Singing In Bloom: A Women's Day Retreat

Singing in Bloom is about Nourishment with a capital “N” - filling up the well that feeds you through song, nature, community, and connection. We will gather at the Swan’s Nest Holistic Wellness & Nature Centre, a private land sanctuary high on the Oak Ridges Moraine. In between our morning and afternoon song circles, you’ll have time to explore the 350 acres of wilderness trails, swim in the spring-fed lake, and feast on a home-cooked organic lunch.

Throughout our day together, we’ll sing simple, soul-nourishing songs learned by ear, in the oral tradition. We’ll play with harmonies, layer songs, and ‘don’t make me think’ songs that move us out of our minds and into our bodies. In the spirit of a small village, we’ll come together on beautiful land to sing, share, play, connect, and rest in the timelessness of the present moment. As always, no singing experience is required.

Since ancient times, women have gathered together to sing songs – to celebrate the cycles of the moon and sun, to mark special moments in life and community, and to share in the daily gifts of tending to land, home, and earth. There is an enduring magic that happens when women sing together – through the weaving of our voices, we remember our power, our rhythm, and our purpose.

The songs we sing will speak to themes of belonging and connection, earth and water, courage and freedom, grief and joy, nature and community, to name a few. They are songs that you can keep tucked away in your back pocket for moments when you need them, and songs that you can weave into the rhythm of your daily life. More than anything, they are songs that were made to nourish and enliven us.

As a wellness practice, group singing is known widely to improve health and well-being through the release of endorphins and oxytocin, which thereby reduce stress and increase a sense of joy and connection. Study after study has shown that singing helps with everything from increased lung capacity to reduced heart disease, boosting immunity and even a longer life span.

This retreat is open to all those with lived experience as a woman, including non-binary folx who feel comfortable in a woman-centred space. No singing experience is required, and no one will be asked to sing on their own. Please know that you are welcome however you are – tired and weary, fully ablaze in your brilliance, or anywhere in between.

*This retreat is designed as an adult-only experience, due to the length of the day, and the size of the group. However, pre-crawling babies are welcome.

Tuition & Registration

$165 *Canadian dollars (plus sales tax)

This price includes:

• Facilitated group-singing sessions in the morning and afternoon

• A home-cooked organic lunch made by the wonderful Annie

• Tea, coffee, and an afternoon home-baked snack

• A “basket” of songs to return home with

A limited number of sliding scale spots are available for this retreat. If you would like to learn more about these spots, please contact Mila at mila@singforjoy.ca.

Cancellations & Refund Policy:

• A refund will be issued if notice is received by August 15th, minus a $20 admin fee. After August 15th, your registration is non-refundable, but it is transferable. This means that you can transfer your spot to another person, and be reimbursed for your payment. If we do not have a waiting list, it is the responsibility of the participant to find someone with whom you can transfer your spot.

• For those who are travelling from out of town for this retreat, please note that we are not able to cover any costs incurred by participants for transportation or accommodations. As such, please organize your travel with this in mind.

• If the training is cancelled by the host, you will receive a full refund.
  
  

Payment Options:

Credit Card: To pay by credit card, please register here on Humanitix. Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity. If you would prefer to pay by e-transfer and save the booking fees, please see instructions below.

E-transfer: You are welcome to pay via e-transfer. Please register on Humanitix and use the promocode: etransfer. This will give you 100% discount at checkout. To complete your registration, send an e-transfer in the amount of the tuition tier you selected to: mila@singforjoy.ca. Your registration will be complete upon receipt of your e-transfer. Please note that no payment reminder emails will be sent, and your ticket will be voided if we haven't received your e-transfer within 24 hours of your booking.

Promo code process: Enter your promo code at the top of the page, then click the "Apply" button. This will apply your discount to the tickets you add to your cart.

Health Agreements

In an effort to keep everyone healthy, we ask that you stay home if you are sick, or have tested positive for covid in the five days before, or have had an exposure with someone who has tested positive in the past five days.

Masking is optional and welcome. For the purpose of creating a nourishing singing experience, Mila will not be wearing a mask.

As we continue to navigate these post-pandemic times, we warmly encourage everyone to check in with each other before hugging, hand shakes, and even close-talking. We all come with different comfort levels, and we trust that we can navigate this terrain together throughout our day.

Words from Past Workshop Participants…

“Mila’s retreat was so uplifting, full of passion and connection. My heart opened and my spirit soared in song. I've found myself humming the songs we learned together all week. Little musical earworms of hope, joy and caring.” – Amy Gourley

“I am so delighted to have discovered Mila's retreats. We sang all day and it wasn't enough. Mila has such a clear, positive and down-to-earth energy. Grounded and uplifting all at once. She made it all feel so simple - I'm still marvelling that we learned those beautiful harmonies together in a way that seemed so effortless.” – Kate Keenan

“Mila's retreats have profoundly shifted my relationship with my voice. I highly, highly recommend Mila's work to anyone who wants to experience community singing that nourishes deeply while allowing space for grief, joy, and everything in between.” – Maya Nadeem

“Thank you a thousand times for creating a space where I felt safe, seen, heard, honoured, respected and valued. I felt that I belonged in the most beautiful way in the circle of women that you invited on this journey. Every song resonated in its own unique way and felt like a balm to a different part of my soul, one I did not even realize needed soothing.” – Sacha Salenik

“Mila draws you in with authenticity and opens you up with her joy. Then, you remember parts of who you really are, and you come home to yourself. Connection and healing happen in the safe, thoughtful, exuberant song-scape that Mila creates. As she moves our group, I experience myself as an essential part of an essential whole, and I know that singing is everyone’s birthright.” – Sarah Vandenberg

“Mila holds space with warmth, wonder, and wisdom. The songs she offers seem to be carried in her bones, and her leadership approach is embodied, welcoming, and playful – always uplifting the voices in the room, embracing the gifts that each individual brings to the circle. I felt so deeply nourished by my experience in her retreat, being held by and with community, weaving harmonies, playing, laughing, and crying together – it was like protein to my soul!” – Michaela Bekenn

“Singing with Mila changed my life. Learning to sing with her group was a waking-up kind of experience. It felt like breathing. I now know that I’m going to be singing for the rest of my days.” – Parker Glynn-Adey