Spring Awakening Day Retreat with Emily Morrison & Special Guests
Saturday, 3/22 I 10 am - 3 pm
Early Bird (By March 1st) $300
After March 1st: $350
Financial assistance available upon request
Step into the vibrant energy of spring with a retreat designed to nurture, educate, and empower. Rooted in the cycles of nature and the wisdom of Chinese medicine, this immersive experience connects you with the season’s essence while providing treatments for renewal and tools for ongoing self-care.
Spring corresponds to the Wood phase, a time of growth, renewal, and vision. This phase governs both the liver and gallbladder organs and their channels. The liver is responsible for the smooth flow of qi and blood, supporting planning, vision, and emotional balance. The gallbladder aids in decision-making and courage. The liver and gallbladder channels are pathways that distribute the energy and influence of these organs throughout the body. Imbalances in these channels can manifest as physical or emotional symptoms related to their corresponding organs. Together, they embody the upward, expansive energy of spring and help us navigate life’s transitions with clarity and flow.
What to Expect:
Intention Setting: Begin with reflection and goal-setting to align with the energy of renewal and growth.
Qigong and Meditation: Gentle practices to cultivate flexibility, balance, and connection with spring’s rising energy.
Integrated Treatments: Experience acupuncture or acupressure paired with craniosacral therapy, delivered by skilled practitioners, Emily Morrison & Erika Forsell, to support the liver and gallbladder channels, release tension, and harmonize your energy for the season.
Chinese Medicine Education: Explore the spring/Wood phase, the roles of the liver and gallbladder organs and channels, and their influence on physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Learn how living in harmony with nature’s rhythms fosters balance in daily life.
Self-Care Techniques: Gain hands-on experience with acupressure points and manual therapy techniques to support yourself and your loved ones at home.
Seasonal Nourishment: For lunch, enjoy a carefully crafted menu by SonyaJoy Key of Wild Appetites of spring-inspired foods designed to harmonize with the Wood phase. Food allergies, sensitivities and other needs can be accommodated with notice.
Sample Spring Menu: Supporting the Wood Phase
Sprouts and bamboo shoots salad with early mint dressing
Goat's cheese or cashew creamed mixed greens, including dandelion
Lemony chicken or chickpea soup with leeks, celery, and over-wintered root vegetables
Mixed brown and wild rice with scallion
5-spice honey oat shortbread cookies
This retreat blends treatment and education, offering attendees a unique opportunity to receive care, learn practical tools for daily life, and deepen their understanding of Chinese medicine’s wisdom. Leave feeling renewed and empowered to cultivate harmony and balance through the practices and insights shared.
Emily Morrison, LAc, MAOM is the founder of, lead practitioner and instructor at Valley Spirit Acupuncture & Internal Arts in Beacon, NY. At 18 years old, Emily had been encouraged by her first martial arts teacher, Jay Leslie, to explore the healing arts. The training she did with him altered her life forever. She began her work in holistic medicine through massage therapy after graduating from The Florida School of Massage in 2005.
Emily went on to complete her Master’s Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MAOM) in 2015 through the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, OR. She is licensed to practice Acupuncture and other forms of Chinese medicine in New York.
Emily had the privilege of training with the North American Tang Shou Tao Association (NATSTA) from August 2008 until February 2023, within which she also studied Chinese medicine. Emily is a certified Instructor in Shenlong Xingyiquan and Li Ding Jingluo Qigong. In 2016, she was given the honor of becoming a Disciple of the founder of NATSTA, Dr. Vince Black. In addition, she served as a member of the NATSTA Traditional Chinese Medicine Committee from 2019-2023.
Emily is a certified practitioner of Jin Shou Tuina™, the medicine lineage particular to NATSTA, and has additional medical training in Classical Gongfu Medical Theory, Cranioscaral Therapy, Thai Massage, Shiatsu, Herbalism, medical qigong, and Chinese Nutritional Therapy.
Since taking her first Tai Chi class in 1992, Erika Forsell has studied East Asian medicine, martial arts and yoga. These in-depth studies have informed and strengthened her belief that all aspects of a persons' life affect their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. She has been a New York State licensed Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist since 2007 and is a certified Breathwork facilitator. Originally from California, she now lives and works in New York.
https://www.fulbeingcollective.com/erika-forsell
Wild Appetites' inclusive menus blend traditional wisdom, health-supportive innovation, and respect for seasonality and sustainable sourcing. With the intention to unite diverse dietary needs and tastes at the same table, their meals provide flexitarian options. Chef SonyaJoy Key of Wild Appetites offers event and retreat catering and leads empowering hands-on cooking classes for playful people of all ages. SonyaJoy practices space holding that includes their identities as a Black, multiracial, genderfluid, and a nature lover. They encourage creative process as a primary tool for liberation and practices through cooking, movement, systemic constellations, singing and writing.