLASSES

Friday 6:30-8:00 PM | Mindfulness & Restorative Yoga with Ellen Slater
Saturday 8-9:15 AM | Gentle Yoga with Sofia Christensen
Saturday 5-6:30 PM | Compassion Based Mindfulness with Ellen Slater
Sunday 8-9:15 AM | Gentle Yoga with Sofia Christensen

2 DAYS OF THE ART OF SOMATIC HEALING TRAINING

Saturday 10:00- 3:00 PM | Interactive lecture and experiential practice
Sunday 10:00-2:00 PM | Skill building, Q & A, and overview of tangible, evidence based tools

CRYSTAL SINGING BOWLS

Sound healing will be woven into the yoga and workshops throughout the weekend. Sound has the power to calm the nervous system, release tension, and support relaxation. Our body consists of over 70% water, and sound travels through water 4 times faster than air. The sound moves through you; harmonizing body and mind and aiding in stress relief.

SMALL GROUP SIZE TO PROMOTE DEEP LEARNING

Retreats are limited to 10 participants to foster connection and leave ample time for the natural flow of learning. Lecture will be interactive and experiential, along with case examples and long sessions of Q&A. The container of safety and ease that forms within a weekend is astounding, come share sacred space and grounded practice.

ORGANIC FARM TO TABLE MEALS

Seasonal Farm to Table Breakfast & Lunch grown and prepared by our lovely friends at Hoodoo Blooms Farm.

FREE TIME FOR RESTING OR EXPLORING

During your free time enjoy the majestic valley and town of Winthrop. Just steps from our retreat center are two magnificent rivers, endless hiking trails, and glacier fed lakes. Recommendations and maps provided.

THE VENUE

Retreats are hosted In Winthrop, WA at the Head & Heart Retreat center, cradled in the North Cascade mountains and nestled alongside two merging rivers. With 10 windows, bamboo floors, and a living wall, our space is a sanctuary in the wild. Find out more about our space here.

  • “Ellen’s retreat was nourishing on many levels. The community nourished my heart, the teachings strengthened my practice, and the mindfulness filled my soul. Ellen truly intertwines her professional psychological expertise with grounding physical practices. The application is palpable and immediate with gentle guidance to integrate into future mindfulness practice and growth.”

    — Anne, September 2022 Retreat

  • “The workshops really help challenge the idea that compassion is weak or letting ourselves or others off the hook. Loved concept of compassionate willpower and metaphors for defusion. This was an amazing respite and opportunity to grow as a human and as a clinician.”

    — Participant September 2021

  • “Ellen's guidance is life giving. Her words help you find your breath and way back to a peaceful center.”

    - Ashley, Mindfulness Student

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“This retreat is remarkable and transformative personally and professionally. Ellen truly is a gifted clinician and presenter. I thought “I knew what there was to know” about self-compassion before the retreat and I was surprised by how much new insight I obtained.”

— Participant, September 2021 Retreat

*CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY: Cancellations up to 60 days prior to program start date receive a full refund. Cancellations up to 30 days prior to the start date, receive 50% back. Anything under 30 days prior to start date, there will be no refund.

Meet Your Hosts

Ellen Slater, LICSW, YT-200

CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER & MINDFULNESS TEACHER

Ellen is a compassion expert with a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and a master's degree from the University of Chicago. Specializing in trauma, anxiety, and substance use, she combines yoga teaching and extensive training in neuroscience and compassion with many leaders in the field including Kristin Neff, Tara Brach, Bonnie Badenoch, Bessel van der Kolk, Eckhart Tolle. Ellen's mission is to spread evidence-based compassion practices through experiential learning and education.

Sofia Christensen, YT-500

YOGA INSTRUCTOR

For Sofia, yoga has been the foundation of her well-being for as long as she can remember. This beautiful practice has been the vehicle through which she found clarity of mind, support of the body, and soothing of the spirit. With a heart-centered approach and an overall message of wholeness, Sofia sees yoga as an invitation to return to the heart – a path for coming home to our true nature. Sofia’s calming energy, and skillful guidance, will leave feeling grounded and in touch with your heart.

Chloe Rossano, FTF (farm to fork)

CHEF EXTRAORDINAIRE

Chloe Rossano will be making you healthy, delicious farm to table meals. Your food will come from Hoodoo Blooms Farm. Farmers Kyle and Cailyn tend the food with so much heart and Chloe cooks it up! From her delicious homemade Cacao Honey to her warm broth from chickens raised on the farm, Chloe will help you experience a deep connection to your food and a renewed energy.

We Can’t Wait to Connect With You

“The yoga was amazing and content of the lectures and other experiential exercises were excellent. Very well organized and I appreciated the integration of so many different modalities. The whole thing was a lovely sensory experience.”

— 2021 Retreat Participant

Where to stay

Book early - this is a stunning destination and each season hotels fill up!

The Head & Heart studio is located in town, walkable to the above hotels and many more! Contact us if you have questions.

“This training really solidifies the importance of an “embodied” or experiential practice of self compassion to deepen integration and promote healing. Ellen synthesizes the research and breaks down the most important concepts in an accessible and applicable way. This was a remarkable experience and I can’t recommend it highly enough! ”

— 2021 Retreat Participant

Carve out the time.

You deserve this.