Date: November 24th (Sun) 10:00-17:00, 2024
Location: Mineless, Sanxia, Xinbei, Taiwan
Level: All levels are warmly welcomed
Category: Inspire & Connect
*Inspire & Connect provide retreats that help us pursue inner happiness, peace, freedom, and personal growth through wellness group activities. Here in a safe space, together we discuss ideas without judgment, and share stories we've never told a soul.
*The retreat will proceed with a minimum of six attendees. If there are fewer than six attendees, we will notify you and issue a full refund one week before the retreat starts.
*Please note that this is an adult-exclusive retreat available to 16-year-olds and over.
In early autumn, Soul Barn invites you to explore a pristine and tranquil coal mining site deep in the mountains of Sanxia. Together, we will immerse ourselves in a gentle embrace that feels like a journey through time, exploring various senses and personal dialogues in the twilight.
Surrounded by the peaceful mountain scenery, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, we will slow down and cast our worries into invisible tree hollows. In the darkness where we cannot see each other, we can freely express ourselves. There is only understanding and support, allowing us to share and release without fear of judgment or criticism.
As the sun sets behind the distant mountains, we will don our eye masks and taste a series of private chef dishes in the dim light.
When the food reaches our hands and mouths, we will feel the warmth and texture of the dishes, with our heightened sense of smell savoring every detail before taking a bite. As the food enters our mouths, our taste buds will experience this refined journey more delicately. Guided through different eating rhythms and styles, we will listen to the stories behind the dishes, exploring the connections between each ingredient, the environment, personal emotions, and physical sensations.
After various twilight experiences, as the sun sets, we will naturally sway and move our bodies in the dark, allowing our minds and bodies to reset, recharge, and return to daily life with a clear and refreshed state.
What To Expect
Wear your most comfortable clothes and bring environmentally friendly tableware.
Put down your phones and communicate with the world attentively.
Stay weird and stay unique.
Full schedule will be provided after booking is confirmed.
Twilight Island Guidance Instructor: Yoanna
Join us with an open heart, following Yoanna's steps into the twilight realm. With a spirit of acceptance and openness, embrace the interesting twilight experience. Yoanna will guide us to explore from within ourselves, sharing and releasing inner anxieties and fatigue. Through different guided content tailored to each dish, experience the interactions and connections with yourself, your companions, and the cuisine during lunch.
"The faster the world moves, the slower the heart must be."
Through practices of breathing, yoga, and meditation, we will continuously experience healing and expansion of life. After extensive mind-body-spirit experiences around the world, Yoanna uses mindfulness as the foundation of all her practices, striving to integrate yoga, life wisdom, and mindfulness. In her interactions with practitioners, Yoanna emphasizes non-judgmental awareness of the present body and mind, easing emotional and physical distress through companionship, and respecting each individual's uniqueness. Through mindful yoga practice, Yoanna aims to help practitioners mindfully experience every part of life.
*This experience will be conducted in Chinese.
*The guide can provide bilingual guidance. If needed, please send a private message to the official LINE @soulbarn at least one week before the event.
Space
In the embrace of the mountains of Sanxia, New Taipei City, there quietly stands a mysterious place called Mineless. Once the site of the Zhongyi Coal Mine, the noise in the mine shafts fell silent more than twenty years ago, yet the marks of time have not vanished.
The clever pun "Mine-Less" not only speaks of the gradual disappearance of the mine but also hints at a state of mental emptiness and the shedding of burdens.
Lush vegetation gently brushes against the mottled relics of the mining site, as trees tenderly embrace the traces of the hard work of many people. The coal dust on every brick and tile tells stories of the past and carries the whispers of the miners of yesteryear.
The well-preserved coal mine office quietly watches over the passage of time. Not far away, the bathhouse that once washed the dust from weary miners now serves as a sanctuary for the soul. The ancient mine, full of endless mysteries, blends the past and the present, resonating with nature and humanity, creating limitless possibilities for the future.
In this healing place, let us quietly feel the charm flowing through the passage of time, finding inner balance in the tranquility.
Nourish
In a tranquil, verdant haven, Mineless, in collaboration with the Soul Barn, has invited a vegan artist to use nature's gifts as a palette, painting seasonal poems on the taste buds.
Using a variety of vegetables, fruits, and herbs, the artist interprets the vitality of the earth; through dishes at different temperatures, they create a feast for the five senses, encapsulating gratitude for the soil that nurtures the ingredients.
What's more special is that by exploring each dish in the dark, we can experience the rhythm of various senses and awaken memories of each sensation.
It goes beyond dining and eating. Through food, we together feel the purest, most essential beauty of body and mind.
A Blindfolded Dining Experience
Polenta
Essence of Tea Mushrooms
Seasonal Warm Salad
Seasonal Vegetable Herb Soup with Leaf Crackers
Charcoal Scone
Walnut Pudding, Juniper-Smoked Chestnuts
Herbal Warm Tea
Transportation
Distance from Xingxin Bridge Bus Station
3 minutes by walk
Distance from Couhe Bus Station
10 minutes by walk
Distance from Sanxia Old Street
15 minutes drive
*Transportation details will be informed one week prior to the event
*If you have any questions regarding transportation, please let us know!
Retreat Includes
Reconnection with Yourself: Guided Meditation
A Blindfolded Dining Experience
Dine in the twilight, wearing a blindfold, and follow the guidance instructor to explore different eating rhythms and experiences. Engage all your senses and feel the subtle interactions with the food and your fellow Soul Barn family members.
Dialogues in the Dark: Invisible Tree Holes
In the twilight, open your heart and cast your worries and desires for understanding into the invisible tree holes, allowing the gentle embrace of Soul Barn.
Dynamic Mindfulness: Reset Meditation
Through movements and swaying at different rhythms, let your body and mind return to a state of tranquility, resetting to their original state.
Sharing Circle
A Great Opportunity to Unplug, Experience and Connect
Music and snacks
* Sessions will be held indoors due to weather conditions.
Retreat Price
Early bird tickets are limited, only 2 spots available.
Early Bird - 4,200 TWD per person
Standard - 4,880 TWD per person
Wellness Club Members - 4,140 TWD per person
(Learn more about our Wellness Club Members)
Soul Barn will provide our Stay Grounded and Flow & Balance yoga mat for attendees to use in the retreat.
If you wish to purchase your own yoga mat, please select “Add-on Stay Grounded Yoga Mat” or “Add-on Flow & Balance Yoga Mat” in our Reservation Form.
How To Book?
RESERVATION FORM:
Reservations are taken on a first come first serve basis. Please click the “Book now“ button to fill in the reservation form, and wait patiently while we process your request.REQUEST PROCESSED:
You MUST add us on LINE (@soulbarn) and send a message providing the following information :Full Name:
Event date:
Reservations are taken on a first come first serve basis, and they do get sold up really quickly. Our team will provide our bank account information as soon as we receive your message.
P.S. If you do not have a LINE account, please contact us through Facebook @soulbarn.
PAYMENT PROCESSED:
Please proceed with the payment at your earliest convenience no later than 3 days after you receive our bank account information. Without receiving your payment, the booking system will cancel your reservation automatically. Don’t forget to provide the last five digits of your bank account number and the total amount you have transferred.RESERVATION COMPLETED:
Please wait patiently as our team members contact you shortly. The reservation is completed once the payment is received.
* The Pre-Departure Notice (including the venue's address, the detailed schedule, and the recommended packing list. ) will be sent through our Official LINE one week prior to the event.
* To ensure the accuracy of information, please make sure all companions fill out the form as well.
Add Soul Barn Official LINE
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations made 14 days or more in advance of the event date will receive a 100% refund.
Cancellations made between 2 - 13 days of the event will receive a 70% refund.
Cancellations made within 2 days of the event will receive a 50% refund.
Cancellations made on the day of the event or during the event are non-refundable unless an emergency occurred and is provided with proof.
However, the booking can be transferred to a different person if you’re unable to attend.
