St. Lucia Retreat | May 3–9
Reservations open March 3
What to ExpectA six day immersive retreat for artists and seekers ready to see more clearly and create from a deeper place.This retreat is a dedicated week of turning inward.
In the lush landscape of St. Lucia, we gently begin to question the stories we carry about who we are and how we see. As those stories soften, something more honest has space to emerge.
Through breath, somatic practice, photography, and painting, the work becomes a return to clear perception. Not through force, but through presence, attention, and a willingness to meet ourselves more truthfully.
We will be deeply supported by the elemental world around us. The ocean, the volcanic earth, the dense green jungle, and the warm night air become active collaborators in the process of seeing and creating.
No prior experience is required. This retreat welcomes both established artists and those who simply feel the quiet pull to create. What matters most is your openness, your curiosity, and your willingness to go inward.
This is not about performing or perfecting.
It is about learning to see clearly enough that something real can finally come through.
❋ A True Turning InwardThis week is designed as a meaningful pause from the constant noise of the outside world.
Together we create the conditions to slow down, step away from habitual patterns of doing, and begin listening more closely to what is actually present within us. When the nervous system settles and the mind softens, perception naturally becomes clearer.
From that place, the work begins to move differently.
❋ Intimate by DesignThe retreat is intentionally limited to five to six participants.
This small group size allows for real presence, individual attention, and the kind of subtle creative shifts that rarely happen in larger workshop environments. The group itself becomes a quiet field of support, reflection, and shared momentum.
❋ Deeply Guided Creative ProcessWith over twelve years of teaching experience and an MFA in Painting, Reisha offers both strong technical guidance and deeper perceptual inquiry.
Participants receive support in the practical aspects of painting and image making, while also being invited into more nuanced questions around color, perception, and the emotional intelligence of seeing. The work moves between craft and awareness, helping each artist develop greater clarity in both.
❋ Where Technique Meets Deeper SeeingThis retreat is not only about improving skill. It is about expanding the way we perceive.
Together we explore how color affects us physiologically and emotionally, how the body informs creative decision making, and how nature itself can recalibrate the way we see form, light, and space.
The goal is not to impose a style, but to help each participant access a more honest and embodied creative voice.
An intentional pause from the outside world so you can listen inward and see with greater clarity.
The Water Practice
Water is central to this retreat.
Each morning begins in or near the pool with guided breathwork and gentle floating practices designed to regulate the nervous system and soften habitual holding patterns in the body.
In water, the body receives immediate feedback. We cannot force. We cannot grip in the same way. We learn, instead, to yield, to trust, and to allow ourselves to be supported.
These daily practices become the foundation for the creative work that follows. As the body learns to surrender unnecessary tension, perception often becomes clearer and the work begins to move with greater ease.
No prior breathwork or water experience is required. All practices are gentle, guided, and fully supported.
Day One
Arrival and Acclimation
As guests arrive in St. Lucia, scheduled shuttles will be arranged from the airport at two designated times. Upon arrival at the villa, there will be space to settle in, unpack, and gently acclimate to the rhythm of the island.
This first day is intentionally spacious. Time to exhale after travel, soften into the environment, and begin arriving both physically and mentally.
In the evening, we will gather for a shared dinner at 6:00 pm.
At 8:00 pm, we will come together for a formal welcome and overview of the week ahead, setting intentions for the days to come and opening the container for our time together.
Day TwoSet Intentions & Reflect
Optional Morning Pool Practice
Guided breath, floating, and nervous system regulation
Followed by:
Gentle movement and meditation
Light Breakfast
Morning Session
Fundamentals of drawing, form, structure, and light
Late Morning
Lecture on perception and image making
Lunch Break
Afternoon Studio Session
Guided drawing and integration
Late Afternoon
Perceptual study in nature
Dinner and Evening Rest
Day Three
Seeing Through the Lens
The morning begins in the studio with an introduction to photography as a tool for perception and reference.
Together we explore how to capture an image that still carries the energy of life. We will look at framing, light, and timing, as well as how subtle shifts in attention can transform the emotional quality of a photograph.
Participants will also receive guidance on basic editing approaches, with a focus on maintaining integrity and sensitivity in the image rather than over processing.
After a light lunch, we transition into the open air.
In the afternoon, we board a private sailboat and move out onto the water. This time is both experiential and observational. Participants are encouraged to photograph, observe light on the water, and allow the body to fully register the surrounding landscape.
The ocean becomes both subject and teacher.
We return in the early evening with spacious time to rest, download images, and begin reflecting on what was seen and captured throughout the day.
Suggested Schedule
Morning
Photography introduction and fundamentals
Late Morning
Capturing light, composition, and image integrity
Basic editing overview
Lunch Break
Afternoon
Private sail and on water photography study
Early Evening
Image review and integration
Dinner and Rest
Day Four
Into the Jungle and Onto the Canvas
The morning begins with an immersive hike into the lush jungle landscape of St. Lucia.
Moving slowly through the natural environment, participants are invited to observe texture, humidity, sound, and shifting light. This is not simply a hike, but a sensory study in presence and perception. The jungle becomes a living field for noticing how the body responds to density, warmth, and layered visual information.
Participants are encouraged to photograph, sketch, or simply take in the experience as reference for later studio work.
After returning to the villa and sharing lunch, we transition into the studio.
The afternoon marks the beginning of painting. Using material gathered over the previous days, participants begin translating observation into form, color, and surface. Guidance is offered both technically and perceptually, supporting each artist in finding their own visual language.
The evening remains spacious for rest and integration.
Suggested Schedule
Morning
Guided jungle hike and perceptual study in nature
Late Morning
Return and reset
Lunch Break
Afternoon Studio Session
Introduction to painting and first canvas work
Evening
Rest and integration
Day Five
Deep Studio and Ocean Integration
By this point in the week, the body has softened and perception has begun to shift. Day Five is devoted to deeper creative immersion.
We begin the morning with gentle movement to awaken the body, followed by an extended studio session focused on painting. This is spacious, supported work time where participants continue developing their pieces with close guidance on both technical and perceptual levels.
Attention is given not only to form and color, but to the subtle emotional intelligence within the work and how each artist’s visual language is beginning to emerge.
After a shared lunch at the villa, we transition into the open air.
In the afternoon, we travel to the beach for a more spacious and restorative experience. Time is given to swim, walk, rest, and allow the nervous system to fully integrate the depth of the morning’s work.
The ocean becomes a place to reset, soften, and reconnect with the body in a more fluid way.
We return in the early evening with time to rest before dinner.
Suggested Schedule
Morning
Gentle movement and extended painting session
Late Morning
Continued studio work and individual guidance
Lunch at the Villa
Afternoon
Beach excursion and ocean time
Early Evening
Return and rest
Dinner
Day Six
Integration and Elemental Reset
By this point in the week, much has begun to shift. Day Six is devoted to integration, refinement, and allowing the body to fully absorb the work of the previous days.
We begin the morning in the studio with focused time to continue painting. This session allows participants to refine their pieces, deepen their relationship to color and form, and receive individual guidance where needed. The emphasis is on quiet attention and trusting the emerging voice within the work.
After lunch at the villa, we transition into one of St. Lucia’s most elemental landscapes.
In the afternoon, we travel to the volcanic mud baths and hot springs. Immersing in the mineral rich waters offers a deeply grounding and restorative experience for the body and nervous system. After a week of inward work, this becomes a moment to soften further, release what is ready to fall away, and reconnect physically with the earth.
In the evening, we gather for our closing dinner together. This is a time to reflect on the week, share what has shifted, and honor the work that has unfolded both on and off the canvas.
Suggested Schedule
Morning
Focused studio time and painting refinement
Late Morning
Individual guidance and integration
Lunch at the Villa
Afternoon
Volcanic mud baths and hot springs
Evening
Closing dinner and reflection
Day Seven
Departure
Our final morning together is intentionally quiet and unhurried.
Guests are invited to enjoy a slow breakfast, take in the last moments of the landscape, and gently prepare for departure. This is a time to notice what has shifted, both in the work and internally, and to begin carrying that clarity back into daily life.
Scheduled shuttles will be arranged to transport guests to the airport at designated times.
While our week together comes to a close, the perceptual and creative work continues to unfold long after leaving the island.
Suggested Schedule
Morning
Breakfast and quiet reflection
Late Morning
Pack and prepare for departure
Scheduled Airport Transfers
What’s Included
This retreat is designed to feel spacious, supported, and easeful from the moment you arrive.
Every element of the week has been thoughtfully arranged so you can step away from logistical stress and turn your attention inward toward the creative and perceptual work that brought you here.
Included in your experience:
Airport transportation at two scheduled arrival times
Six nights accommodation at our private St. Lucia villa
All group meals throughout the retreat
Guided workshops and daily sessions with Reisha
Private sailboat experience
Guided jungle excursion
Volcanic mud bath and hot springs visit
Core shared art materials for drawing and painting
Small group setting with five to six participants
Participants are welcome to bring any personal favorite materials, though all essential supplies will be available on site.
This is a highly intimate and carefully held experience. With only a small number of participants, each guest receives meaningful individual guidance while being fully supported in a space designed for depth, rest, and creative clarity.
Because of the intimate nature of this retreat, space is limited to a very small group.
All accommodations are located within our private St. Lucia villa and are offered on a first confirmed basis.
Private King Suite
$5,800
Private King Room
$5,500
Shared King Room
$4,200 per person
Shared Queen and Twin Room
Queen bed: $4,600 per person
Twin bed: $3,800 per person
A non-refundable deposit of $1,500 is required to reserve your place. The remaining balance is due 30 days prior to the retreat. Payment plans are available upon request.
Cancellation Policy
Because this is a small and carefully held retreat, all payments are non-refundable.
The initial deposit secures your place and is not transferable.
If you need to cancel more than 30 days before the retreat and we are able to fill your spot from the waitlist, your remaining balance may be applied as a credit toward a future retreat, minus a $500 administrative fee.
Cancellations made within 30 days of the retreat are not eligible for credit or transfer.