EVENTS
Rejuvenate yourself through creative, joyful and soul-stirring gatherings.
Upcoming Sacred Garden Events
Astonished in The Garden: Awakening Heart and Soul in Nature
with Garth Gilchrist
Patricia’s extraordinary garden is our microcosmic launch pad to explore deeper strata of the natural world using newly tuned senses, imagination, intuition, stillness and wondrous language. Come prepared for surprise, awe, delight and discovery, as well as a plunge into the deep peace, comfort and personal renewal nature holds for us.
Date: Saturday, July 15, 2023
Time: 9:30am – 4:00pm
Fee: $60
What to bring: A bagged lunch
About Garth Gilchrist
Garth Gilchrist, naturalist/teacher, environmental storyteller, writer and poet, has been inspiring people for decades to a deeper awareness of nature and Spirit. His portrayal of John Muir, one of Nature’s greatest spokespersons, has delighted audiences internationally. His numerous articles, story collections and book of poems are all invitations to a joyous interaction with everything wild.
Garden as Sacred Playground: Creative Inquiry into Presence
with Nina Galin and Michael Zieve
What do we find in the garden? Who is hiding there? Perhaps parts of ourselves we’ve abandoned or forgotten? When everything is up in the air, we can learn to dance with uncertainty, welcoming everything as it is, finding our playground in every circumstance.
Join Nina Galin and Michael Zieve as they lead us in an embodied free fall into the mystery of presence, a place of surrender, possibility and deep play. Using short improvisational movement pieces and watercolor painting as a vehicle for inner/outer dialogue, they will create an optimal environment for personal and group practice into the art of not knowing. Knowing less and less leads us into silence, deeper relaxation, spontaneous exploration and ultimately greater trust in life itself.
Date: Saturday, July 8, 2023
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Fee: $90 (sliding scale available)
What to bring: A bagged lunch
About Nina Galin
Nina Galin loves movement and nature. She is a somatic educator and therapist with decades of practice and training in classical and experimental theater and dance. Locally, she has taught and learned at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Move to Change, Arlene Francis Center, Sirens Studio, and the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre.
About Michael Zieve
Michael Zieve has been creating spaces where art-making, spiritual inquiry, and art appreciation are invited to dance together to support joy and confidence in who or what we are. He has taught at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Petaluma Art Center and many other venues. A graduate of the School of Art Institute of Chicago, Michael has been a practicing artist/painter for over four decades. He lives in Sebastopol, CA.
Renewal Excursions
Do you ever have the desire to explore fun and interesting places while learning something new, but feel uncertain about going alone?
Renewal Excursions are enriching ways to explore destinations in beautiful Sonoma County and beyond, which will move and inspire you. You will have time to connect with yourself and others, potentially resulting in new friendships. There will be time for creativity, sharing and exploring. There is no doubt that you will come away feeling renewed from any Excursion!
Please check back for future dates as there are exciting Renewal Excursion adventures awaiting you.
“My recent Renewal Excursion with Patricia London was a once in a lifetime experience!
It was a day in a secret forest filled with trees and plants that I had never seen before, and with amazing company. It was a spiritual journey for each one of us and we left that day forever changed and bonded together. Truly one of the best days of my life!”
S.L. – Physical Therapist
Retreats
As you commune with the pulse of Mother Nature while on retreat, your body will feel recharged, your mind will feel renewed, and your heart will be opened to receive clarity.
Going on retreat gives you an opportunity to stop, breathe, and take time out to reset. Together, we will practice mindfulness throughout the day while walking, meditating, experiencing nature up close, writing, and enjoying a meal in nature. Your day will also include an opportunity for your creative side to shine through.
These retreats will be led by Patricia London or a guest teacher, and may be one day or longer, depending upon the location. Please check back for future Retreat events.
“Patricia offers a safe, encouraging and supportive atmosphere in which to explore our individual journeys.
Many thanks for such a beautiful day of retreat! Your thoughtful preparations in every detail were apparent today, as always. You continue to help me peel away the layers and discover my spiritual connection to God and the truth about me.”
K.S. — Human Resource Manager & Artist
The Sacred Garden Story
“I came today because I wanted to soak up the vibrations of your healing sacred garden,” said a participant attending a watercolor workshop held in my Sacred Garden recently.
Her words moved me deeply, as this is a big reason why I developed the garden on my property – allowing artists and other creative individuals to enjoy, learn and create in a natural and beautiful environment. This intention was part of my grandfather’s dream too! Although he had realized much of his life vision, the fulfillment of this intention was ultimately manifested in the Sacred Garden on my Sebastopol, California property.
Let me tell you about my grandfather, so you can understand what led to the development of my Sacred Garden.
My grandfather had a clear vision for his life when he was 25 years old. He had been an amateur artist and after losing both his parents at a young age, he moved to Paris to study the great artists of all time. At a certain point he realized he would never become a great artist himself, however, he was inspired in mind and spirit to help elevate the world of art. But how could he do this at age 25?
Vincent van Gogh, one of the world’s greatest painters, never sold one painting in his life. It was a true tragedy that the world wasn’t ready to appreciate van Gogh’s form of art while he was still alive. After reading and studying the life of this powerfully talented artist, my grandfather decided to dedicate his own life to supporting living artists.
What a grand life vision! Unbelievably with tremendous insight, will, and intelligence, my grandfather’s life vision came to pass with a spark that stayed lit his whole life until his passing at age 107.
What was needed now was money to fulfill his grand vision, but he had very little himself, only what his father had left him. So my grandfather returned to the United States on a steamship and went straight to New York City where he was sure he could make the money to fund his grand dream.
After working at a department store for several years, my grandfather decided to try his hand at trading stocks. He realized he had a natural ability when during the Wall Street Crash of 1929 he actually came out ahead! He continued to trade on a small level, advancing his skill while working for a trade firm, and eventually in 1939 formed his own company in partnership with his wife (my grandmother) and a brilliant mathematician friend.
In the beginning times were difficult and my grandfather couldn’t pay $500 for a painting he wanted to buy from an artist. Years later, that same painting showed up at an art gallery, but now it cost $5000 and my grandfather had the resources to purchase it. He continued the journey recognizing the great talent of American artists.
After many years of growing his financial portfolio, my grandparents were able to make generous gifts to support living artists and purchase their artwork, which eventually became my grandparents’ recognized art collection. Over their lifetime they also donated to countless educational and artistic institutions.
My grandfather had a brilliant sensitivity to color, brush, stroke, image, light, shadow, and medium. I grew up learning about art directly from him, as we studied the paintings that hung in his two homes and at his company workplace. To this day, my appreciation and love of original art is inspired by what I learned side-by-side with him. Interestingly enough, hanging art in the workplace had never been done before my grandfather pioneered this idea back in the 1940’s. Today, we see and appreciate art hanging just about everywhere.
In 1968 my grandparents were approached by the governor of New York, Nelson Rockefeller, who inquired whether they would be interested in donating their entire art collection for the promotion of art education. In return, the State of New York would build a museum in their honor. My grandparents agreed, and today the Neuberger Museum of Art is a vibrant and inspiring educational facility that showcases and promotes artists of all ages, in addition to the permanent home of The American Collection, my grandparents’ legacy gift to the world.
About 10 years before my grandfather’s passing, as he and I strolled through his country estate, he told me about a part of his grand vision that had never been realized. It struck a chord in my heart and I never forgot about it. He had envisioned opening up his property and gardens to artists who would come to create, retreat and teach others. In 2014 I decided to fulfill his dream and make it my own.
After many years of cultivating and co-creating my garden with my landscape designer and his team, my dream became a joyous reality. Today I feel honored to host artists and teachers as they create, retreat and teach among the healing vibrations of my Sacred Garden – just like my grandfather envisioned so many years ago.