Turning Inward
a day of mindfulness and sound
Sunday, December 6th
11am – 7pm | South Swell
Led by Sasha Trope, with Martina Curci
Overview
The winter season naturally invites a slower pace and turning inward, yet is is often crowded with social commitments and holiday preparations. Finding the space to step away and simply check in with yourself can be difficult. This immersive retreat offers a dedicated full day of silence to explore mindfulness through meditation, gentle movement, and acoustic sound. By stepping out of your usual routine, you can settle deeply into the present moment.
Guided by continuous mindfulness practices, you will have the time to tune into your body and observe your thoughts with greater attention. Quiet contemplation allows you to engage with each moment fully, gently anchoring your attention whenever your mind wanders. A full day dedicated to this work allows you to move beyond brief, fleeting pauses and experience the true power of sustained awareness.
Open to all experience levels, this retreat is an opportunity to strengthen an existing practice or explore mindfulness for the first time. You’ll have the chance to rest, reflect, and sample practices you can integrate into everyday life, helping you carry clear intention into the winter months ahead.
The Journey
11am | Welcome + Entering Silence
We’ll begin with a welcome meditation and opening circle, giving you a chance to arrive, settle in, and set an intention for the day. Together, we’ll then enter a period of silence that continues throughout the day’s practices and ends with our closing circle.
12pm | Movement + Seated Meditation
Prepare your body for the day with an extended Kaula Tantra practice, known for its deep long-held stretches, followed by a period of seated meditation. You’ll have time to explore your mind and body in movement before shifting into stillness and observing what comes up for you.
2pm | Mindful Eating + Lunch
You’ll practice mindful eating over a nourishing plant-based lunch from Monsoon Himalayan Cuisine, served in the outdoor amphitheater.
3pm | Walking Meditation + Dharma Talk
The afternoon will include a walking meditation and a dharma teaching on mindfulness where you’ll explore how these practices can inform your daily life during the winter months ahead.
5pm | Sound Bath + Integration
As you shift into the evening, you’ll drop into an immersive sound bath, feeling the tones and vibrations of the instruments before settling into a final silent meditation. This time offers space to rest and integrate your experience of the day.
6pm | Closing Circle + Reflection
We’ll come together in a closing circle to formally end our silence and share reflections from the day.
Pricing
In Buddhist tradition, dana is the practice of generosity, rooted in the understanding that giving and receiving are an interconnected cycle. In keeping with Swell Gives and our commitment to supporting our community, Swell’s mindfulness program offers tiered pricing to help make our events accessible to more people, including those for whom cost may be a barrier.
Community Rate
$175
- A reduced rate reserved for those facing financial constraints, to ensure this practice remains accessible to everyone.
Sustainer Rate
$265
- Reflects the true value of the experience.
Generosity Rate
$315
- Reflects the true value of the experience.
- Supports affordability to those who would otherwise be unable to participate.
- Includes a complimentary class or buddy pass at Swell.
Hosts
Sasha Trope
Sasha brings a personal commitment to mindfulness to her teaching at Swell. Having participated in various silent meditation retreats, she has experienced firsthand how sustained practice can deepen one’s awareness of self and relationship to the broader world. These experiences have inspired her to share mindfulness with others through Swell’s meditation offerings.
She is a trained Work That Reconnects facilitator and is currently undertaking an EcoDharma Chaplaincy Program to deepen her own exploration of interconnectedness with one another and the natural world. She completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Durga’s Tiger School in Ecuador, where she specialized in Kaula Tantra, a practice that combines movement with extended periods of stillness and meditation.
Martina Curci
Martina is a trained music therapist who graduated from the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina and recently completed a music therapy internship in hospice care. She brings over five years of experience facilitating sound baths to her work at Swell.
Her work in music therapy and hospice care has shaped her understanding of the role sound and music can play during times of change and transition. She approaches sound as a way to support presence and attentive listening, allowing people to notice their own responses and experiences. She recently completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Durga’s Tiger School in Ecuador, specializing in Kaula Tantra.