A few months ago, I wrote a piece called, “Life is But a Dream,” all about my dear friend Julie Mikos Houlihan, her business, The Healing Farm, and how her hard work and dedication is making her dream a reality.
Marin County gorgeousness. Photo: Julie Mikos Houlihan
Well, Julie’s about to take another huge step, and I am beyond thrilled to be a small part of it. On Sunday, October 25, The Healing Farm will host its first-ever, joint wellness retreat with the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT): Yoga and Wellness on The Ranch. In case you don’t know, MALT is an incredible non-profit that protects Marin County, California’s farmland, allowing family farms and ranches to remain agricultural endeavors in perpetuity. Yup, as in forever.
Given the beauty of the Marin County landscape and the importance of this land to a clean and healthy food supply, it makes perfect sense that MALT and The Healing Farm team up. The Healing Farm’s purpose is to spread the principles of practical wellness, in a peaceful, natural, outdoor setting. “Practical wellness” is the idea that what you learn on a retreat should become a part of your everyday life - that it should come home with you. (The exact opposite of Vegas, dontchaknow…) Julie and The Healing Farm strive to give you the tools you need to feel your best every single day, whether it’s incorporating a new, healthy recipe, looking at how you move your body, or helping you find that five minutes a day that can truly change your life. It’s not about an overhaul; it’s about the little steps we can all take to truly transform health and well-being. Sounds pretty darn good, doesn’t it?
Stemple Creek Ranch. Photo: Julie Mikos Houlihan
The Wellness and Yoga on the Ranch event is a great, one-day immersion into all that makes both MALT and The Healing Farm so special. We’ll spend the day at the gorgeous Stemple Creek Ranch in Tomales, CA. Stemple Creek is a family ranch, operating on land that’s been owned for generations by the Poncia family. Today, Loren Poncia and his wife Lisa run the family business. They are dedicated to ranching in a way that produces the healthiest and best-tasting grass fed and finished meat, while working with Mother Nature to keep both the land and the animals happy and healthy. I’ve tasted their steak, hamburger and jerky, and I can honestly say theirs is the best beef I’ve ever had. The connection between the care they take with their process and the quality of product they put out is indisputable.
Our retreat day will led by Julie, with two sessions from keynote speaker, Jennifer Cooper, of Flow Physical Therapy. Jennifer is a PT and wellness expert who will give us tips on how to incorporate both healthy eating habits and therapeutic movement into each and every day. We’ll also enjoy two great farm-prepared meals, and then, after a little quiet time to enjoy the beauty of the ranch, I’ll end the day by leading a 90-minute, all-levels yoga session next to the Poncia’s big red barn.
Yoga by the big red barn. Photo: Julie Mikos Houlihan
If this sounds like the greatest day ever, you’re totally right.
To register for the retreat or to learn more about the day, check out this link on MALT’s website. And if you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to contact me here through patticocciolo.com. It’s going to be a great day – come and join us!
XO