Wattle Hollow Retreat Center

Joe Neal (a.k.a. Baba Joe the Birdman*)

Yes, our dear Joe has retired, and decided to “spice up” his image a bit
But he’s still the recognized NWA expert on birdwatching and birdcalls, in particular. Everyone is invited to join us at the top of the Wattle Hollow driveway at 8 a.m. Or, if you don’t wish to arrive that early, at the main classroom at 10 a.m. before we head down into the creekbed.

No charge, everyone is welcome. Bring binoculars if you have them, but not necessary, and a potluck dish to share at noon, if you like.

Tags: birdwatching, Joe Neal, nature walk

A one-day silent Vipassana retreat, for both beginners and sangha members.

This is a chance to slow down, renewing your commitment to silence and spaciousness in the sanctuary of Wattle Hollow.

Dharma Day - Sunday, April 19th 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Meditation and yoga will be guided by Joy Fox.
Cost: by dana (donation)

Tags: Buddhist, meditation, silent retreat, Vipassana retreat, yoga

Cindi Cartwright will combine her 30 years of experience as a Massage Instructor and Yoga teacher in this Yoga / Spa weekend retreat.

Relax?! The good news is you are hard wired to relax. Learn the basic physiological and biochemical principles of relaxation and how to achieve them through restorative yoga poses.

Participants will also explore a variety of spa therapies including massage and reflexology with plenty of time for journaling, sharing, and strolling through the Ozark woodlands.

This popular weekend workshop returns every year by popular demand so sign up early

Cost: $145. (includes lodging, food and workshop)
Retreat Registration Form

Tags: cindi cartwright, retreat, spa therapies, yoga

May 15 - 17, Friday 6 p.m. - Sunday 3 p.m.

This will be a deeper immersion into silence and mindfulness, utilizing Buddhist meditation, automatic writing, and the practice of yoga.

Led by Joy Fox, founder of Wattle Hollow.
Cost: dana (donation).

Retreat Registration Form

Tags: Buddhist, Joy Fox, meditation, retreat, yoga

Jack Williams and Still On The Hill

May 29-31, 2009 - Music Workshop Weekend

Spend three days in the Heart of the Ozarks
and experience an eclectic, organic approach to creating music
in a provocatively creative atmosphere.
A weekend of musical exploration and growth.

Registration fee of $250 per person
includes rustic lodging, healthy gourmet meals, and…

* An intimate concert by Jack Williams and Still On The Hill
* Nature walks
* Open mics, song swaps, quiet time to write and create
* Inspiration and camaraderie
* Catering by Chef Tuesday
* Work

We are very happy to add our friend, singer/songwriter Chuck Brodsky, as our first guest teacher at the May retreat (5/29-31, ‘09). Chuck will help us lead the Saturday sessions at the workshop and will join us for the evening song-circle.

We unanimously chose Chuck because we all agree that his approach to music-making and songwriting so closely parallels that of the three of us - a “holistic” approach, if you will, which is founded less on technical considerations than upon the personal reality of the music and lyrics.

Explore Chuck and his music at www.chuckbrodsky.com - we think you’ll like it!

Space for the weekend is limited to 20-24 people - if you are interested please don’t wait to sign up. For more information or to make your reservation, contact Judy by phone at (205)572-0056, (479)761-0001, or email at judy@jackwilliamsmusic.com

Plan to arrive in time for dinner on Friday evening and stay through lunch on Sunday.

Tags: concert, jack williams, music workshop, song-writing, still on the hill

Celebrating the Warrior Goddess Oya

…. Heather says: “The Orisha Oya is associated with cemeteries as well as marketplace transactions! She can transform into a buffalo. She calls tornadoes and forked lightning. She is sometimes called “the tearer.” Kind of a scorpio-esque character. And her colors are dark maroon and a rainbow of 9 colors together.”

About Heather Chappell

Heather Chappell teaches popular and folkloric Afro-Cuban dance. Along with rhythm and correct placement, she draws her students attentions to the contrasting elements of controlled/free, feminine/masculine, and joyful/aggressive expressions in dances including the orishas, pal, rumba, conga and son.

In Cuba, she apprenticed under Cuban cultural historians, playwrights, actors, musicians and professional dancers at Cutumba Ballet Forlkorico.

After studying dance at Duke University, Lakota Indian Reservation, the University of Washington and Los Angeles, she found her true match in the eclectic Cuban mix of French, Spanish, Haitian and West African heritages. (And she adds, there is a bit of Scottish and Tahitian flavor that she cannot do without.) A Master of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology helped her to make sense of all of this.

Herself a product of an Arkansas cotton farmer and a theater director, Heather has combined the earthy and the dramatic in perhaps unlikely places. She took oral histories of wacipi dancers and studied with yuwipi prayer-song musicians. She has taught dance in Compton, CA’s middle schools and worked with South Asian immigrant teens to create dance works in Seattle, WA.

Heather presently serves as the dance instructor at Benton County School of the Arts.

Cost: $100 includes food and lodging.

Retreat Registration Form

Tags: afro-cuban, dance, goddess celebration

July 23 - 28th (Thursday, 10 a.m. - Tuesday, 1:30)

Joy Fox and friends will demonstrate:

*natural healthful cooking
*solar cooking and baking, with a solar oven
*daily yoga classes
*cobbing - the ancient, but recently revived technique of adobe mounding for construction. We will be working on an outdoor project near the cob castle.

This week-long workshop is definitely a hands-on experience! You may join us for any portion of this retreat, but please reserve ahead.

Cost: $200 for everything, or $40/day (Some trades possible.)
Retreat Registration Form

Tags: cobbing, green, healthy food, retreat, yoga