Creative BEing Spring Retreat
June 18-21, 2026 | Knoll Farm, Waitsfield VT
REST. Create. Connect.
Reawaken Your Creative Spirit
The busyness of modern life can quiet the creative voice that lives within each of us. Sometimes, all it takes to find or revive our creative practice is a bit of intentional time and space.
Find nourishment, community, and reconnection through farm-to-table meals, daily mindfulness practice, proximity to purebred Icelandic sheep, relationship to land, and time to rekindle your connection to the creative being within you.
What Awaits You:
Space for Craft & Creativity
Unprogrammed time for you to be in creative practice (whatever that looks like for you!). For those interested, a demo on fleece processing using fleece from the farm’s purebred Icelandic sheep will be offered.
Relationship to Land
This is a chance to be where your feet are. Enjoy a tour of historic Knoll Farm and learn about its long history of agriculture since 1804. Meet Helen Whybrow, author of The Salt Stones, and her flock of purebred Icelandic sheep.
Farm-to-Table Meals & Herbal Support
Enjoy a true farm-to-table meal experience with all food prepared by Knoll Farm using local ingredients. Throughout the retreat, gain knowledge in the ways of plants and how they are our collaborators in our journeys of healing, health, and wholeness with herbal offerings from Nicole Cormier, RD LDN.
Mindfulness & Meditation Practice
Daily mindfulness practices including guided sits, mindful walking, mindful movement, and mindful eating inspired by the teachings of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. No experience with mindfulness or meditation is necessary to enjoy these simple invitations to return to the present moment.
“We have to create. It’s the only things louder than destruction.”
Andrea Gibson
Knoll Farm, A Creative Refuge
Knoll Farm is a certified organic family farm on a steep hillside in the heart of the Green Mountains. The land has been in agriculture since 1804 and its buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. The land offers spectacular views of Northfield and Green Mountain ranges. This farm practices traditional farming with no synthetic fertilizers or chemicals of any kind, a reverence for the living soils and creatures who sustain us and are our teachers.
What you can expect at the farm:
A mountain meditation yurt, 750-square-foot space heated by a woodstove.
A flock of Icelandic sheep who enjoy the pastures and woodland edges. The sheep are shepherded by Helen Whybrow, author of The Salt Stones: Seasons of a Shepherd’s Life.
Guests at the Refuge at Knoll Farm sleep in single, double, and family sized yurts.
Extensive trail system within minutes of many other first-rate recreational opportunities in the Mad River Valley such as waterfalls, swimming, biking trails and the Green Mountain National Forest.
Meet Helen Whybrow, author of The Salt Stones
Helen Whybrow is the author of three works of nonfiction and the editor of four anthologies. She is a visiting professor at Middlebury College and has taught writing at Breadloaf Environmental Writer’s Conference and the Iowa Summer Writer’s Workshop, among others.
Helen and her partner, Peter Forbes, moved to Knoll Farm in 2001, and have spent the past quarter century creating a farm that nurtures the land and all visitors; and creating a community space for leaders in movements for social change to connect and restore.
This book is a beautiful meditation on the relationship between human, animal, and local landscape. It is a balm for anyone who longs to feel that deeper relationship to place, and a delight for any crafter who understands their work as a celebration of place and the creatures who share it with us.
As part of this retreat, Helen will offer an author’s talk, book signing, and a personal introduction to her flock of Icelandic sheep.
Please consider supporting your local book store to purchase your copy of The Salt Stones. You won’t regret it!
Daily Retreat Flow:
Morning Mindfulness Practice
Farm-to-table Breakfast
Morning Activity (farm tour, fiber workshop, etc)
Farm-to-table Lunch
Afternoon Independent Mindful Craft Time
Optional Practice (herbalism, mindful craft)
Farm-to-table Dinner
Evening Mindfulness Practice & Community Fire
Lodging at The Refuge
The Refuge is a retreat center within the farm that includes 12 yurts, a bath house, fire circles, a wood fired hot tub and sauna set in a forest glade, atop a large meadow overlooking the farm.
Each bed has pillows, sheets and blankets. The farm recommends that guests bring an additional sleeping bag for the spring and fall, or chilly summer nights.
Each yurt is also furnished with a desk and chair, 2 or 3 windows, and a skylight. You will have the experience of being in nature with birdsong, stars, weather and yes, the occasional spider or mouse.
Yurts and pathways are lit at night with solar power. A cob and stone bathhouse in the retreat village has hot showers, flush toilets and a wood-fired hot tub.
A beautiful cob bathhouse, centrally located to the yurts, has 3 sinks, 3 hot showers with private changing rooms and 2 flush toilets. Just outside the bathhouse is a wood-fired hot tub and a wood fired sauna which will be prepared for you in the evenings.
Tending Mind, Body & Spirit
Creativity is interwoven with our overall health and wellbeing.
At this retreat, explore what whole-body nourishment means for you through farm-fresh meals, daily mindfulness practice, and the gentle exploration of what the land and plants around us always has to offer.
You will be invited to try new things, new practices, and new ways of leaning into your own inner creative wisdom. Everything is optional.
Retreat Cost Includes:
Three nights of on-site lodging
All meals (farm-to-table)
Farm Tour
Sheep fleece processing demonstration
Daily mindfulness sessions
Herbal teas for nourishment & reconnection
Wood-fired hot tub and wood-fired sauna
Evening community fires
We are now offering 2 reduced-cost scholarship seats for this retreat.
If you have been interested in joining us but didn’t quite have the resources - this is your chance! We invite anyone who self-identifies as needing additional economic support to reach out to us if you’d like to attend at a reduced rate of $650. Please email us at info@theinterwoveninstitute.org and we will assist you to sign up.
Accommodation & Pricing
To register, click on a yurt type below:
Price includes lodging for 3 nights, all farm-to-table meals, and retreat programming.
Included in the Community Yurt:
The Community Yurt has 4 individual beds, is centrally located with basic electricity.
Each bed has pillows, sheets and blankets. The farm recommends that guests bring an additional sleeping bag for the spring and fall, or chilly summer nights.
Each yurt is also furnished with a desk and chair, 2 or 3 windows, and a skylight.
You will have the experience of being in nature with birdsong, stars, weather and yes, the occasional spider or mouse.
Access to a beautiful cob bathhouse, centrally located to the yurts, has 3 sinks, 3 hot showers with private changing rooms and 2 flush toilets.
Just outside the bathhouse is a wood-fired hot tub and a wood fired sauna which will be prepared for you in the evenings.
Price includes lodging for 3 nights, all farm-to-table meals, and retreat programming.
Included in the Shared Yurt:
The Shared Yurt (Private) has 2 individual beds, and is located in a more private area. No electricity, but solar lights.
Each bed has pillows, sheets and blankets. The farm recommends that guests bring an additional sleeping bag for the spring and fall, or chilly summer nights.
Each yurt is also furnished with a desk and chair, 2 or 3 windows, and a skylight.
You will have the experience of being in nature with birdsong, stars, weather and yes, the occasional spider or mouse.
Access to a beautiful cob bathhouse, centrally located to the yurts, has 3 sinks, 3 hot showers with private changing rooms and 2 flush toilets.
Just outside the bathhouse is a wood-fired hot tub and a wood fired sauna which will be prepared for you in the evenings.
Price includes lodging for 3 nights, all farm-to-table meals, and retreat programming.
Included in the Shared Yurt:
The Shared Yurt has 2 individual beds, is centrally located with basic electricity.
Each bed has pillows, sheets and blankets. The farm recommends that guests bring an additional sleeping bag for the spring and fall, or chilly summer nights.
Each yurt is also furnished with a desk and chair, 2 or 3 windows, and a skylight.
You will have the experience of being in nature with birdsong, stars, weather and yes, the occasional spider or mouse.
Access to a beautiful cob bathhouse, centrally located to the yurts, has 3 sinks, 3 hot showers with private changing rooms and 2 flush toilets.
Just outside the bathhouse is a wood-fired hot tub and a wood fired sauna which will be prepared for you in the evenings.
Price includes lodging for 3 nights, all farm-to-table meals, and retreat programming.
Included in the Shared Yurt:
A yurt of your own! Located in a more private area. No electricity but solar lighting.
Each bed has pillows, sheets and blankets. The farm recommends that guests bring an additional sleeping bag for the spring and fall, or chilly summer nights.
Each yurt is also furnished with a desk and chair, 2 or 3 windows, and a skylight.
You will have the experience of being in nature with birdsong, stars, weather and yes, the occasional spider or mouse.
Access to a beautiful cob bathhouse, centrally located to the yurts, has 3 sinks, 3 hot showers with private changing rooms and 2 flush toilets.
Just outside the bathhouse is a wood-fired hot tub and a wood fired sauna which will be prepared for you in the evenings.
Retreat Facilitators
A collaboration rooted in a shared passion for practice, community, and connection to land.
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Spiritual Ecologist. Fiber Artist. Practitioner.
Sarah is the founder and director of The Interwoven Institute. She is an experienced program designer, passionate maker of soft and beautiful things, and an ordained member of the Order of Interbeing in the Plum Village tradition of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Learn more about Sarah here.
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RD, LDN
“I am passionate about helping people...improving whole health ... mental and physical ...educating ... I believe in the power connecting farmers and consumers.”
Nicole Cormier is an herbalist, registered dietitian, local food enthusiast, author, and intuitive eating nutrition therapist. She indulges her passion for nutrition and local foods on beautiful Cape Cod through her nutrition therapy practice, Delicious Living Nutrition, and Dietetic Internship. Her collaborations with local chefs, non-profits, schools, farmers’ markets, restaurants, and art centers include programs, dinners, workshops, and catering.
She graduated from the University of Massachusetts and the Beth Israel Deaconess Dietetic Internship in 2006 and is completing a Masters in Clinical Herbalism from the Maryland University of Integrative Health.
What People Are Saying:
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"I began my weekend retreat open to the unknown and very quickly found that it gave me more than I ever imagined - community, peace, deep connection, and a new understanding of myself."
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"A perfect balance of mindfulness, creativity, and community."
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"I came to this retreat not knowing what to expect and feeling a little uncertain... I leave with a greater appreciation of myself as a creative being."
FAQs
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We are not able to offer refunds for this retreat; however, we are happy to transfer your registration to a friend if you are unable to attend.
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Weather in Vermont can vary greatly from day to day. In general, we recommend that guests dress in layers so you can be comfortable no matter what the temperature.
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There will be a maximum of 21 attendees on this retreat.
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Absolutely not - everyone is welcome. The term “artist” can sometimes make us feel like there is some kind of hierarchy of creativity to attain. The reality is that we are all deeply creative beings. Whether you have an established artistic practice, or you are looking to be inspired, you only need curiosity and a willingness to enjoy this retreat.
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The meditation and contemplative practices offered at this retreat are suitable for all levels of experience. There will be light facilitation and guidance provided for those who are new, and sufficient spaciousness for those who are established practitioners. Everything offered during this retreat is optional and you are encouraged to bring in elements from your own practice that are nourishing for you.
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Yes, we welcome local attendees; however, everyone is required to stay onsite during the retreat.
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Each bed has pillows, sheets and blankets. We recommend that guests bring an additional sleeping bag for the spring and fall, or chilly summer nights. Each yurt is also furnished with a desk and chair, 2 or 3 windows, and a skylight. You will have the experience of being in nature with birdsong, stars, weather and yes, the occasional spider or mouse.
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The yurt village where you sleep is about a 10-minute walk from the farm where you park, and from the barn, where we host meals and meeting spaces. This keeps your stay peaceful and gives you plenty of opportunity for pause and reflection as you take in our views. It also means you will be active during your time here. The walk up to the yurt village is either on a gravel road, or through a meadow, and both walks are on a hill. It is necessary that you bring appropriate clothing and footwear, so that you are able to walk on uneven ground and up/downhills. It is vital that all guests are prepared for the terrain and physical demands of space.
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Six of the yurts and the bathhouse are equipped with electric lights and outlets. The other six yurts are lit with solar lanterns. The walking path from the barn to the village is lit at night by solar lanterns.
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There is Wi-Fi available in the farmstand office and the barn where all meals are served and meetings are held. The entire farm has reliable cell service with most carriers. Upon arrival, you will be given contact information for the staff members who will be available during your stay and for emergencies.
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Meeting, work and gathering areas at the farm include: a large historic barn with yoga floors, couches, library and music room, and a large yurt in the forest with meditation cushions and wood stove. The farm also has a small swimming pond, spaces for campfires and story circles, meditation yurts, and hiking trails.
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Yes. You will have an opportunity to visit the Knoll Farm store where seasonal products can include Icelandic hand-dyed yarns and Icelandic fleeces for hand spinners and fiber artists.