4/4 Medicine Wheel Virtual Mini Retreat
Have you been seeing the number 4 everywhere? Are you looking for a chance to have a restorative Saturday morning/afternoon? Get grounded and step through this 4/4 portal with Ani and Xena.
We invite you to the 4/4 Medicine Wheel mini virtual retreat 4/4/26 from 10AM-2PM. This retreat was largely inspired by the number 4 and its insistence on presenting itself to us on a repetitive basis. We got playful with it and let the number guide us in organizing this retreat.
We have curated an opportunity to learn about and engage in guided restorative activities that are inspired by the number 4, to connect with others, to relax, reflect & relate, and to carve out some space and time to get grounded and open ourselves to what the gifts and magic the number 4 has to bring.
Often it is hard to get to retreat centers or events in person rendering the benefits of a retreat inaccessible. This retreat is meant to offset that and remind you that you can have a retreat right in the comfort of your own home. That a relaxed grounded experience can be accessed wherever you are.
All you’ll need is: a quiet room/space, ear buds or speaker, phone with internet connection for virtual access, the app WhatsApp, a journal, a pen, a yoga mat, blanket and/or bolster pillow, water or tea, 4 smudge sticks of 1 sage, 1 cedar, 1 sweetgrass, 1 tobacco (american spirit cigarette is ok here we do the best we can). 3 of these can be purchased in this smudging kit here https://northlandvisions.com/product/smudge-kit-in-a-bag/ (if these don't come in time don't worry, we can use our imagination)
You're welcome to purchase the smudging sticks anywhere you'd like. It doesn't have to be that store.
This event has a tightly packed schedule! Please be on time and be present for the entire 4 hours of the event. The timeliness and commitment to follow through helps maintain the integrity of the container.
What to expect:
We are building a living medicine wheel we will be spending 4 hours together, each hour dedicated to each direction, North South East and West.
10am-11am East - In the East we will open to energies of this direction with chanting and opening the heart.
11am-12pm South - Moving clockwise on the wheel moving to the south for guided mediation
12pm-1pm West - Continuing on to the west we’ll get into our bodies with some yoga and breathwork.
1pm-2pm North - Finishing in the North with a Sound Bath.
We are asking for donations to register for this event at a sliding scale of $22 - $44. However no one will be turned away for not having enough. If a dollar is all you have to give, what you have to give is enough and will graciously be accepted. Payments will be accepted through venmo @nshealingarts with the memo reading “four four” Along with your payment please send an email with your first and last name and phone number with the subject line ”four four” to AniSByrne@gmail.com, so that I can add you to the WhatsApp group. When your payment and email is received we will send you a link to the WhatsApp group for the event.
*PLEASE NOTE, YOUR DONATION IS NOT ENOUGH TO REGISTER. PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME AND PHONE NUMBER. THIS IS REQUIRED FOR ME TO ADD YOU TO THE GROUP. Thank you.
Please share this message with anyone you feel called to invite into the space.
We look forward to retreat, relax, and restore with you!
Celebrational Sound Bath
https://www.heartspacemedia.com/events/celebrational-sound-bath/ <—-Register Here
Ani Byrne from Newtown Square Healing Arts will be facilitating a Sound Bath. Chinese New Year is upon us. We are saying goodbye to the year of the wood snake and bring in the year of the fire horse. This will be an opportunity for you to acknowledge what skins we have shed with love and dream about the steps we will trail blaze with confidence moving forward.
Ani will be using Tibetan singing bowls, bells chimes, woodblocks, drums and her own voice to lead you on a sonic journey to get you grounded for the new paths that unfold for the year ahead.
Ecstatic Dance South Jersey
https://events.humanitix.com/sj-ecstatic-dance <—- register here
This gathering is beginner-friendly and welcoming to those brand new to ecstatic dance. Choice is central to the experience. You are always free to slow down, pause, step outside, sit or lie down, or simply witness the room. Participation looks different for everyone, and all of it belongs.
This dance is intentional by design. Each evening begins with a warm-up to arrive in the body together, unfolds into a guided music journey, and closes with a gentle landing before returning to the world.
Event flow and timing
6:00pm Doors open
6:30pm Warm-up begins
7:15pm Opening circle, community guidelines, and start of the dance journey
7:15–9:30pm Ecstatic dance with closing circle
Ecstatic dance guidelines
To support a grounded, respectful, and safe space for everyone, we share the following agreements:
• No shoes on the dance floor
• No talking on the dance floor
• No photos or videos on the dance floor
• This is a sober space (no substances)
• Dance however you want while staying aware of yourself and others
• Consent and boundaries matter and will be discussed before the dance
Warm-up with Veronica Carpenter
The evening begins with an intuitive yoga warm-up led by Veronica of Blissful Butterfly Yoga. This offering is designed to help you come home to your body before the dance begins. Veronica will check in with who is present and guide the experience based on the collective energy, experience levels, and needs in the room. Expect grounding, breathwork, intention setting, accessible movement, playful freedom, and time to settle. No experience necessary. All levels and bodies are welcome.
About Veronica
Veronica Carpenter is a yoga therapist, self-love cheerleader, and the heart behind Blissful Butterfly Yoga. Teaching since 2007, her work is shaped by her lived experience healing from developmental trauma, anxiety, depression, and disconnection from self. With a background in psychology and over 20 years working in relationship-based therapy and caregiving for children, Veronica brings a trauma-informed, warm, playful, and compassionate presence to the spaces she holds. Her approach is practical, accessible, and rooted in choice, consent, and meeting yourself exactly where you are.
The music journey with DJ Shouk
The core of the dance is the music journey, led by DJ Shouk. She is a budding artist with a deep understanding of the journey one must take to blossom. The music works with the collective. Unlike a concert, there is a wind-up that builds, peaks, and crescendos, bringing people with it and being guided by those in the room.
The closing
The evening ends with a soft release. The music slows, and participants are invited to gradually lower themselves to the ground, resting on their backs as the journey comes to completion. The closing may be guided through sound healing or remain free-form, with the DJ shaping the final atmosphere. This time allows space to integrate and catch your breath before being released back into the world.
Community notes
This is a sober, kid-friendly event and a woman-curated space. Consent and boundaries will be discussed during the opening circle, and support team members will be present throughout the evening to offer care, grounding, and guidance if anything arises.
Whether this is your first ecstatic dance or one of many, you are welcome exactly as you are
Ecstatic Dance Philadelpia
https://phillyecstaticdance.ticketspice.com/info <—- Register Here
By popular demand, Shouk is returning to headline Philly Ecstatic Dance this weekend. Shouk is an Armenian word that describes the bright rays of the sun as well as the shadow, reminding us that all shadows have light behind them. Day or night her goal is to amplify the golden frequency of healing joy sending it to all the dark corners of our being. Shouk is a massage therapist, sound & intuitive healer by day and a DJ/Producer by night. She produces ambient music and house music. On the dance floor she's spinning tech house.
Returning to lead our warm up this week is Gina Savacool. Gina is a movement artist, yoga instructor, Soulmatic Ceremonialist & energy medicine practitioner. Gina’s training includes modern dance and somatic movement, having received her BFA in Dance from The Ohio State University. She is also blessed to have trained with Ellen Krueger in Polarity Therapy. Gina’s yoga background includes Buti Movement, and Slow Flow Vinyasa. Gina also leads weekly slow flow classes at Kula Yoga and Fitness, in Hightstown NJ.
FLUXus AMONGus: Back to the Nature
Join us for an afternoon of Ecstatic Dance, Nature Bathing, Gardening, Art with Nature. This gathering is themed around fusing and deepening our connection to nature and the healing benefits of that relationship. Tix and link coming soon!
Healing Circle
This gathering is for anyone interested in learning and/or participating in energetic healing. It is open to all levels of. We will begin with a small presentation/lesson. After a short break, we’ll take turns getting on the table and working with each other as a group. Wear comfy clothes, bring a snack, and maybe a pen and notebook if you feel inclined to take notes.
To Register:
1) Send an email with the subject “Register for Healing Circle” to AniSByrne@gmail.com answering the following
First and Last Name, Phone number, What brings you to this circle?
2) Send a payment of $11 via venmo @NSHealingArts, Cash App $NSHealingArts, check via mail(check payable to Ani Byrne) . If you wish to pay with cash please state that in your registration email and bring it with you the day of the class!