Hello Friends,
In 2014, I experienced my first breathwork journey. I was at a retreat in Costa Rica, lying on a mat and breathing. I never expected that that experience would become a pivot point in my life.
An unexpected clarity and new growth that began with that experience rippled in both my personal and professional life. Since then, I have completed a certification in rebirthing breathwork and have been deep in the study and practice of transpersonal breathwork. This is not the typical breathwork pranayama you may experience in a yoga class. It is a personal journey to connect to your breath, yourself, and a supportive community of fellow explorers.
At Prasada, we believe that everyone has the desire to thrive, and that means to live a life of health, purpose, and joy. We also believe life is a flow of breath, energy, and experiences.
During this weekend, you'll experience a rich journey in every way, the arrival at this gem of a retreat center just outside of Philadelphia, PA, exploring new experiences, connecting with interesting people, nourishing yourself, discovering some insights and best ways of being and taking all of that home with you to ripple out into your life. This is a time ripe for change and new possibilities. I hope you’ll be part of this journey with us.
Be well…it’s a state of mind.
Alice Dommert
CEO, Prasada
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Our Setting
Located on 24 tranquil acres in the heart of a Quaker community, Pendle Hill offers a relaxing “world apart” yet is within easy reach by car, plane, bus, and train. When you’re not in sessions, we invite you to bask in the beautiful natural surroundings. Walk the perimeter path and explore our miniature ecosystems of forest and lawn, meadow, pond, and vegetable garden.
Pendle Hill’s vision is “to create peace with justice in the world by transforming lives.” People leave here with new insights and inspiration, and heartfelt awareness that this deeply rooted community is a place they can return to again and again.
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Transpersonal Breathwork
Transpersonal Breathwork is a modality most often experienced in a safe and supportive group settings led by trained facilitators. This process often evokes supportive feelings of connection and community-building that can facilitate and amplify self-discovery and personal development. With this support, Transpersonal Breathwork can occasion transformative catharses even in response to seemingly intractable pain.
The core components of Transpersonal Breathwork are based on Stanislav Grof’s, MD, holotropic theory and his work with his late wife Christina. The experience includes group process, intensified breathing, evocative music, bodywork (when desired), expressive drawing, and group process. The felt sense of this practice can parallel reports emerging from mystical and shamanic traditions, as well as experiential philosophy.
Doing so is known to intensify one’s experiential field by which the content and intensity of one’s experience may be beyond those typically accessible during ordinary, normative states of consciousness. Through this intensification, individuals can experience shifts in how they understand and tend to their inner life, allowing for increased opportunities to effect direct change in one’s respective world. These shifts can range from deepening personal insight to posttraumatic catharsis and are most readily occasioned by a self-directed process of affirming all qualities of experience as expressions of an Inner Healing Intelligence unique to each person.
Here are some additional frequently asked questions (FAQ) about Transpersonal Breathwork.
Spaces to Play and Sleep
There are many beautiful, quiet spots to rest, gather, and relax on the Pendle Hill grounds. You won't be spending much time in your room during this weekend of community connection!
But when you are in your room, you'll find that every guest room and space is designed with simplicity and comfort in mind. Our building has options for single and triple accommodations, and we are surrounded by trees and beautiful plants.
If you are traveling solo, we can help connect you with others to find suitable roommates.
Nourishing, Fresh Meals
The cooks at Pendle Hill see their job as a ministry of love and concern. They try to promote good health and well-being by serving nutritionally balanced meals and using a limited amount of processed foods.
They cook from scratch as much as possible, delicious homemade bread, granola, organic yogurt, and salad dressings. Organic fresh fruits and vegetables are used extensively, including seasonal offerings from their garden.
Entrees could include fish, fowl, meat, and vegetarian dishes. If you prefer to eat only vegetarian or vegan food, an alternative dish is available for every meal as well.
Our Wholebeing Framework
Every day you’ll spend time practicing and solidifying your knowledge of how you can use our wholebeing practices to strengthen your body, mind, and spirit. You’ll explore our Wholebeing Framework through breathwork, intuitive movement, yoga, writing, and creative explorations.
Our Wholebeing Guides are highly trained, seasoned professionals in their disciplines and weave all aspects of these practices into their lives. We’ve found that there’s no one way, but many access points to building a lifetime of healthy habits. The team will meet you right where you are to support and guide you in the direction of where you’d like to be.
MEET YOUR GUIDE:
Alice Dommert
Founder, Wholebeing Architect + Certified Rebirthing Breathwork Facilitator, Prasada
Drawing on her background in architecture, exhibit design, storytelling, human resources, positive psychology, yoga, mindfulness and breathwork, Alice founded Prasada in 2009. Pushing the possibilities of wholebeing at work, Alice guides the Prasada team as they collaborate with HR professionals and executive teams to plan and design wellness and professional development programs. These programs support organizational cultures where people can thrive.
Clients are unanimous in their praise of Alice’s commitment to helping them solve problems, often finding simple, elegant approaches to challenges. Her corporate professionalism and ability to truly connect with people provides a comfortable environment for the exploration of building wholebeing practices. These practices support mental and physical wholebeing for individuals as a foundation of sustainability for their organizations.
In 2023 Alice received a Certificate of Completion in the 12-month Vital Program with Psychedelics Today in Psychedelics Therapies and Integration. She will also complete her final Dreamshadow Certified Breathwork Facilitator training requirements in 2023.
MEET YOUR GUIDE:
Marco Dapkey
CrossFit Expert Coach
Marco Dapkey has been an athlete his entire life and was on track to follow his passion and play D1 college football as a career. However, in 2010, a diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia guided Marco’s life in a different direction. He pursued a degree in Exercise Science and began practicing yoga and mindfulness to regain his health. This path also led him to CrossFit in West Chester, PA and his life has not been the same since.
In Marco’s words, “I will never forget the feeling of excitement and nervousness I had when I first walked into CrossFit. I was immediately hooked on the community, the challenge, and the opportunities to better myself. This helped me feel more like I had felt before having cancer.”
Through CrossFit and functional movement, he inspires everyone he encounters to be more engaged in their personal fitness and wholebeing. He lives this purpose every day with his growing business, CrossFit MVP in Havertown, PA.
MEET YOUR GUIDE:
Katherine Burkhardt
Breathwork Guide
Katherine Burkhardt is an artist, mystic, aromatherapist, breathwork enthusiast, world traveler, and mother. She has an innate love for life and all of its messy and glorious ways. Her caring, compassion, and intuition bring a level of instant trust and safety to all who meet her. She holds two bachelor's degrees - one in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts and the other in Culinary Arts.
For her, breathwork was the most important catalyst for massive life transformations. Through her years of training, she became the most authentic, highest version of herself. Breathwork was the modality that provided freedom, safety, and a community that she longed for. She found her calling and is thrilled to share it with others seeking the same transformation.
Katherine is currently in training as a Dreamshadow Certified Breathwork Facilitator, with final training requirements to be completed in 2023.
MEET YOUR GUIDE:
Lindsey Owens, M.A.
Breathwork Guide
Lindsey is a four-time spontaneous mystical experiencer, certified spiritual emergence coach, poet, and current Ph.D. student in medical/clinical psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, researching and facilitating psychedelic-assisted therapeutics.
She holds two master’s degrees in psychology (one in humanistic and transpersonal psychology and one in clinical psychology with a specialization in spirituality and mind/body practices). Lindsey previously worked at NYU coordinating psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical trials. She also enjoys hiking, singing, guitar strumming, dancing, and walking her path alongside her Golden Retriever, Beaux.
Lindsey is currently in training as a Dreamshadow Certified Breathwork Facilitator, with final training requirements to be completed in 2023.
MEET YOUR GUIDE:
Meg Townsend
Director of Program Development + Wholebeing Guide, Prasada
Meg Townsend is a classically-trained singer, holistic healer, yoga teacher, and experienced travel planner. She has been utilizing these varied skills as a “Createur de Voyages” since 2014 and has guided over 22 journeys to Costa Rica, Morocco, France, Italy, and Guatemala.
Meg’s journey with yoga sprouted in High School, and her formal yoga teacher training began in 2007. Today she is a registered yoga teacher with a 500+ hours ParaYoga® Master Training Certification and continuous training has led her all over the world, studying with teachers at the Himalayan Institute in India and various places across the US.
As the Director of Program Development and Wholebeing Guide with Prasada, she is a requested instructor with many corporate clients and other organizations across the region. She formerly was the co-director of the Amrita Yoga teacher training program in Philadelphia and as a Level 4 Reiki Master Teacher she has created her own Reiki training programs.