Sacred Beginnings: a five-day women’s retreat.
14 to 18 January 2027. Susan Gladden brings her Sacred Beginnings retreat to Raven’s Retreat: gentle yoga, guided meditation, Intuition Painting® and deep rest, with the Sculptor’s Art Lodge and the whole 58-acre preserve to your group alone.
January is the quietest invitation of the year.
The holidays have passed, the year stretches out ahead, and something in you knows this is the moment to stop and choose what you actually want to carry forward. Sacred Beginnings is five days built for exactly that: slow down, reconnect with yourself, and step into the year with clarity and intention rather than momentum.
This retreat is hosted at Raven’s Retreat but it is not ours. Susan Gladden of Yoga Loves Susan designed it and leads it, and she handles registration directly. Raven and Dustin provide the property, the lodge and the kitchen. If you have questions about the programme, Susan is your person; if you have questions about the land or the lodge, ask us.
Yoga in the morning, the canvas as a mirror.
Each day weaves together gentle yoga and guided meditation to ground and open the body, intentional creativity sessions using the Intuition Painting® process, and group sharing circles for reflection and connection. Evenings are designed for deep rest: Yin Yoga infused with Reiki, or Yoga Nidra.
Rather than chasing a “perfect” painting, the creative practice is about exploration and learning to trust your own intuition, examining what has been holding you back and picturing what wants to show up next. Letting go, listening inward, embodiment and renewal run through every practice and conversation.
- Gentle yoga and guided meditation, daily
- Intuition Painting®, no experience necessary
- Group sharing circles and group coaching
- Yin Yoga with Reiki, or Yoga Nidra, in the evenings
- Plant-based meals prepared fresh each day
Two facilitators, and the people who keep the property running.
Every offering across the five days is an invitation, not an obligation. You are encouraged to follow your own rhythm, show up fully, and rest when you need to.
Susan Gladden
Susan designed and leads Sacred Beginnings. She teaches the daily yoga and meditation and guides the Intuition Painting® sessions, using the canvas as a way into self-discovery rather than as an art class. Registration and payment go through her directly.
Pamela DeWitt-Meza
Nurse coach and Reiki Master. Pam runs the group coaching sessions across the retreat. One-to-one coaching and Reiki sessions are also available during the retreat at an additional fee, booked with her.
Raven & Dustin
Your hosts on the land. Raven is a lifestyle coach and wellness facilitator, Dustin a master sculptor whose work is built into the lodge itself. They look after the property, the kitchen and the logistics so Susan can stay with the group.
The Sculptor’s Art Lodge, and nobody else on the land.
The group takes the whole of the Sculptor’s Art Lodge: six private bedrooms, cosy common spaces, a full kitchen, a sauna, a hot tub and a fire pit, wrapped in the stillness of winter in the hills. Every bedroom and bathroom is spacious and beautifully finished, and the lodge itself is a piece of Dustin’s work rather than a rental cabin.
Beyond the practice there is plenty of time to simply be. Hike the private trails, soak in the hot tub, curl up with a journal, or unwind by the fire. Laurelville is one hour from Columbus, Ohio.
- Six private bedrooms, self-contained retreat centre
- Sauna, hot tub and fire pit
- A private 58-acre nature preserve, adults only
- The entire property to your group
- One hour from Columbus, Ohio
Four nights, shaped rather than scheduled.
Each day is an invitation, not an obligation. Follow your own rhythm.
Arrival and opening
Doors open at 2:00 PM. Settle in, get comfortable and meet the other women. The group gathers for an opening circle before the first dinner together, followed by Yin Yoga infused with Reiki. The evening is open, board games, the sauna, or conversation by the fire.
Going inward
Mornings begin with gentle yoga to open the body and quiet the mind. Painting sessions guide the group through releasing what you are ready to leave behind, then begin to picture what you want to call in. Afternoons are free for hiking, resting or the hot tub, with one afternoon painting session woven in. Evenings bring everyone back together for dinner, reflection and restorative practice.
Deepening
The painting journey continues, moving deeper into intention and vision for the year ahead. A free afternoon to rest and integrate, then a final dinner together to mark what has been shared and what the group is carrying into the new year.
Closing and integration
The retreat closes the way it opened, together. A final morning of gentle movement, embodiment practice and a closing circle before the journey home. Departure at 12:00 PM.
From $2,190 per person, all-inclusive.
Prices below apply if paid in full by 30 October 2026. After that date the price increases by 10%. A $450 deposit secures your space.
| Room | Single occupancy | Sharing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 King bedroom, private bath | $2,490 | Extra bed available |
| 1 King bedroom, shared bath | $2,290 | Extra bed available |
| 3 Queen bedrooms, shared bath | $2,190 | One has an extra bed available |
Both King rooms and one Queen room have an extra bed available. If two people want to share one of those rooms, the additional cost is $1,200. Space is intentionally limited to keep the retreat intimate.
What Sacred Beginnings includes
- Four nights at the Sculptor’s Art Lodge, with the property to the group alone
- All meals, plant-based and prepared fresh each day
- Daily gentle yoga and guided meditation
- Intuition Painting® sessions, with every material supplied
- Group sharing circles for reflection and connection
- Evening restorative practice, Yin Yoga infused with Reiki or Yoga Nidra
- Group coaching sessions with nurse coach and Reiki Master Pamela DeWitt-Meza
- Access to the sauna, hot tub, fire pit and the trails across the 58-acre preserve
- All art supplies and equipment, no experience or kit required
Frequently asked questions
FAQThursday 14 January 2027 at 2:00 PM through Monday 18 January 2027 at 12:00 PM. Four nights and five days on the preserve.
Susan Gladden of Yoga Loves Susan leads Sacred Beginnings, joined by nurse coach and Reiki Master Pamela DeWitt-Meza for the group coaching. Raven's Retreat is the venue: Raven and Dustin host the property, the lodge and the food. Registration and payment are handled directly by Susan.
From $2,190 to $2,490 per person depending on the bedroom, if paid in full by 30 October 2026. Prices rise by 10% after that date, and a $450 deposit secures a space. The price covers lodging, all meals, yoga, meditation, the Intuition Painting sessions, group coaching, evening practices and every supply.
Yes. Both King rooms and one Queen room have an extra bed available. Two people sharing one of those rooms adds $1,200 to the room total.
No. All levels of yoga and artistic experience are welcome, and the Intuition Painting process is about exploration and self-trust rather than producing a finished piece. No painting experience is necessary and all supplies are provided.
Yes. Sacred Beginnings is a women's retreat, and Raven's Retreat is an adults-only property.
The group is intentionally small, six private bedrooms across the Sculptor's Art Lodge, so the retreat stays intimate. Places are limited and go on a first-come basis.
Through Susan, not through Raven's Retreat. Complete the registration form on Yoga Loves Susan or email susan@yogalovesusan.com with questions. Raven and Dustin can answer anything about the property itself.
Begin the year the way you mean to continue it.
Places are limited to keep the group intimate, and a $450 deposit holds yours. Registration is handled by Susan Gladden at Yoga Loves Susan. Questions about the land or the lodge? Talk to Raven.
Questions for Susan: susan@yogalovesusan.com · Questions about the property: talk to Raven