It was over four decades ago that Joel ben Izzy set off to travel the world, gathering and telling stories. Since then, he has performed and led workshops at hundreds of locations throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. In addition to recording and producing six award-winning recordings of his stories, Joel is the author of The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness (Algonquin, 2003). Now translated into 18 languages, this memoir recounts his remarkable and unexpected journey into the world of silence, woven together with tales from his travels. Joel is also one of the nation’s leading story coaches, with a client list that includes The Federal Reserve Bank, Stanford University, and Pixar Animation Studios. He travels to Rancho La Puerta from his home in Berkeley, California. For more on Joel – and videos – see www.storypage.com.
Archives: Events
Healing Stories and Songs-Wisdom Keeper Week
Wisdom Keeper Week
Healing Stories and Practices
During Wisdom Keeper Week we celebrate my father’s birthday by exploring one of his core teachings. To enliven and enrich our week-long community, it is my honor to invite presenters who embody these teachings.
My father ‘s life was anchored in ancient wisdom traditions and he found ways to connect these teachings to everyday life. He often taught through stories and believed that our connection to nature was essential to a healthy, happy life. This week we flow from Apache to Ayurveda, a great circle of wisdom teachings to help us be discerning in what we harvest, how to care for the land and our bodies, how to embody a spiritual life that gives us purpose and peace. Indigenous elders will share their traditions and stories with us. We will forage together and learn how to take only what we need. We will create beauty and thank the mountain for her protection. We will sing our sorrow and our joy and live in the paradox of celebrating life in the midst of grief and uncertainty.
More Information About The WeekSongs of Sustenance: Chants, Spirituals, Songs of Joy and Healing
Together, with our facilitators, Arnaé Batson and Maggie Wheeler, we will embark on a vocal journey to investigate the vibrational power of song, including songs that have been sung through the ages–during times of struggle, resistance and triumph. From chants and spirituals to songs of protest and original music, we will sing open the doors to a deeper level of listening to one another and to the unseen. As facilitators and collaborators, Arnaé Batson, Maggie Wheeler create a dynamic vocal journey for all to share.
In this workshop, we will gather together in the ancient practice of singing as a community. When we join our voices in a shared communal experience, healing is possible, courage is accessible and connections are deepened.
Arnaé Batson is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and culture carrier. Arnaé uses music to create spiritual pathways for health and wholeness. Her passion is building community and uplifting people through songs that share hope and raise awareness for progressive social change.
Arnaé’s singing is deeply rooted in the spiritual and historical experiences of Black American culture, exploring genres from jazz, blues and gospel to R&B and beyond. She has earned the distinction as one of the foremost interpreters and song leaders of the music of the Underground Railroad, the Modern Civil Rights movement and Black American Sacred Music.
Arnaé has traveled the globe extensively as a songleader, composer, arranger, session singer and workshop clinician. Currently, her activism is expressed through her creation of music for the Art & Theomusicology Working Group of the California Poor People’s Campaign. She also contributes original songs to the We Cry Justice Cultural Arts Project with the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice. Further, she brings new life to iconic songs of the Civil Rights Movement through her touring partnership with the Living Legacy Pilgrimage.
Arnaé firmly believes that leading people in song can reawaken joy, build true connections and provide the musical salve necessary for the healing of personal and social wounds for all who are willing. She feels most fulfilled when engaged in endeavors that carry life affirming music forward – passing on to others that which was passed on to her.
Mountain Prayer and Song Ceremony with Earth Offering, with Rosa Tupina Yaotonalcuahtli
Red Road Journey is bringing native elders and wisdom keepers to Rancho La Puerta, to share stories, pray, sing, teach and inspire; to celebrate the deeply rooted traditions and practices that can help us care for the earth, bring healing to our spirits and care for each other.
Mountain Prayer and Song Ceremony with Earth Offering, with Rosa Tupina Yaotonalcuahtli
Abuela Tupina for the past fifty years has walked alongside Native healers and ceremonial knowledge keepers throughout the U.S. and Mexico, predominantly from the Mexica (Azteca), Huichol and Raramuri traditions, to inform and nurture the vitality of her purpose in this world. When she was called to the Danza de Luna Xochimeztli in Teotihuacan, Mexico, under the leadership of Abuela Tonamitl Retiz, she knew she had found the space to heal her intergenerational trauma and to guide other women’s healing. In 2012, after being initiated as an Abuela in the Danza de la Luna tradition, Abuela Tupina planted her sacred ceremonial circle, Danza de la Luna Huitzilmeztli, where she continues to lead and nurture her capuli (community and family) of dancers and supporters.
Modern-day Foraging with Twila Cassadore
Red Road Journey is bringing native elders and wisdom keepers to Rancho La Puerta, to share stories, pray, sing, teach and inspire; to celebrate the deeply rooted traditions and practices that can help us care for the earth, bring healing to our spirits and care for each other.
Showcasing Traditional Apache Dishes: Modern-day Foraging, with Twila Cassadore
Twila Cassadore is a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe of Arizona, a traditional Apache forager, food educator, and advocate for Indigenous food sovereignty. Through her work, Twila teaches Western Apache food traditions at a global level as a means of fostering physical health, healing, spiritual connection, and cultural identity. She interviews tribal elders, takes foraging trips into the wilderness, and delivers public presentations to share her research.
Integrating Indigenous Wisdom into Modern Thought: Q/A with Apache and Azteca Grandmothers, with Twila Cassadore and Rosa Tupina Yaotonalcuahtli
Labyrinth, Harp and Music – Celebrating a Quarter Century of the Labyrinth at the Ranch with Kendra Faye
Music As Medicine – Experiential
-Understand the physical, emotional and energetic wellness practice and cultural significance of sound as medicine
-How music affects the brain and body
-Explore various practices of sound healing across different cultures
-Experience sound healing techniques through guided practice
-Exploring cultural practices that incorporate sound healing. Demonstration of sounds, instruments and techniques.
Experiential Sound Healing with Harp, Voice and Bowls – Evening Concert
Walking the Candlelit Labyrinth with Harp – Celebrating the Ranch Labyrinth
Hello, I’m Kendra Faye. Officially, I am a harpist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, though my joy comes from seeing the transformative power of music. Music has taken me around the globe. To environments as varied as the Amazonian jungle and the hospital wards; it has taken me from teens struggling to overcome addiction to sharing the joy of new born baby; and finally, it has taken me to the bedside to help ease the fear of an illness or offering music to comfort the biggest of life’s transitions in my work with hospice. Sharing the power of music has been both ecstatic and humbling; being both performer and witness; being both minstrel and student; learning from the Universal language of song that crosses borders and blends appreciation with wonder. The ways we sing, play and praise in devotion awakens the heart to experience more fully the healing, the pleasure, the celebration, and utilize the lessons from pain or sadness. I am grateful that my lifelong love of music reminds me of the power and beauty that we all are and how sound can help remind us of our inner beauty. Song speaks our stories. There is something sacred about deep listening and expression of song that our soul thirsts for. It soothes us, comforts us, and inspires us as we dance with life’s mystery.
For Music Lovers with Nahre Sol
Peaceful Piano – a program of very calming, peaceful piano music meant to soothe.
In between Jazz and Classical – a program of music that is a hybrid between the two genres of classical and jazz music.
Nahre Sol is best known for her YouTube channel, with around 619,000 subscribers as of July 2023, and as being co-host of the PBS Digital Studios show “Sound Field.” She has also been a guest host of NPR’s Performance Today, created a video for Wired magazine, appeared as a guest on the online channel Physics Girl, and collaborated with other composers and musicians such as David Bruce, Andrew Huang, Adam Neely, L.A. Buckner, Tantacrul, and Ben Levin. She was nominated in the category Best YouTube Musician in the 12th Annual Shorty Awards in 2020. The blog Pianote featured her YouTube channel in 2021 as #1 on their list of top YouTube pianists. As a composer, Nahre Sol has had works commissioned by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and her music was used in the film The Boss Baby: Family Business. In 2021, she released a digital album called Alice in Wonderland. In June 2023, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg announced Nahre Sol as its first-ever ‘Creator in Residence’ for the 2023-2024 season. Nahre Sol received her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from the Juilliard School in 2013, studying with Matti Raekallio. In 2015 she earned her Artist Diploma from The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada, studying with John O’Conor.
Songs of Sustenance: Chants, Spirituals, Songs of Joy and Healing
Together, with our facilitators, Arnaé Batson and Maggie Wheeler, we will embark on a vocal journey to investigate the vibrational power of song, including songs that have been sung through the ages–during times of struggle, resistance and triumph. From chants and spirituals to songs of protest and original music, we will sing open the doors to a deeper level of listening to one another and to the unseen. As facilitators and collaborators, Arnaé Batson, Maggie Wheeler create a dynamic vocal journey for all to share.
In this workshop, we will gather together in the ancient practice of singing as a community. When we join our voices in a shared communal experience, healing is possible, courage is accessible and connections are deepened.
Maggie Wheeler is best known in the U.S and internationally for her extensive work as an actress in film, television, and voice-over and most notably as the character of Janice on NBC’s hit series Friends. Maggie is a passionate singer, songwriter, choir director and workshop facilitator. She has been teaching her vocal workshop Singing In The Stream for over 30 years at retreat centers such as Esalen, The Omega Institute, Topa Institute, Art Of Living Center, Sivananda Bahamas as well as universities, communities, and schools to provide the experience of creating interpersonal harmony and internal harmony through the powerful act of creating vocal harmony.
For 18 years Maggie has directed the 100-voice, intergenerational, non-auditioned Golden Bridge Community Choir in Hollywood. Throughout these past years of change Maggie continued the Golden Bridge Choir online producing virtual concerts and videos as well as hosting a weekly online community gathering called Together In Song, bringing together over 4,000 people from around the world to join in the healing power of singing.
Maggie is a prolific songwriter with a catalog of powerful and timely songs that have been sung by choirs worldwide. Her original music for choirs and communities is available on Apple Music and other music platforms, and on Bandcamp at: https://maggiewheeler.bandcamp.com/album/the-crow-calls
To accompany her CD entitled ‘Walk With Me’, Maggie created a songbook available through her website goldenbridgechoir.com
It is Maggie’s belief and her experience that by singing together we build community, counteract loneliness, become inspired and energized and feel more deeply connected to others and to ourselves.
To learn more about Maggie’s work please visit: goldenbridgechoir.com and maggiewheeler.net.
Personal Healing is Earth Healing
Red Road Journey is bringing native elders and wisdom keepers to Rancho La Puerta, to share stories, pray, sing, teach and inspire; to celebrate the deeply rooted traditions and practices that can help us care for the earth, bring healing to our spirits and care for each other.
Blessing Ceremony for Longevity with Tony Skrelunas
Navajos have a blessing ceremony that lays out a path for a long and happy life. This includes traditional teachings and methods that ensure we live a daily life of prayer, being in touch with the earth, early morning running, consuming food directly from the land, including our long tradition of farming heirloom plants, raising sheep, learning ceremony, having purpose and humor, being gracious and giving, and ensuring future generations are able to learn these tools. This session will inspire you on your journey in this world to do it with gusto and harmony.
Healing through Stones with Twila Cassadore
Twila Cassadore is a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe of Arizona, a traditional Apache forager, food educator, and advocate for Indigenous food sovereignty. Through her work, Twila teaches Western Apache food traditions at a global level by promoting the importance of foods consumed by Apaches prior to the relocation of Native Americans to reservations. She interviews tribal elders, takes foraging trips into the wilderness, and delivers public presentations to share her research. Twila will share a powerful, intimate process of how we can heal our pains and sorrows through stonework. As stones transmit and store energy, Native traditions depict the stone as a teacher and healer that can take on our pain and leave space for our healing.
Letting Go Ceremony: Overcoming Trauma with Robert Johnston
Robert Johnston has led talks throughout the US and around the world, primarily to Native communities, on topics that address healing ancestral/generational trauma and revitalizing traditional methods of wellness in order to overcome current issues impacting tribal nations. He has worked at leading Native-run nonprofits such as Native Wellness Institute, and continues to be a positive role model for many Native youth in the Greater Phoenix Metro Area. While at the Ranch, Robert will lead us in a Letting Go Ceremony that teaches us how to create ceremony through the natural elements in an effort to healthily channel our trauma in a manner that reawakens our relationship with ourselves and Earth.
Celebrating a Quarter of a Century of Labyrinth Walking at the Ranch
Tuesday New Year’s Eve, Wednesday’s New Year’s Day and Friday Labyrinth Walks, with Deborah Burand.
Walk in quiet meditation as you bid farewell to 2024 and welcome 2025 and a new quarter century of labyrinth walking at the Ranch.
Tuesday, New Year’s Eve – Labyrinth Evening
This labyrinth walk on New Year’s Eve invites you to meditate on the end of 2024 and open yourself to welcome the new year.
Wednesday, New Year’s Day
Step into this labyrinth walk on New Year’s Day to center yourself and discover your intentions for 2025.
Friday, January 3
Move forward with a quiet labyrinth walk to reflect on how you will carry the Ranch home and into the new year.
Deborah Burand has walked labyrinths from Europe to North America, including the labyrinth designed by her father in their hometown of Anderson, Indiana. She also facilitates labyrinth walks for law students at New York University’s School of Law where she is a tenured professor of clinical law.
Deborah began facilitating labyrinth walks after accompanying her father to France where together they walked the Chartres Cathedral’s labyrinth and began studying under Lauren Artress, founder and creative director of Veriditas (a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring personal and planetary change and renewal through the labyrinth experience). Deborah’s essay, Circling the Ranch, which was published online by the Ranch to commemorate its 80th anniversary, describes how she brought her then 86- year-old father to walk the Ranch’s labyrinth.
The Council on Foreign Relations recently named Deborah as one of its Higher Education Ambassador Fellows for 2024-2025. In May 2024, Deborah was presented with NYU Law School’s Distinguished Teaching Award in recognition of her inspirational and innovative pedagogy and outstanding contributions to the legal academy. The Financial Times also has recognized her multi-disciplinary teaching materials for their creativity and innovation in sustainable finance education.
Foundations of Flourishing with Ilene Brenner Schaffer
Foundations of Flourishing – Thrive through change while growing a vibrant life of meaning and connection. Learn the science of well-being to create your best possible future.
Module 1
Navigating Change: Living with Grace and Strength
Each life stage brings its own twists and turns – some welcome, others that knock the wind out of us. Together, we’ll explore the cycle of change, its impact on our mind and body, and strategies for adapting while standing in your power.
Module 2
Get Out of Your Own Way: Managing Your Mindset
Our minds have the power to stop us in our tracks or open doors to new opportunities. We’ll examine mental blockers and explore practical strategies to shift these thought patterns, empowering you to transform limiting beliefs into positive actions.
Module 3
The Optimism Effect: How It Can Shift Your Life
How you experience life matters. Optimism is more than seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. It impacts our longevity, our health, and our relationships. Good news – there are evidence-informed strategies to boost your optimism. Discover why optimism is vital to your well-being and how to strengthen your optimistic outlook.
Module 4
Power of Connection: The Heart of Well-Being
Our connections with others are vital to our well-being and resilience. This session explores strategies for cultivating supportive and uplifting relationships. Discover how to deepen high-quality connections, maintain meaningful friendships, and surround yourself with people who help you thrive through life’s highs and lows.
Module 5
You Make A Difference: Creating Your Imprint
Each of us leaves a unique stamp on the world. It’s never too late to lead a life filled with meaning—one that positively impacts others. Mattering and feeling valued are essential to our well-being. In this session, you’ll reflect on the seeds you’ve already planted and explore fresh ways to cultivate a legacy that speaks to the heart of who you are.
Ilene Brenner Schaffer fell in love with The Ranch in the 70s as a young girl when her dad was a regular speaker on holistic health. She is thrilled to return to share her expertise in life transitions and positive psychology (the science of wellbeing). Ilene’s greatest joy is helping clients flourish through life’s constant changes. She loves witnessing someone’s confidence grow as they embrace their strengths, deepen relationships, and step into their “zone of control.” In addition to her life coaching practice, she leads a global executive coaching firm dedicated to leadership and well-being. She is also the host of the weekly podcast “What’s Possible.” Ilene is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation, has a Masters of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Masters in Counseling Psychology with a focus in Life Transitions from the University of San Francisco. She is a mom to two young adult daughters, lives in San Diego with her husband, and indulges in regular sunset beach walks.
www.ileneschaffer.com
Bulletproof your Feet With Dr. Emily Splichal
Bulletproof your Feet: As the only contact point between the body and the ground, the human foot plays a critical role in posture, balance and movement. Join us as Dr. Emily explores the 4 pillars for healthy feet and movement: Activation, Strength, Balance & Recovery.
Foot to Core Strength: Static and dynamic posture requires stabilization and awareness of our body’s center of mass. Join functional podiatrist Emily as she explores how our center of mass (pelvic floor) is deeply connected to the muscles and fascia of our foot. Experience powerful techniques in foot to core sequencing and from the ground up stability techniques.
Brain-Based Balanced Training: The seemingly simple task of balancing on one leg or walking across the room is actually a complex, integrated, multi-sensory experience with stimulation coming from the eyes, ears, joints, and plantar foot. Join Dr. Emily to experience sensory-stacked exercises that will improve body perception, balance, and movement in all clients. Explore the concept of sensory stacking, multisensory integration, and sensory conflict training.
Dr Emily Splichal, Functional Podiatrist and Human Movement Specialist, is the Founder of EBFA Global, Author of Barefoot Strong and CEO/Founder of Naboso Technology. With over 23 years in the fitness industry, Dr Splichal has dedicated her medical career towards studying postural alignment and human movement as it relates to barefoot science, foot to core integration and sensory integration.
Dr Splichal actively sees patients out of her office in Scottsdale, AZ as well as virtually with a specialty in movement disorders, functional movement and regenerative medicine. Dr Splichal takes great pride in approaching all patients through a functional approach with the integration of neuromuscular control, biopsychosocial influences, corrective exercise and stem cell therapy.
Dr Splichal is actively involved in barefoot training research and barefoot education as it relates to athletic performance, injury prevention and movement longevity. Dr Splichal has presented her research and barefoot education both nationally and internationally to over 25,000 professionals, with her Barefoot Training Specialist® Program in over 40 countries and her education translated into 15 languages.
Due to her unique background Dr Splichal is able to serve as a consultant and expert for some of the top fitness, footwear and orthotic companies including Aetrex Worldwide, Bunion Bootie, Orthofeet, Lissom Footwear, Nike Innovations, Theragun, RAD Roller, SOLS and Trigger Point Performance Therapy.
Degrees/Certifications: Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), Master’s Human Movement (MS), NASM-CES, NASM-PES, NSCA-CPT
Mocktails with Christa Cotton
There are spirits and then there’s spirit, and Christa Cotton embodies both. A native of Leesburg, Georgia, Christa moved to New Orleans after helping her parents establish Georgia’s first legal distillery since Prohibition while in college at Auburn University. After a stint in advertising, Christa founded New Orleans Beverage Group and acquired the El Guapo trademark in 2017. Specializing in zero-proof bitters, El Guapo has expanded into syrups and mixers and is Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) certified. The company debuted at #166 on the Inc. 5000 Regionals list for fastest growing companies in the US in 2024. Christa is a 7x Good Food Award winner, LEE Initiative mentor, Les Dames d’Escoffier Legacy Award: Fine Spirits recipient, and a Fellow in both the Tory Burch Foundation and the James Beard Foundation. She’s successfully raised seven figures in investment capital and relocated from 1,800 square feet to a 32,000 square foot production facility & warehouse in Mid-City. She’s been featured in Southern Living, Forbes, Garden & Gun, Martha Stewart and Fedex Small Business national ad campaigns. She lives Uptown in a pink 1902 double shotgun with her daughter, Flora, husband, Brian and Bernese Mountain Dog, Archie Manning. It’s a vibe & she is busy.
Gyrokinesis with Ellen Comerford
Ellen Comerford is the founder and CEO of Core De Vie Wellness and a GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® Master Trainer. With over 40 years in the wellness space, she specializes in whole-body care, integrating movement, nutrition, and mindset into her practice. Ellen is certified in advanced biomechanics and posture and movement analysis, giving her a unique expertise in helping clients improve alignment, balance, and mobility. Through her personalized coaching, she offers natural solutions for pain management and optimal health, transforming lives both in-person and virtually from her Beacon Hill studio.
Ellen’s GYROKINESIS® classes are designed to go beyond traditional movement, focusing on aligning the body through careful attention to posture, balance, and fluidity. By incorporating her deep knowledge of biomechanics, she helps participants unlock the full potential of their bodies, restoring natural movement patterns and relieving tension.
Ellen’s expert guidance will help you rediscover the freedom and joy of movement. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or new to GYROKINESIS®, Ellen’s warm, encouraging teaching style will leave you feeling revitalized and aligned.
Let’s Get Batty! with Judie Lincer
Bat viewing and facts – early evening outdoor experience.
Judie Lincer, M.S. Ed. is a Naturalist Educator with San Diego Audubon, who has over 30 years of teaching experience and guides hikes educating people about ecosystems, adaptations, ethnobotany (the study of a region’s plants and their uses through the traditional knowledge of a local culture). She is an enthusiastic speaker who inspires others to develop an appreciation of the environment. Judie is a Workshop &Tour Director for the California Native Plant Society-San Diego.
Moving Meditation
We’re not learning to dance, we’re dancing to learn.
In every culture there is dance, and every human body is DNA-wired to move. Open Floor dance practice is a natural way for people of any background, age, culture, or physical ability to communicate and connect with others. You’ll find Open Floor to be a spirited moving meditation that is accessible to all, regardless of experience. It cultivates self-knowledge and healthy relationships both on and off the dance floor. Wonderful music from all over the world accompanies us as we explore themes that are fun, thought-provoking, and ultimately enlivening. Come join us.
Lori Saltzman and Kathy Altman, Co-founders of Open Floor International, have travelled the globe for 40 years teaching mindfulness and self-awareness through movement. Originally students and colleagues of Gabrielle Roth, they went on to create Open Floor Movement Practice in 2013. They have trained over 800 teachers from 22 countries to bring this lively, healing work to people of all languages, ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Open Floor Dance – our local website and media
http://openfloordance.org
Open Floor Dance (@openfloordance)
Open Floor International
https://openfloor.org,
https://www.facebook.com/openfloor
The Five Elements of Wellness: Ayurveda, Nature & Nutrition
The ancient science of Ayurveda supports Rancho La Puerta’s 5 principles of health – that joyful movement, fresh air and sunshine, good food and digestion, friendship and connection, learning and inspiration, amplify health and happiness, while igniting a renewed sense of purpose.
Together, in these classes, we will explore the power of nature to heal, strengthen, inspire and restore. You will learn the ancient secrets of Ayurveda for vibrant longevity, your unique Ayurveda constitution, how to nourish optimally with nature’s support, and how to take these practices home with you in delicious, delightful, sustainable ways.
Just as the Ranch helps you connect with nature, Ayurveda reminds you that you are nature, inviting a reunification with all its glory, beauty and power for truly sacred, sumptuous living.
Class 1: Which Element Are You? Understanding Your Ayurvedic Constitution
Ayurveda begins with the five elements, Space, Air, Fire, Water, Earth, exploring their energies and how they work in you to give your unique mind-body constitution. Learn how the Ranch’s five principles relate, and how to work with these elements to heal and balance, in alignment with nature’s rhythms.
Class 2: The Six Tastes – Ayurveda’s Key to Optimal Nutrition & Digestion
Ayurveda’s Six Tastes describe the rays of light each type of food brings. Each taste, sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent, supports your health in unique ways. Explore how to incorporate these tastes into your meals, using fresh, seasonal ingredients, adapted to your individual needs. When you know this, all doubt vanishes, and meals become intuitive, delicious, healthy, while nurturing whole person health.
Class 3: Working With Fire – Energizing Body & Mind
Explore the transformative power of Fire, which governs digestion, metabolism and transformation in Ayurveda, as well as clarity, courage, warmth and radiance. Learn how to stoke your digestive fire (Agni) with fresh, seasonal foods, herbs and spices, teas and tonics, and mindful eating practices, to ensure optimal digestion, metabolism and vitality.
Class 4: Playing With Water – Rejuvenating & Healing
In Ayurveda, Water is the element of fluidity, purification, healing, and renewal. It represents all that soothes, strengthens, lubricates and nourishes, giving wholeness, integrity, ease and contentment. Learn how to work with healthy foods to replenish for greater acuity, serenity, energy and endurance.
Class 5: Integrating this Joyful Care into Your Daily Life
Develop personalized strategies to take Ayurveda, and your Rancho La Puerta experience, home with you. Create a sustainable plan to nurture body, mind, and spirit, for enduring wellness. Cultivate a reverent connection to nature to encourage your own reverent connection to self every day.
Laura Plumb
Selected by Spirituality & Health as one of 100 Trailblazers of Yoga & Ayurveda, with decades of study into Yoga, Ayurveda, Jyotish, consciousness, and the potential for Self-realization, Laura is an international educator on the power of the Vedic sciences to promote radical health and sacred, sumptuous living.
A Vedic Educator, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Jyotish Consultant, Author, Speaker, and popular blogger on Ayurveda, Laura is dedicated to making this ancient knowledge accessible and relevant to our modern times.
As the former General Manager of Discovery Channel Europe, subsequently working for decades in the fields of health and human potential, Laura has studied the world’s great healing and spiritual traditions with some of the greatest luminaries of our times.
She is the author of the best-selling book Ayurveda Cooking For Beginners; creator of the acclaimed Ayurvedic Integrated Nutrition Consultant Training; the writer/ presenter of the video course The Medicine In Your Kitchen: Introduction to Ayurvedic Cooking hosted by Spirituality & Health; writer and host of the 53-part television show CleanseVeda; and creator/host of the 12-part series Divine Yoga, which ran on Gaia, now available on Amazon Prime. She also serves on faculty for The Sevanti Institute and UCSD Center for Integrative Medicine.
Laura’s blog food-alovestory.com is an inspirational, free resource for Ayurvedic recipes and wise living. Her popular whole food, plant-based seasonal cleanses are powerful, effective and delicious, and have helped many overcome health challenges.
Laura’s articles on health and wellness have been published in Huffington Post, Spirituality & Health, Well + Good, Ayurveda Next Door, Yoga Digest and the Times of India, among other national and international media. She has taught at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, the Omega Institute, the Shift Network, The Natural Law Academy, BhaktiFest, ShaktiFest, the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh, and has been featured on numerous podcasts including The Higher Self with Sahara Rose, The Melissa Ambrosini Show, and VitalVeda with Dylan Smith.
The Five Elements of Wellness: Ayurveda, Nature & Nutrition
The ancient science of Ayurveda supports Rancho La Puerta’s 5 principles of health – that joyful movement, fresh air and sunshine, good food and digestion, friendship and connection, learning and inspiration, amplify health and happiness, while igniting a renewed sense of purpose.
Together, in these classes, we will explore the power of nature to heal, strengthen, inspire and restore. You will learn the ancient secrets of Ayurveda for vibrant longevity, your unique Ayurveda constitution, how to nourish optimally with nature’s support, and how to take these practices home with you in delicious, delightful, sustainable ways.
Just as the Ranch helps you connect with nature, Ayurveda reminds you that you are nature, inviting a reunification with all its glory, beauty and power for truly sacred, sumptuous living.
Class 1: Which Element Are You? Understanding Your Ayurvedic Constitution
Ayurveda begins with the five elements, Space, Air, Fire, Water, Earth, exploring their energies and how they work in you to give your unique mind-body constitution. Learn how the Ranch’s five principles relate, and how to work with these elements to heal and balance, in alignment with nature’s rhythms.
Class 2: The Six Tastes – Ayurveda’s Key to Optimal Nutrition & Digestion
Ayurveda’s Six Tastes describe the rays of light each type of food brings. Each taste, sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent, supports your health in unique ways. Explore how to incorporate these tastes into your meals, using fresh, seasonal ingredients, adapted to your individual needs. When you know this, all doubt vanishes, and meals become intuitive, delicious, healthy, while nurturing whole person health.
Class 3: Working With Fire – Energizing Body & Mind
Explore the transformative power of Fire, which governs digestion, metabolism and transformation in Ayurveda, as well as clarity, courage, warmth and radiance. Learn how to stoke your digestive fire (Agni) with fresh, seasonal foods, herbs and spices, teas and tonics, and mindful eating practices, to ensure optimal digestion, metabolism and vitality.
Class 4: Playing With Water – Rejuvenating & Healing
In Ayurveda, Water is the element of fluidity, purification, healing, and renewal. It represents all that soothes, strengthens, lubricates and nourishes, giving wholeness, integrity, ease and contentment. Learn how to work with healthy foods to replenish for greater acuity, serenity, energy and endurance.
Class 5: Integrating this Joyful Care into Your Daily Life
Develop personalized strategies to take Ayurveda, and your Rancho La Puerta experience, home with you. Create a sustainable plan to nurture body, mind, and spirit, for enduring wellness. Cultivate a reverent connection to nature to encourage your own reverent connection to self every day.
Laura Plumb
Selected by Spirituality & Health as one of 100 Trailblazers of Yoga & Ayurveda, with decades of study into Yoga, Ayurveda, Jyotish, consciousness, and the potential for Self-realization, Laura is an international educator on the power of the Vedic sciences to promote radical health and sacred, sumptuous living.
A Vedic Educator, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Jyotish Consultant, Author, Speaker, and popular blogger on Ayurveda, Laura is dedicated to making this ancient knowledge accessible and relevant to our modern times.
As the former General Manager of Discovery Channel Europe, subsequently working for decades in the fields of health and human potential, Laura has studied the world’s great healing and spiritual traditions with some of the greatest luminaries of our times.
She is the author of the best-selling book Ayurveda Cooking For Beginners; creator of the acclaimed Ayurvedic Integrated Nutrition Consultant Training; the writer/ presenter of the video course The Medicine In Your Kitchen: Introduction to Ayurvedic Cooking hosted by Spirituality & Health; writer and host of the 53-part television show CleanseVeda; and creator/host of the 12-part series Divine Yoga, which ran on Gaia, now available on Amazon Prime. She also serves on faculty for The Sevanti Institute and UCSD Center for Integrative Medicine.
Laura’s blog food-alovestory.com is an inspirational, free resource for Ayurvedic recipes and wise living. Her popular whole food, plant-based seasonal cleanses are powerful, effective and delicious, and have helped many overcome health challenges.
Laura’s articles on health and wellness have been published in Huffington Post, Spirituality & Health, Well + Good, Ayurveda Next Door, Yoga Digest and the Times of India, among other national and international media. She has taught at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, the Omega Institute, the Shift Network, The Natural Law Academy, BhaktiFest, ShaktiFest, the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh, and has been featured on numerous podcasts including The Higher Self with Sahara Rose, The Melissa Ambrosini Show, and VitalVeda with Dylan Smith.
The Five Elements of Wellness: Ayurveda, Nature & Nutrition
The ancient science of Ayurveda supports Rancho La Puerta’s 5 principles of health – that joyful movement, fresh air and sunshine, good food and digestion, friendship and connection, learning and inspiration, amplify health and happiness, while igniting a renewed sense of purpose.
Together, in these classes, we will explore the power of nature to heal, strengthen, inspire and restore. You will learn the ancient secrets of Ayurveda for vibrant longevity, your unique Ayurveda constitution, how to nourish optimally with nature’s support, and how to take these practices home with you in delicious, delightful, sustainable ways.
Just as the Ranch helps you connect with nature, Ayurveda reminds you that you are nature, inviting a reunification with all its glory, beauty and power for truly sacred, sumptuous living.
Class 1: Which Element Are You? Understanding Your Ayurvedic Constitution
Ayurveda begins with the five elements, Space, Air, Fire, Water, Earth, exploring their energies and how they work in you to give your unique mind-body constitution. Learn how the Ranch’s five principles relate, and how to work with these elements to heal and balance, in alignment with nature’s rhythms.
Class 2: The Six Tastes – Ayurveda’s Key to Optimal Nutrition & Digestion
Ayurveda’s Six Tastes describe the rays of light each type of food brings. Each taste, sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent, supports your health in unique ways. Explore how to incorporate these tastes into your meals, using fresh, seasonal ingredients, adapted to your individual needs. When you know this, all doubt vanishes, and meals become intuitive, delicious, healthy, while nurturing whole person health.
Class 3: Working With Fire – Energizing Body & Mind
Explore the transformative power of Fire, which governs digestion, metabolism and transformation in Ayurveda, as well as clarity, courage, warmth and radiance. Learn how to stoke your digestive fire (Agni) with fresh, seasonal foods, herbs and spices, teas and tonics, and mindful eating practices, to ensure optimal digestion, metabolism and vitality.
Class 4: Playing With Water – Rejuvenating & Healing
In Ayurveda, Water is the element of fluidity, purification, healing, and renewal. It represents all that soothes, strengthens, lubricates and nourishes, giving wholeness, integrity, ease and contentment. Learn how to work with healthy foods to replenish for greater acuity, serenity, energy and endurance.
Class 5: Integrating this Joyful Care into Your Daily Life
Develop personalized strategies to take Ayurveda, and your Rancho La Puerta experience, home with you. Create a sustainable plan to nurture body, mind, and spirit, for enduring wellness. Cultivate a reverent connection to nature to encourage your own reverent connection to self every day.
Laura Plumb
Selected by Spirituality & Health as one of 100 Trailblazers of Yoga & Ayurveda, with decades of study into Yoga, Ayurveda, Jyotish, consciousness, and the potential for Self-realization, Laura is an international educator on the power of the Vedic sciences to promote radical health and sacred, sumptuous living.
A Vedic Educator, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Jyotish Consultant, Author, Speaker, and popular blogger on Ayurveda, Laura is dedicated to making this ancient knowledge accessible and relevant to our modern times.
As the former General Manager of Discovery Channel Europe, subsequently working for decades in the fields of health and human potential, Laura has studied the world’s great healing and spiritual traditions with some of the greatest luminaries of our times.
She is the author of the best-selling book Ayurveda Cooking For Beginners; creator of the acclaimed Ayurvedic Integrated Nutrition Consultant Training; the writer/ presenter of the video course The Medicine In Your Kitchen: Introduction to Ayurvedic Cooking hosted by Spirituality & Health; writer and host of the 53-part television show CleanseVeda; and creator/host of the 12-part series Divine Yoga, which ran on Gaia, now available on Amazon Prime. She also serves on faculty for The Sevanti Institute and UCSD Center for Integrative Medicine.
Laura’s blog food-alovestory.com is an inspirational, free resource for Ayurvedic recipes and wise living. Her popular whole food, plant-based seasonal cleanses are powerful, effective and delicious, and have helped many overcome health challenges.
Laura’s articles on health and wellness have been published in Huffington Post, Spirituality & Health, Well + Good, Ayurveda Next Door, Yoga Digest and the Times of India, among other national and international media. She has taught at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, the Omega Institute, the Shift Network, The Natural Law Academy, BhaktiFest, ShaktiFest, the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh, and has been featured on numerous podcasts including The Higher Self with Sahara Rose, The Melissa Ambrosini Show, and VitalVeda with Dylan Smith.
Personal Healing is Earth Healing with Tony Skrelunas
Red Road Journey is bringing native elders and wisdom keepers to Rancho La Puerta, to share stories, pray, sing, teach and inspire; to celebrate the deeply rooted traditions and practices that can help us care for the earth, bring healing to our spirits and care for each other.
Tony Skrelunas, cofounder of Red Road Journey, who also serves as head of commerce for the largest 1st Nation in America, and a friend of Rancho La Puerta, will lead a discussion on his efforts to create harmonious balance in self, home, and community within the American first nations and how the lessons learned from their past can lead to better humanity in the future. Tony is leading economic transition for a resource extractive dependent Nation to one that focuses on the culture, time tested food systems, communal commerce, respectful trade, and keeping the knowledge of the land and climate for future humans.
Return to Wholeness: A Meditation Journey with Stacey Filice
Throughout the week, Stacey will be introduce you to meditation practices from the Yogic tradition that will help you to explore reaching a meditative state and experience a sense of Wholeness. By releasing an over identification with the external material world you can experience a connection to the True Self and learn how to take that state into a more mindful daily life. At its core, Yoga is a philosophy that is designed to bring union to the mind, body and soul which improves your relationship to yourself and to the world around you. Yoga is not just the physical poses which tend to be the focus in our Western culture and these sessions will not include yoga poses. All levels are welcome and appropriate for these meditation sessions! Experienced practitioners will have an opportunity to explore different techniques and deepen their meditation practice. Everyone will leave these sessions feeling a deeper connection to the True Self.
Stacey A. Filice, Certified Yoga Therapist, E-RYT500, Reiki Master
Prior to her career in health and wellness, in 2009 Stacey had a life-changing week as a guest at Rancho La Puerta that inspired her to refocus her life on the study of wellness through the lens of ancient wisdom. As a Yoga Therapist, Stacey provides a unique and practical approach to healing by incorporating various ancient healing modalities including yoga poses, yoga philosophy, breathwork, meditation, Yoga Nidra, sound healing, and Reiki to guide students on their healing journey. Yoga Therapy is an intervention that specifically uses the healing lenses of Yoga philosophy to discover body/mind/spirit correlations to dis-ease. Her many years of teaching include various studios throughout San Diego, full-time staff and Specialty Presenter at Rancho La Puerta, the Insight Timer app, and in her private practice.
Harmony of Mind: A Journey through Music, Creativity, and the Human Psyche
Explore the link between art and music, discover sources of creativity for classical composers, and enjoy an piano recital.
Recital: The Transcribed Piano
Bach-Siloti Chaconne
Gluck-Siloti Melody
Schubert-Liszt-Siloti Soirées de Vienne
Ravel-Siloti Kaddish
Rachmaninoff-Siloti Romance
Saint-Saens-Siloti The Swan
Bizet-Siloti Aragonaise from Carmen
Glinka-Balakirev-Siloti The Lark
Paganini-Liszt-Siloti Etude No. 6
Workshop I: Art and Music
This workshop explores the deep connection between visual art and music. The session delves into how artists and composers have influenced each other throughout history, highlighting the interplay between sound and sight, synesthesia, and the rhythm of brushstrokes. The workshop culminates in a live music performance, inviting participants to create their own visual interpretations, drawing to the rhythm, mood, and emotion of the music.
Workshop II: Mental Health and Music
Explore the profound connection between mental illness and musical genius in a workshop dedicated to works by composers who have faced mental health challenges. This session sheds light on how their struggles fueled their creativity, resulting in some of the most powerful and evocative compositions in history. By framing mental illness as a source of resilience and artistic depth, the workshop offers a unique perspective on the extraordinary contributions these composers have made to the world of music, celebrating the beauty and complexity of their work.
Hailed by the London Times as a “pianist of powerful physical and imaginative muscle”, Tanya Gabrielian shot onto the international stage at the age of twenty with back-to-back victories in the Scottish International Piano Competition and Aram Khachaturyan International Piano Competition. Since then, she has performed on four continents in acclaimed venues including Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Sydney Opera House, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall, Edinburgh International Festival, Seoul Arts Center, and the Salle Cortot, with such orchestras as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, and Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Tanya has also been featured on the cover of the magazine Clavier.
@tanyagabrielian
From Bach to Bridgerton with Martin Chalifour, Elizabeth Zoesseder, and Monique Mead
Let your spirit soar with uplifting music from Bach to Bridgerton with Los Angeles Philharmonic concertmaster Martin Chalifour, Elizabeth Zoesseder, harp and Monique Mead, violin. With 58 strings between them, these programs will add extra magic to your stay at the Ranch.
Martin Chalifour has been the Principal Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 1995. Born in Canada, he graduated with honors from the Montreal Conservatory at the age of 18 and then moved to the United States to continue studies at the famed Curtis Institute of Music.
Shortly after receiving a Certificate of Honor at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, he became a laureate of the prestigious Montreal International Competition. Apart from his L.A. Phil duties, he has maintained an active solo career, playing a diverse repertoire of more than 60 concertos. Chalifour has appeared as soloist with conductors Pierre Boulez, Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Neville Marriner and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Outside the U.S. he soloed with the Auckland Philharmonia, the Montreal Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the National Orchestra of Taiwan, and the Malaysian Philharmonic, among others.
Mr. Chalifour began his orchestral career with the late Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony, playing as Associate Concertmaster and acting concertmaster for 6 years. Subsequently, he occupied the same positions in the Cleveland Orchestra for 5 years under Christoph von Dohnányi. While in Ohio, Chalifour taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music and was a founding member of the Cleveland Orchestra Piano Trio.
Martin Chalifour is a frequent guest at music festivals including San Diego’s Mainly Mozart and the Ottawa « Music and Beyond » festivals. He has often served on the faculty of the Sarasota Festival, the Montecito Festival and the National Repertory Orchestra.
Maintaining close ties with his native country, he has returned there often to teach and perform as soloist with various Canadian orchestras, most recently in Vancouver and in Hamilton.
He has recorded solo and chamber music for the Telarc, Northstar, and Yarlung labels.
He teaches at Caltech and at the University of Southern California.
Born in the Bay Area, Elisabeth Zosseder graduated with her Bachelor of Music in harp performance from the Colburn School Conservatory of Music and Master of Music in harp performance from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, where she studied with JoAnn Turovsky. She has performed professionally with the Berlin Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, as well as artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Plácido Domingo, Sir Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel, James Conlon, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, to name a few. She has also appeared on recordings and onstage with popular artists such as TALK, Randy Newman, John Williams, Laufey and made TV appearances on “Hell’s Kitchen,” Disney’s Encanto Live, and “My Mom, Your Dad.” Elisabeth returned to LA in 2019 from studying in Germany with Berlin Philharmonic principal harpist Marie-Pierre Langlamet, receiving her second Master of Music specializing in orchestral harp performance from the Universität der Künste Berlin and is currently pursuing a career as a freelance musician in the SoCal region.
A passionate ambassador of classical music, violinist Monique Mead enjoys a rich career as a performer, educator, and innovator. Inspired and mentored by Leonard Bernstein, Monique has devoted her performing career to nurturing new audiences and curating extraordinary musical experiences. Her programs with major orchestras and festivals in the United States and Europe have drawn international acclaim for their popular appeal and innovative approach. Interweaving live music with education and audience engagement at the highest level, her programs have reached millions through television appearances, a six-year radio series with the Munich Radio Orchestra, and over 20 years of concerts with the Cologne Philharmonic, Munich Symphony, Düsseldorf Symphony, Berlin Radio Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and the Mainly Mozart Festival. Since 2012 Monique has served as Director of Music Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University, where she trains musicians in community engagement, peak performance, and professionalism as she helps them forge new paths as professional musicians. Monique performs on violin made in 1860 by J.B. Vuillaume which was gifted to her at age 19. She enjoys hiking, yoga, homegrown cuisine, and performing with her talented teens, Isabel and Tino.
Hands-On Cooking Classes and Chef’s Table Dinner with Linda Shiue
Linda offers hands-on culinary experiences, 3.5 hours each, during which you will enjoy preparing your own meal along with fellow cooks. Classes take place at La Cocina Que Canta, our culinary center on Tuesday and Wednesday, at 4pm. In addition, Chef Linda will collaborate with La Cocina Que Canta’s Executive Chef Reyna Venegas and her team to create a special feast (with wine pairing!) on Thursday at 4:45pm.
Hands On Cooking Classes and Chefs Dinner Sign Up
Tuesday Hands-On Cooking Class 4:00 PM
Each class $145 (tax included). Class subject to change, check your weekly planner and schedule for updates. The maximum number of guests per class is 14.
Wednesday Hands-On Cooking Class 4:00 PM
Each class $145 (tax included). Class subject to change, check your weekly planner and schedule for updates. The maximum number of guests per class is 14.
Thursday Farm-to-Table Dining Experience 4:45 PM
Celebrate the abundance of our organic farm and the connection to community with a Farm-to-Table dining experience – a perfect blend of health, tradition, flavor, and fun! Cost is $150 per person, tax and wine pairing included. The maximum number of guests is 30. Sign Up at the Appointments Desk or through the link above.
Linda Shiue, MD, Chef, Dip ABLM is a physician double-boarded in internal medicine physician and lifestyle medicine, a professionally trained chef, and the Director of Culinary Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco, where she founded Thrive Kitchen, a teaching kitchen for patients. She believes that the best medicine is prevention. Her cooking classes showcase seasonal produce, lavishly flavored with spices and fresh herbs. Her first cookbook, Spicebox Kitchen, was a 2022 Gold Award Winner in the Nautilus Book Awards and a Finalist in the 2022 IACP Awards. Her food writing has been published widely and she has been interviewed frequently on television and in print. Dr. Shiue is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine. She serves on the boards of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, Meals on Wheels of San Francisco and the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative. She is a graduate of Brown University, San Francisco Cooking School, UCSF and the kitchen of Michelin-starred restaurant, Mourad, in San Francisco and has a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from Cornell University.
Learn about Lifestyle Medicine and Culinary Medicine programs at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco at Lifestyle Medicine – San Francisco (kaiserpermanente.org) and Healthy Cooking – San Francisco (kaiserpermanente.org) Connect with Dr. Shiue on Twitter and Instagram at @spiceboxtravels, on Facebook and YouTube at @TheDoctorsSpicebox and follow her culinary adventures at SpiceboxTravels.com.