Events Archive

Rooted in Beauty: Exploring Gardens and Gardening from California to Tecate to Your Backyard

Join California-based garden expert, Nan Sterman, for a week-long series on plants and gardens that are a feast for our eyes and our bellies.

Garden the Mediterranean Way: Cultivate Beauty in a Dry Climate
In this talk, Nan Sterman explores the unique challenges and opportunities of gardening in Northern Baja and most of California, which share a “Mediterranean” climate. Nan delves into the experience of living and gardening where summers are dry and rain falls in the cool months of the year. She covers topics such as soil and sunshine, rainfall, plant selection, and techniques for creating beautiful, thriving gardens. Nan illustrates her insights with images of beautiful and diverse gardens, all united by the use of a Mediterranean plant palette.

California Dreaming: An Armchair Tour of the State’s Most Celebrated Gardens
Hold onto your gardening hats as we embark on an epic journey through California’s most amazing gardens! We start in the north, at historical Filoli estate to explore the historic orchards and formal gardens including a rare knot garden.

Heading south, we stop at private gardens to see an African-inspired grass labyrinth, a seaside meadow and native plant garden overlooking Carmel River, an historic Greene and Greene landscape, and the vegetable gardens at the home of Renee Shepherd, the creative genius behind Renee’s Garden Seed Company.

Our last stop is the California Botanic Garden in Claremont, California, the state’s largest and oldest native plant botanic garden.

By time we’re done, you’ll be searching airlines flights and planning your very own tour of California’s celebrated gardens.

Cultivate Flavor – Grow Your Own Kitchen Herbs and Spices
Say goodbye to the bland, store-bought spices gathering dust in the hidden corners of your pantry, and instead embrace the explosion of flavors from fresh homegrown herbs and spices. From their pungent punches to grassy notes, resinous richness, and peppery delights, fresh herbs and spices turn an everyday dish into a delicous masterpiece.

The good news is that many herbs and spices thrive year-round in pots on your patio or as permanent plants in your garden. In this captivating talk, Nan Sterman shares the secrets to growing your own garden herbs and spices. Discover how to “spice up” your garden with trees, shrubs, grasses, and more — a feast for your eyes that also tantalizes your taste buds.

Discover the Gorgeous Gardens of Rancho La Puerta
Nan Sterman guides you on an inspired stroll through the scenic gardens of Rancho La Puerta, pointing out exquisite garden compositions, carefully chosen plants, and the immersive design experience. She’ll explore the scenic interplay between the gardens and the surrounding mountains. Additionally, Nan will share valuable insights on applying the Ranch’s gardening approach to your own home garden, bridging the gap between inspiration and practicality.

Nan Sterman is a pioneer in sustainable landscaping. She is a plant expert, garden designer, botanist, and journalist, renowned for her work in low-rainfall climates like California. Nan’s latest book, Hot Color, Dry Garden, guides readers to create waterwise, color-filled gardens. Nan writes for major gardening publications and she speaks to audiences nationwide. She’s also creator of the award-winning Public TV show, A Growing Passion, that connects people, plants, and the planet. Her latest venture, Nan Sterman’s Garden School, supports home gardeners through classes, webinars, and peer communities, all aimed at cultivating thriving, environmentally friendly gardens. Learn more at www.waterwisegardener.com.

Pilates with Sarah Bertucelli

With a passion for holistic wellness and a deep understanding of the body-mind connection, Sarah Bertucelli is dedicated to transforming lives through the art of movement. As a proud member of the Rancho La Puerta family since 1996, Sarah brings a unique blend of expertise, enthusiasm, and creativity to the world of fitness and well-being. After receiving her BASI Pilates® accreditation under Rael Isacowitz’s direction (1999), Sarah subsequently joined BASI Pilates faculty(2003) helping to shape the future of Pilates education.Sarah’s dedication to spreading the benefits of Pilates reaches a global audience as she has been a part of the Pilates Anytime family since 2010. Her classes on this platform continue to inspire and empower individuals worldwide, making Pilates accessible to all.

When she’s not sharing her expertise around the world, Sarah calls Santa Barbara home. Here, she has cultivated her sanctuary – Del Sol Pilates – where she furthers the legacy of Joseph Pilates, nurturing the minds and bodies of her students. She brings her passion and knowledge from the world of dance and fitness to every class she leads. Her vast experience and artistry in these fields have enabled her to craft a unique approach to Pilates, blending elements of grace and strength, finesse, and fluidity.

As a Specialty Pilates presenter at Rancho La Puerta, Sarah Bertucelli brings a wealth of experience and a profound understanding of movement, wellness, and personal transformation. Her teaching is an invitation to embark on a journey of self-discovery, one that combines the core principles of Pilates with the elegance of dance and the vitality of fitness. Join her in this transformative experience and discover the power of movement in a way that only Sarah can deliver.

Pilates with Sarah Bertucelli

The Importance of a Ritual for Your Well-Being

Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs
Dr. Beth Ricanati shares her journey from a stressed physician to making challah, writing a book and now sharing the Challah Practice™ with others.

Challah Practice™ Workshop
Dr. Beth Ricanati will lead us in two Challah Practice workshops where we will not only learn to make this beautiful bread together but also she will simultaneously share the important lessons of the Challah Practice that can help us reinforce healthy living behaviors. These lessons are based on her award-winning book, Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs. The first workshop will be a dough-making workshop; the second workshop will be a braiding workshop and we will serve the finished challahs at dinner on Friday night for the whole community.

Beth Ricanati, MD, has spent her career focused on improving the well-being of her patient’s lives, in traditional medical clinics, wellness programs, and now as an author/speaker. She has worked at the Center for Women’s Health Center at NY Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Center and at the Cleveland Clinic’s Women’s Health Center and in the Clinic’s Wellness Institute as Medical Director for a lifestyle modification program. Today she volunteers weekly at the Venice Family Clinic in Los Angeles, the largest clinic in the country for the underserved. For the last several years, she has been speaking (both live and digitally) around the country, based on the premise of her award-winning book, Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs. Dr. Ricanati lives and works in Southern California.

www.BethRicanatiMD.com

@BethRicanatiMD

More About Wisdom Keeper Week

How I Became a New York Times Bestseller

How I Became a New York Times Bestseller: A Very Improbable Story
Please join us for a raucous evening of joy and laughter as Firoozeh Dumas recounts her improbable journey from stay-at-home mom to New York Times Bestselling author. You may know Firoozeh from her books, her popular pieces in the NY Times or LA Times, or as a panelist on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me. Firoozeh hit her career peak in July 2022 when she was a clue on Jeopardy.

Writing Workshop: How to Tell Your Story – Three sessions
Have you ever wanted to write your stories for your family or for publication? Firoozeh Dumas, author of two New York Timesbestselling memoirs will show you how can tell your story. Bring your questions! Bring your stories! Bring yourself! My classes are fun but thought-provoking and will stay with you long after you leave the room.

Firoozeh Dumas is a New York Times Bestselling author and humorist. She has written three books, articles for the New York Times, a one-woman show, pieces for National Public Radio and is currently working on a screenplay. Firoozeh is a storyteller who believes that everyone has a story to tell and everyone’s story counts. In addition to her writing, Firoozeh is active on the lecture circuit, traveling the world reminding her audiences that our commonalities far outweigh our differences, and doing so with humor.

Classmates

Can’t We All Just Get Along?
During the days leading up to World War II, five Cincinnati cigar makers in Manila played poker with President Quezon and High Commissioner McNutt. They developed a plan to help about 1300 Jews from Austria and Germany escape to the Philippines.

As a result, I came to be born there during the Japanese occupation and attended the American School with a multicultural group of classmates. Despite very different backgrounds and ethnicities we accepted one another for who we were. My book CLASSMATES tells our growing-up stories and how our lives were profoundly affected by this experience.

Documentary Film: Rescue in the Philippines
How the Cincinnati cigar makers, Philippine President Quezon and High commissioner Mc Nutt devised an intricate plan over the poker table to rescue 1300 Jews from certain death in Nazi concentration camps.

The Book Classmates
Introduction to the book and how my parents managed to escape Vienna and were saved against all odds through this ingenious rescue plan.

Surviving the War
The Japanese occupation and how my Manila-born classmates and I survived the war as babies. Our early childhood post war and some grade school memories at the American School.

How We All Got Along
The backgrounds of four very different American kids who joined the American School in junior high and had to adjust to a completely new culture. What those teenage years were like and how, despite the diversity, we all got along. That strong bond still exists today after more than sixty years. We reflect on who we are now and what it all meant.

Manila Ravaged in WW II pp 10-13
Suggested ReadingViewing.pages

Mary Brings Farquhar is a retired San Francisco Foreign Language teacher, who received the Outstanding German Educator Award in 1998. Mary has been a co-presenter at Apple’s MacWorld Expo in San Francisco and New York, where the topic was compiling and digitizing personal history stories, much like what she did here for the American School “family” of CLASSMATES. She appears in two documentaries about the Philippine rescue plan for Holocaust victims, Rescue in the Philippines and An Open Door, and has presented this little-known story to national and international audiences.

Matters That Matter® Standing At The Threshold: An Invitation to Transformation

Transformation is what happens when we allow ourselves to learn from and be changed by our experience. As we step into a new year we stand at a threshold, that space between what has been and what could be. Every threshold is an invitation to new awareness, growth, and transformation.

Join Molly Davis & Kristine Patterson for an inspiring and engaging week of reflection, exploration, and imagination. A time to take stock of where we’ve been, where we are, and where life might be calling us.

The Ranch offers that kind of rare spaciousness that makes room for slow wanderings and quiet wonderings, leaving guests refreshed, renewed, and ready to step out with more clarity, courage, and grace. Every Matters That Matter® session is designed to serve and enhance that renewal process.

Evening Program

Threshold Moments
There are such things as “threshold moments”. Those times when we are invited to step over fear and uncertainty and venture out into the unknown. Such moments invite us to be curious, and they call upon our courage. When we accept the invitation, we find our way to an even more authentic and full-hearted life. Come listen, reflect, and consider your own threshold moments…past, present, and future.

Workshop #1: Standing At The Threshold
If transformation is what happens when we are changed by our experience, then taking the next right step begins with a right understanding of where we’ve been and where we are now. Our lives don’t happen by accident. We participate in creating them every day and one step at a time. Join Molly & Kristine as they create a safe space for you to engage in some courageous thinking and thoughtful action planning.

Workshop #2: Discernment: The Practice of Choosing Wisely
Regardless of life chapter or circumstance, we can all be inundated with decisions, responsibilities, challenges, opportunities, and possibilities. Where to invest our time, energy, money, skills, and gifts? Where, how, and to whom do we offer what we have to give? This workshop introduces you to a practical discernment framework that will help you choose wisely.

Workshop #3: The 3×5 Card
Transformation often invites us to speak up in new ways. We can find ourselves in situations that test our ability to hold onto ourselves, say what we mean and mean what we say. Come discover how a small 3×5 card can become a mighty tool to help you communicate in a way that better reflects who you are and what matters to you.

Molly L Davis

Connector + Writer + Speaker.

“CONNECTING is my way of moving through the world, always on the lookout for ways to create deeper connections. With ourselves, one another, the Sacred, and the world around us. Connecting who we are with how we live is how it is meant to be.”

Molly is the author of the award winning BLUSH: Women & Wine, a book in which she explores why she often used wine as a classy looking way to cope with stress, dull pain, and avoid discomfort, and why others might do the same. And yes, she still loves good wine. The founder of Trailhead Coaching &Consulting, she helps people courageously step more fully into their own lives.

Kristine Patterson

Potter + Maker + Storyteller

“I HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND that the beauty of pottery lies in its imperfections. The subtle variations and ridges in the glaze, the unique shapes born from a spontaneous touch of the hand – these are the elements that give my work character and authenticity. Each day as I step into my studio a sense of reverence washes over me.”

A few years ago, Kristine launched beanpole pottery in a quiet studio in her backyard. What started out as a hobby and way to process life, became a full-time business. She now ships her gorgeous, custom work all over the world. Each piece has a soul that, like ours, is perfect in its imperfection.

Kristine and Molly are the founders of Matters That Matter®, a partnership dedicated to inspiring people to live according to what matters most. Their powerful message has been heard at national conventions, annual fundraisers, and spirituality and wellness retreats. They co-authored the book Letters to Our Daughters. A collection of 44 letters from women around the world to their daughters, it illustrates the common threads that connect us in spite of our differences. Translated into three languages, this beautiful book was featured on the Oprah Show.

They’ve been best friends for almost 50 years.

Juice and Plant Based Recipes for Health and Healing

The Healing Power of Juicing
This presentation will show guests how to make juicing fun and easy. It offers an explanation of why we should juice and includes multiple studies on what juicing does for the body.

The 30-day Comprehensive Detox
This powerful presentation covers:

Intestinal Cleanse
Liver Gallbladder Detox
Parasite Cleanse
Kidney Cleanse
Lung Cleanse
Lymphatic Cleanse
Lung Cleanse

How We Heal; The Anti-inflammatory Diet
This presentation will clarify how the anti-inflammatory diet is extremely important in healing and maintaining good health. It will offer suggestions of how to shop, prepare food, and eat out for achieving and maintaining vibrant health.

Cherie Calbom, M.S. is a leading authority on juicing for health and detoxification. Known as The Juice Lady and America’s Most Trusted Nutritionist, TV chef and celebrity nutritionist, she has helped in pioneering the fresh juice movement around the world. Cherie is the author of 35 books including her bestseller Juicing for Life with over 2 million books sold. She holds a Master of Science degree in whole foods nutrition from Bastyr University where she sat on the Board of Regents for five years. Cherie has received two Lifetime Achievement Awards and was also awarded Juicing Expert of the Year 2019 by Global Health & PharmaMagazine. She was George Foreman’s nutritionist and the other spokesperson for the George Foreman Grills. Cherie has lectured worldwide on juicing, detoxing and fasting including consulting for the Royal Family of the UAE. She and her husband offer juice and raw foods retreats throughout the year.

Instagram: @juiceladycherie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejuicelady
Twitter: https://twitter.com/juiceladycherie

Concert with Nicholas McGegan, Martha Aarons, Lev Polyakin, and Joanna Morrison

Chamber Music Concert with Nicholas McGegan, piano, Martha Aarons, flute, Lev Polyakin, violin, Joanna Morris, cello

Nicholas McGegan, British born conductor and performer, is now in his sixth decade on the podium. For 34 years he was Music Director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in the Bay Area, as well as Principal Guest Conductor of the Pasadena Symphony, Artistic Director of the Göttingen International Handel Festival (1991-2011), Music Director of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, and in the 1990’s, Principal Guest conductor of Scottish Opera and the Drottningholm Court Theatre in Sweden. He has recorded over a hundred CDs specializing in music of the Baroque and Classical periods. He has directed orchestras all over the world and at such opera houses as Covent Garden. In addition to performing, he lectures regularly at the Juilliard School of Music and Yale. He has been a visiting scholar at Harvard. In 2010 he was made an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for ‘services to music abroad’

Martha Aarons’professional career began with her appointment as principal flute of the North Carolina Symphony. Subsequently she played with the Cleveland Orchestra for 25 years. After becoming a freelancer, she performed often with the Philadelphia Orchestra. During this time, she appeared as guest principal flute with the Metropolitan Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and Mostly Mozart Festival. Ms. Aarons served as Artist Faculty with the Aspen Music Festival for 19 years. Her teaching credits include the Cleveland Institute of Music, Duke University, University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill, Oberlin College, Skidmore College, Shanghai Conservatory and Eastman School of Music. She has been soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, and with the Aspen Festival Chamber and Festival orchestras. Her first solo CD, The History of the Tango, is recorded on the Azica label and additionally features pianist Frances Renzi and Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux. Her newest release is the CD Last Silence with violinist Lev Polyakin and pianist Frances Renzi. Martha is also an avid runner and has qualified for her fifth consecutive Boston Marathon in April 2025.

Lev Polyakin was appointed co-concertmaster of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra at age 21. In that position he was regularly featured as soloist. In the U.S. he served as assistant concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, as well as concertmaster of the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen Music Festival. Lev has won several prizes in international violin competitions, including the Beethoven Prize in Carl Flesch in London, and Gold Medal and Special Prize in Brescia, Italy. In addition to solo performances with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, he has appeared as soloist with the London Mozart Players, Royal Philharmonic, and Cleveland Orchestra. Recording credits include Melodia, BBC, National Public Radio, and Decca. He is prominently featured on an album entitled Cafe Music comprising chamber music by Paul Schoenfield, which was nominated for a Grammy. Lev has a special interest in jazz and has recorded three CDs, entitled Russian Blue, The Other Side of the Road, and Christmas Kaleidoscope. He is also featured in the recent release by Azica Records entitled Last Silence, with flutist Martha Aarons and pianist Frances Renzi.

Cellist Joanna Morrisoncompleted her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Degrees at Boston University. In 2007 Ms. Morrison won a position in the Honolulu Symphony and served as principal cello of the Hawaii Symphony from 2012 to 2015. Concert tours have taken Ms. Morrison to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea as well as much of Europe and the United States performing under conductors including Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman and Manfred Honeck. Joanna was an acting member of the San Diego Symphony from 2016-2020. An avid chamber player, Ms. Morrison has collaborated with various artists and has studied under members of the Guarneri and Juilliard Quartets. She has received fellowships to summer festivals around the world including Verbier Festival where she served as principal cellist for the world tour with Charles Dutoit and Martha Argerich.

Concert with Nicholas McGegan, Martha Aarons, Lev Polyakin, and Joanna Morrison

Nic McGegan, renowned as a specialist in music of the baroque and classical eras, will be joined by violinist Lev Polyakin, flutist Martha Aarons, and cellist Joanna Morrison for an evening featuring music by Bach (J.S. and C.P.E.), Handel, Vivaldi and more. Nic will regale us with his always sparkling repartee about the composers, styles and customs of the period.

Martha Aarons’ professional career began with her appointment as principal flute of the North Carolina Symphony. Subsequently she played with the Cleveland Orchestra for 25 years. After becoming a freelancer she performed often with the Philadelphia Orchestra. During this time she appeared as guest principal flute with the Metropolitan Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and Mostly Mozart Festival. Ms. Aarons served as Artist Faculty with the Aspen Music Festival for 19 years. Her teaching credits include the Cleveland Institute of Music, Duke University, University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill, Oberlin College, Skidmore College, Shanghai Conservatory and Eastman School of Music. She has been soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, and with the Aspen Festival Chamber and Festival orchestras. Her first solo CD, The History of the Tango, is recorded on the Azica label and additionally features pianist Frances Renzi and Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux. Her newest release is the CD Last Silence with violinist Lev Polyakin and pianist Frances Renzi. Martha is also an avid runner and has qualified for her third consecutive Boston Marathon in April 2023. Congratulations!

Cellist Joanna Morrison completed her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Degrees at Boston University. In 2007 Ms. Morrison won a position in the Honolulu Symphony and served as principal cello of the Hawaii Symphony from 2012 to 2015. Concert tours have taken Ms. Morrison to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea as well as much of Europe and the United States performing under conductors including Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman and Manfred Honeck. Joanna was an acting member of the San Diego Symphony from 2016-2020. An avid chamber player, Ms. Morrison has collaborated with various artists and has studied under members of the Guarneri and Juilliard Quartets. She has received fellowships to summer festivals around the world including Verbier Festival where she served as principal cellist for the world tour with Charles Dutoit and Martha Argerich.

Listen, World!

Allison Gilbert is an author, Emmy award-winning journalist, grief expert, and founder of Pub Day, a boutique literary consultancy.

Listen, World! The Remarkable Life of American Writer Elsie Robinson
Join author Allison Gilbert as she discusses her groundbreaking book, Listen, World!, the first biography of American writer Elsie Robinson (1883-1956), a single mother who came from nothing and became the highest-paid woman columnist in the entire William Randolph Hearst media empire. The New York Times raves “One does not tire of spending time with Elsie Robinson” and the Wall Street Journal proclaims the book “an important contribution to women’s history.” Allison will offer a visual presentation of Robinson’s remarkable life and how she discovered Robinson’s trailblazing story. Come ready to share your writerly questions!

Resilience After Loss: The Reflection Effect
Join author Allison Gilbert for a stirring presentation that reveals the essential factors that transform the painful loss of loved ones into opportunities that drive happiness, decrease loneliness, and create enduring connections. In this presentation, author Allison Gilbert will include uplifting and imaginative ideas for using technology, repurposing objects and heirlooms, and reframing our stories to promote growth and healing.

Telling Your Story, Part 1: So, You Want to Write a Book?
Author Allison Gilbert will share lessons learned while writing Listen, World!, her critically-acclaimed biography of journalist Elsie Robinson. She will also offer advice on choosing a subject for your book project, ideas that will appeal to literary agents and editors. She will also delineate the pros and cons of academic and mainstream publishing houses. The time together will include an immersive writing exercise that will reveal the secret and essential ingredient to landing a traditional book publishing deal. Come ready to share your writerly questions!

Telling Your Story, Part 2: Navigating the World of Book Publishing
Author Allison Gilbert will discuss how to find the right literary agent for your book project and how best to approach literary agents when you’re ready for representation. The time together will include a second immersive writing exercise that will reveal yet another secret and essential ingredient to landing a traditional book publishing deal. Come ready to share your writerly questions!

Allison Gilbert is an Emmy award-winning journalist and co-author of Listen, World!, the first biography of American writer Elsie Robinson, a newspaper columnist who came from nothing and became the most-read woman in the country and highest-paid woman writer in the Hearst media empire. The New York Times raves “One does not tire of spending time with Elsie Robinson” and the Wall Street Journal proclaims the book “an important contribution to women’s history.” Her other books include Covering Catastrophe: Broadcast Journalists Report September 11, Always Too Soon: Voices of Support for Those Who Have Lost Both Parents, Parentless Parents: How the Loss of Our Mothers and Fathers Impacts the Way We Raise Our Children, and Passed and Present: Keeping Memories of Loved Ones Alive. A regular contributor to the New York Times and other publications, Allison launched Pub Day, a literary consultancy, to help writers best-position their stories for publication. Learn more about Allison here and join her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

“An engaging tale… One does not tire of spending time with Elsie Robinson, nor stop wondering how many other women, with equally compelling tales, have also been lost to history.” – New York Times

“Listen, World! is the rarest of things — a lively piece of unknown history, a marvelous story of a woman’s triumph, and a tremendous read.” – Susan Orlean

Food as Medicine

Food as Medicine
If food is medicine, can it truly replace pharmaceutical medications? Jill will take you on a tour of current dietary trends, discussing what works and what doesn’t work, and why a plan needs to be individualized. She will review label reading, choosing the “best for you” foods, behavior change and more, in this lively lighthearted look at a serious subject. You will learn tips and tricks on how to fuel your body in the most positive way.

Superfoods and Supplements: What Do You Really Need?
Which are truly “superfoods” and why? We seem to have become a nation of people who take many supplements. Which ones might be good for you? How to tell? And why take them? In this session Jill Nussinow will discuss what you need to know to give your food a boost.

Nutrition for Best Brain Health and Good Sleep
Do you know that more people are concerned about their brain health, than any other part of their body? With real life and anecdotal reports on the increasing incidence of Alzheimer’s and other dementia, this makes sense as around 6 million people in the US have the disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association: “The number of people living with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65.” Come learn the role of nutrition on brain health. Good sleep is part of the equation and Jill will discuss some ways to help you get good nightly sleep and what that looks like. These are important topics for our time. Both brain and body will appreciate it.

Your Gut, Your Health: Probiotics and Beyond
Come learn about the role that a “healthy and happy” gut plays in your overall health from head to toe, and everywhere in between. Jill will discuss prebiotics, probiotics and steps you can take to maintain good gut health, immunity and more.

Jill Nussinow is a culinary educator, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the author of four cookbooks. Her award-winning cookbooks feature plant-based recipes and include The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment, The New Fast Food, Nutrition CHAMPS and her most recent, and most loved by the public book: Vegan Under Pressure. Jill is a pressure cooking (think Instant Pot), vegetable, fermentation and mushroom expert. She has been helping people achieve better health through teaching them about improved nutrition through food. Jill has been teaching people about plants and how to cook with them for the past 30 years. She is an adjunct culinary instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College, teaches for the McDougall program and is a frequent cooking teacher and guest nutrition lecturer at Rancho La Puerta. Nothing makes Jill happier than teaching people how to cook and eat well and sharing her thoughts and health philosophy. She believes that her success stems from her passion and love of good health and how she infuses love into everything that she does.

Food as Medicine

Refresh and Renew with Sound

What is sound healing?
Each sound healing is created to help clear energetic blockages, neutralize tension and increase the vitality of the human body. Each session embraces sound as a technology to help activate and direct the natural energy that resides in everyone. When your true inner vibrations are spinning in harmony with the outer cosmic energy then your whole being comes into balance.

‘DJ’ will be bringing a collection of instruments including planetary gongs, singing bowls, flutes, chimes, drums and more. He will be facilitating daily gong sound healing experiences that will include many sound healing techniques used to reduce stress in the body and revitalize the body to feel refreshed and balanced.

Gary ‘Dhyanjot’ Grenus aka ‘DJ’ is a Gong Master Sound Healer, E-RYT500 Certified Lead Trainer at the Integrated School of Yoga and Sound Healing in San Diego, and author of the “11 Day Evolution Cleanse and Detox” Program. DJ is a graduate from TCU, School of Healing Arts, and five different yoga teacher training programs. He has been practicing and teaching various yoga styles and techniques since 1999. DJ has a private practice in San Diego where he facilitates yoga teacher/sound healing trainings, gong Immersions/sound healings, ‘Mastering Self’ life coaching, and a quarterly yoga cleanse and detox program. Each of his programs helps people manage stress, fatigue, hypertension, trauma, addiction, depression, anxiety, inflexibility, indigestion, and weight.

Refresh and Renew with Sound

Yoga with Larry Payne

Larry Payne, Ph.D.,C-IAYT, E-RYT500,YTRX-1000, is an internationally respected Yoga teacher, author, and a founding father of Yoga therapy in America. Dr. Payne cofounded the International Association of Yoga Therapists, now in 50 countries, and the Yoga curriculum at the UCLA School of Medicine. He is also co-founder of the Yoga Therapy Rx and Prime of Life Yoga programs at Loyola Marymount University, the corporate Yoga program at the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the original “Back Program” at Rancho La Puerta. In 2000, he was the first Yoga teacher to be invited to The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and in 1996, he performed the first documented headstand at the North Pole! He founded Samata International Yoga and Health Center in Los Angeles 1980, where he continues to teach groups and individuals. Dr. Payne is coauthor of the international bestseller Yoga for Dummies (Wiley), Yoga Basics (Wiley), Yoga Rx (Random House), The Business of Teaching Yoga (Samata International), and Yoga Therapy and Integrative Medicine (Turner). He is featured in the Prime of Life Yoga and Yoga Therapy Rx DVD series and globally online at Yoga International. Most recently, he is author of AARP’s Yoga after 50 for Dummies (Wiley). His website is Samata.com.

Yoga with Larry Payne

Dance with Anna Matuszewski

Join us for a dance class that’s not just about movement but also about self-discovery, confidence, and building lasting friendships. Step into our vibrant and welcoming space, where we celebrate dance in all its forms. Are you ready to make unforgettable memories on the dance floor? Come dance with us!

Join Our Inclusive Dance Class: Embrace Movement, Unleash Your Creativity!

Are you ready to groove, express yourself, and have a blast on the dance floor? Look no further! Our dance class is a safe haven for dancers of all ages and abilities, where the focus is on nurturing a supportive and encouraging learning environment.

What to Expect:
Diverse Styles: Explore the world of dance through a variety of styles, from hip hop to funk, allowing you to discover your own unique dance persona.

Foundational Techniques: Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced dancer, we’ll build strong foundations that will take your skills to new heights.

Choreography and Movement: Unleash your creativity as we delve into the art of choreography and free movement. This class is all about discovering and expressing your true dance spirit.

Stretch and Flexibility: Enhance your dance abilities with a focus on stretching and flexibility. We believe that every body is capable of growth and progress.

Footwork and Turns: Learn intricate footwork and master those dazzling turns that will leave you spinning with joy.

Small Combinations: Delve into the excitement of combining dance steps to create beautiful and captivating sequences. Challenge yourself and grow as a dancer.

Why Choose Our Class:
All Ages and Abilities Welcome: No matter your age or dance experience, we welcome everyone with open arms. Our class is a melting pot of diverse talents, and we celebrate the uniqueness each dancer brings.

Learn Something New Each Class: Get ready for an adventure! In each session, we’ll introduce fresh and exciting material, ensuring that you’re continuously growing and expanding your dance repertoire.

Non-Competitive Environment: This class is about self-expression and personal growth, not competition. Embrace your journey as a dancer without the pressure to compare yourself to others.

Have Fun, Feel the Rhythm: Dance is an expression of joy, and that’s exactly what we aim to provide! Expect smiles, laughter, and a supportive community to dance alongside you.

No prior dance experience required—just an open heart and a passion for movement.

Meet Anna Matuszewski, a trailblazing force in the world of dance and choreography. For an impressive 14 years, Anna has graced the stage as the resident choreographer and lead dancer for the renowned Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Her artistic genius has shone brightly, shaping breathtaking performances for world tours, national and international TV appearances, music videos, and commercials.

For Anna, it’s not just about the movements, but the profound connection that dance fosters. Her choreography acts as a vessel for self-expression, self-acceptance, and a heightened awareness of the body and its limitless capabilities. Through the universal language of movement and music, she weaves together a tapestry of unity and empowerment.

In the realm of dance, Anna Matuszewski is a luminous guiding star—a beacon of creativity, love, and artistic expression that continues to ignite hearts around the globe.

“At the Ranch, worries fade like distant echoes and the universe reveals its secrets, guiding you towards a radiant inner glow.” -Anna