Sacred Rest Retreats
A space that feels like a deep sigh of relief ~ no where to go ~ no one to be.
A place to feel welcomed as you are.
Our Sacred Rest Retreats will be on pause until April 2024 while we have a baby!
Welcome to our beautiful mountain sanctuary, a place where you can rest in the stillness of presence and trust in the natural unfolding of life. At our Sacred Rest Retreats, we support you in letting go of control and the endless cycle of trying to “heal” or “better” yourself. Instead, we pay attention to what wants to come through and are here to support you in the process by sharing our gifts and experiences. From this space, healing occurs naturally, in any moment, and in many forms. Many people have undergone intense healing work, deep medicine journeys, and various growth trainings, but what we offer is a space to integrate these teachings and experience living in the truth of who you are, with each moment serving as a ceremony.
While there are many flashy and overtly spiritual healing experiences available, we believe that the magic lies in the mundane and are simply here as a reflection to show you one way to live in connection with the universal unfolding of life. This way of healing, of growing, is found in the subtle details of everyday life, gradually building over time to create a fulfilling and joyful life on purpose. Through sacred rest, we return to the universal truths of being a thriving human – connected to ourselves, others, and the earth. In this spaciousness, you can release the burden of the constant "doing" that comes from feeling unfulfilled, unhealed, or not "good enough."
Together, we will explore what it means to shed the false layers of a fabricated self and ‘rest’ into what you already are. In this container you can embody a simple and practical way to thrive in life with a resourced nervous system and a clear sense of trust, inspiration, and purpose.
Nestled in an expansive mountainous pine forest we relish in the slow and blissful feeling of being fully disconnected from technology and the business of modern society.
We offer customized Sacred Rest Retreats for 1-4 people with flexible date options.
“I came with an open heart and intention, and left completely transformed and ready to take on this outer world with new eyes. I also discovered that I can sing and that I love to sing. Thank you, thank you, thank you does not even cover a grain of the gratitude I feel for Aja and Yoshua for showing and teaching me this oneness and this magic.” — Danielle, Phoenix, AZ
Offerings
Aja and Yoshua will act as your guides during your retreat, and you’ll be supported by the various gifts and passions that they share. They are not here to heal you, but rather to assist you in accessing your own inner healing as well as acting as a reflection to open you up to new possibilities as you step into a life of your own design. They work intuitively to share what feels is needed in each moment. Some of the things that they are passionate about and experience in include:
Voice and Music Activations
Intuitive Nurture Sessions w/ loving touch
Plant Medicine
Nature Walks, Earthing and Natural Movement Practices
Mindful Eating with Nourishing Organic Meals
Sacred Partnership and Life Envisioning Practices
Meditation with Live Music Journey
Herbal oils, Teas, and Medicines
“This weekend was the end of an exhaustive journey and I have now stepped into my heart, life, and purpose.”
— Schanell, Phoenix, AZ
Retreat Logistics
Retreats are 3-4 days and for up to 4 people.
Includes private room with king or queen bed, all organic meals, activities, and 30 minute pre and post integration calls. Two rooms have a private bathroom. If you are interested please click below to inquire about dates and pricing.
Transportation (not-included): We are 45 minutes from Denver Airport, and there is a great direct bus that runs 1-2x per hour. We can pick you up from the Boulder station which is 5 minutes from us.
“The teachings, concepts discussed & activities allow you to discover things on your own, truly from the depth of your being. This I believe fosters an environment for lasting change and transformation, since it truly comes from within you.”
— Bandar, Phoenix, AZ
About Aja and Yoshua
Aja's healing journey started at the age of 6 with the onset of daily chronic migraines, which spanned over 20 years. After growing up subject to Western medicine, she hit rock bottom in college and made the choice to embark on a personal healing journey that took her around the world and into many different alternative modalities. After moving beyond the migraines she has continued to facilitate breathwork for the past 6 years. She most resonates with styles that are gentle, subtle, and restorative.
Aja is passionate about supporting others to trust in their own wisdom and to remember what it means to awaken to the true nature of reality. The nourishing container she holds is one of freedom, presence, and allowance of what is. She is passionate about an ever evolving philosophy of ‘Sacred Rest’. This deep rest occurs on all levels of our being, and allows any false narratives and identities to fall away, where we can truly ‘rest’ into beingness.
She feels most alive being surrounded by beauty, mostly through nature, ceremony, and co-created music.
After moving to Brooklyn to pursue a life as a musician and rock star, Yoshua fell into a terrible depression, lost his way and began feeling as though life was empty and meaningless, even considered ending it all. Through a weird and wonderful twist of fate, he fell upon a series of teachings that showed him that he wasn’t crazy but rather starting to wake up to the true nature of reality. He saw that he wasn’t depressed, but was experiencing a deep inner state of rest (deep-rest), his soul desperately seeking a break from the character he had been playing. Having nearly no previous understanding of the “spiritual path,” and only a desire to burn all that was false to the ground, he began shedding all of the lies and conditioned beliefs holding him in fear and began to see what it meant to live life in tune with clarity and truth—in harmony with all.
As life is often filled with surprises, the universe began pointing Yoshua in a rather interesting direction which led him to creating an alternative cooking show with his brother and getting signed to a major TV deal where he traveled the world and went on adventures cooking for celebrities. Excited by these new possibilities but feeling conflicted to be amongst a world of wealth and corporate greed, Yoshua began seeing the character he was creating to deal with it all and after seven years of garnering a success he had never dreamed of, he (metaphorically speaking) burnt the house down and was finally free of any perceived self and began focusing on the work he has been doing for the last many years—guiding others that have already woken up from the matrix and supporting them to live life beyond fear.
For the past ten years Yoshua has also studied the ancient art of sound healing and has been guiding people to unlock their innate musical gifts and experience music as a form of connection and vibrational healing. He hosts song circles as a way to bring about connection amongst fellow humans and has been creating improvised music with one of his favorite bands Yaima, and has performed with them on a number of occasions. He also teaches people how to develop a clear and conscious relationship to the foods they consume and how mindful eating can support all areas of your life. He hasn’t worn shoes in three years and can’t get enough of telling people about the glorious benefits of living a more barefoot forward life. Yoshua has studied a variety of different healing practices and resonates mostly with Zen Buddhism and Non-Duality as he has seen how they can help anyone make sense of all aspects of life and live in the present, creating a life of your own design.
He has written a series of 5 books that delve into the simple concept of taking off the false self to uncover who you really are through a variety of mediums—cooking, music, mindful conversations and living barefoot. Yoshua is merely a reflection of what is possible when you live outside of fear, connected to all the gloriousness that is. From this place there are no levels of hierarchy, no destination to get to, from this place all makes perfect sense when we realize who we truly are.
Sunshine Haus + Meals
The mountain sanctuary up Sunshine Canyon is surrounded by magical pine forests, rock formations, and expansive views. You can't help but to take a deep sigh as you enter the peaceful resonance that has been nurtured throughout the house and surrounding land. You will be nourished by gifts from their at-home herbal apothecary and organic meals that feed the soul.
The Sunshine Haus is surrounded by 360° views of Sunshine Canyon and has access to some of the top hiking trails in Boulder. The vibe is often described as incredibly peaceful, cozy, and expansive. You can usually find us honoring the sunrise, foraging around the forests, cooking nourishing food, enjoying tea by the fire, and connecting through music.
“Every big and little detail during my Sacred Rest stay was so loving, beauteous and blissful - from the offerings, to the yummiest food, to the coziest stay itself.”
— Danielle, Phoenix, AZ
The food you will enjoy at the retreat is nearly all organic, made from scratch and served to your dietary needs. Yoshua has been studying mindful eating and a variety of world cuisines for over 10 years and hosted a popular alternative cooking show that amassed millions of viewers worldwide. You’ll learn about the gifts of mindful eating and how to develop a sacred relationship to the things you consume, not just the what, but the how. Instead of focusing on what some would deem “healthy food,” we focus on supporting you to eat mindfully and slowly shift your relationship to what you put in our body. While we prepare all of the food, if you are interested in cooking, Yoshua is happy to include you in the process at times.
Some of our favorite meals include freshly baked Sourdough Bread, Slow Roasted Beef Tagine, Shakshuka with Farm Fresh Eggs and Homemade Cheeses, Brick Oven Style Pizza with house cured meats, Lamb Meatballs With Fresh Pita and Beet Tzatziki, Curried Butternut Squash Soup, Saag Paneer, Chana Masala, Roasted Veggie Bowls, Sauerkraut and other yummy Ferments, Belgium Waffles with Peach Compote—the list goes on and on.
“The level of curation, quality and love that Yosh and Aja put into the retreat’s food offering was one of the best culinary experiences of my life.”
— Mandilyn, Washington, DC
The water you will drink is sourced from a high quality spring near Rocky Mountain National Park, and Aja takes great joy in water magic through properly storing, structuring, and magnetizing the water each and every day to keep it fully alive.
We are very mindful of only using natural products around the house that are mostly homemade.
“Not to mention their home and the surrounding mountains are a true wonderland. Yosh’s cooking is so thoughtful and well-sourced and delicious and it really changes the way you fundamentally view cooking and eating.”
— Ryan, Denver, CO
“There are truly no words to express the awakening I have stepped into and received. The beauty that the both of you offer with your complete self is breathtaking. I have met many people along my journey and experienced many ceremonies of different ways. This weekend was the end of an exhaustive journey and I have now stepped into my heart, life, and purpose. You are both powerful healers and a light for those that can get lost in their journey. You held a sacred container and it flows from your hearts.”
— Schanell, Pheonix, AZ
I had started seeing Aja for one-on-one sessions a couple months prior to the Sacred Rest retreat. She has a radiant tranquil kindness that puts me at ease more than anyone I have met in my entire life. Her healing touch feels like cosmic honey and her deep and mysterious feminine wisdom seems like it could pull the sun out of orbit if she only beckoned to it.
I would call their retreat more of a “non-retreat” because you really are just spending time in the presence of these two wonderful people living their normal lives. There is no grand and transformational moment. It is, in a certain sense, rather mundane. But a beautiful, magical, incredibly slow-paced mundanity that makes you truly question what it is that you have been so busy running around and chasing your whole life. As if when you stop trying to get somewhere, you strangely realize that you have already arrived.
Not to mention their home and the surrounding mountains are a true wonderland. Yosh’s cooking is so thoughtful and well-sourced and delicious and it really changes the way you fundamentally view cooking and eating.
All of the little ceremonies throughout the weekend are very lovely. They infuse so much care and preciousness in everything that they do with you, and it makes you feel deeply in your bones that the small things in life really are the big things.
I was in the middle of a really crazy and painful chapter in life when I went on the retreat. When you speak with them, Aja and Yosh listen deeply to everything with kind eyes and full attention. Yet they bafflingly treat you as if there is nothing wrong with you. It kind of makes you want to retell your woes as if they somehow didn’t hear you the first time. But over time you start to see that they are offering a very rare and powerful form of medicine that you never even stopped to consider might exist. The medicine of no-medicine. Now, this medicine won’t cure you. Rather it may start to make you realize that there is nothing to cure. And yes your pain may be strong and your challenges may be steep, but you already have everything you need inside you. And you might start to realize that the bar-fight going on inside of you could actually be more like a dance if you stopped fighting so stubbornly and embraced it gently.
And sitting out on their deck, basking in the sun, all three of you tenderly humming in unison as Yosh plays the harmonium, you will start to gently open up to a very different way of life. And quite a beautiful one at that. I could not recommend this retreat more highly.
— Ryan, Denver, CO
“I had the unique opportunity to spend 3 days with both Yoshua and Aja, the facilitators of the Sacred Rest Retreat at the Sunshine Haus 5 mins outside of Boulder, to do a mental reset from the hustle culture of Los Angeles
This retreat experience separates itself from other healing and spiritual retreats that are commonly seen in this area for 3 main reasons.
1). It emphasizes the ethos that healing happens in the mundane and spiritual growth is not spiritual, but in fact life. Spirituality is a life process
2). It has a baseline of structure to provide the best experience for participants while being fluid in its format because spending this retreat with Yoshua and Aja are all about “no hiding” from oneself and each other—just as how they would spend their day to day
3). Yoshua and Aja treat the participants with as much grace and intentionality as if they’re hanging out with their decade-old friends, not this seemingly “non-superficial” yet deeply transactional relationship
I will be riding on the residual momentum and grace from this retreat to finish out the entire year. It was single-handedly the most fluid yet gracious retreat experience I’ve ever had.
12/10 would recommend.”
— Benoit, Los Angeles, CA
As I write this, I can’t find the words to explain and express the unconditional love, safety and sacred space I experienced with Aja and Yoshua even before stepping into their beautiful home. Every big and little detail during my Sacred Rest stay was so loving, beauteous and blissful - from the offerings, to the yummiest food, to the coziest stay itself. I came with an open heart and intention, and left completely transformed and ready to take on this outer world with new eyes. I also discovered that I can sing and that I love to sing. Thank you, thank you, thank you does not even cover a grain of the gratitude I feel for Aja and Yoshua for showing and teaching me this oneness and this magic. I love you guys from the bottom of my heart and can’t wait to be back soon!
— Danielle, Phoenix, AZ
This is my second time doing the sacred rest retreat with Aja & Yosh. The take-aways and experience from the first retreat I did with them impacted my life in such a positive way and transformed my life right away. The second time around was just as profound and even more unique and delicately orchestrated. It is very evident that Aja & Yosh are so immersed and integrated with their beliefs & practices. Just being in their presence is enough for a spiritual expansion & realization. The teachings, concepts discussed & activities allow you to discover things on your own, truly from the depth of your being. This I believe fosters an environment for lasting change and transformation, since it truly comes from within you. They are fantastic guides & space holders for your spiritual growth. The attention to detail was really felt, and the care & love coming from them was so sincerely experienced. Thank you for the beautiful accommodations, delicious food & all the events you two so masterfully created for us.
— Bandar, Phoenix, AZ
Integration. This is something I’ve struggled with my whole life. How to integrate into this World and Reality. Thanks to Aja and Yosh’s Sacred Rest Retreat, I was able to integrate into this world in a way that I never had before, while fully embracing my voice, power and unique path. In my early childhood, I was very ill and spent most of it in almost a bubble. I still struggle with my health to this day and have many allergies. Once I became unallergic to milk and eggs as a preteen, I started exploring food in every way that I could. My relationship with food has also been a focal point for my self-healing journey, profession, and interacting with it on a local level, whether it be cooking or going to eat, is what I enjoy most.
The level of curation, quality and love that Yosh and Aja put into the retreat’s food offering is one of the best culinary experiences of my life. It also solidified how healthy my relationship is with food, which has been an extremely rewarding realization, and has helped me feel more confident in the decisions I have made to prioritize my health and worth. Entering each meal with reverence and pleasure aided the ceremonial portion of the retreat and allowed me to unlock parts of myself that I was restricting.
Aja and Yosh are majestic guides that will aid your journey into fully actualizing, integrating and enjoying where you currently are on this plane of existence. Whenever I start to feel tossed about and unsure about what I am doing or where I am, I remind myself of the integrating achievements I made at Aja and Yosh’s Sacred Rest Retreat, and trust that I will make it through the quake.
— Mandilyn, Washington, DC
Testimonials
Sample Itinerary
Day 1 ~ Opening
3pm: Relax + Ground into space
5pm: Opening Circle
6pm: Dinner
7pm: Ceremonial Sound + Breath Journey
Day 2 ~ Ceremony
8am: Morning Practice with Vocal Toning
9am: Breakfast
11am: Hike
1:30pm: Lunch
Silent contemplation time + Connect with nature
6pm: Dinner
7:30pm: Sacred Rest Ceremony
Day 3 ~ Silence
9am: Breakfast
1:30pm: Lunch
6pm: Dinner
Day 4 ~ Integration
8am: Morning Movement Practice
9am: Breakfast
12pm: Lunch
1pm: Closing Ceremony
3pm: Departure
*We have a magical healing cat named Bigu. Some people have expressed concerns about allergies, Bigu spends a lot of his time outdoors, is long haired and seems to be hypo-allergenic, though we rescued him so we can’t say for sure. That being said no one has had an issues with him, and Yoshua, who has bad cat allergies, has never had any issues either.
The Sunshine Haus is apart of the TruePlace Network along with our sister home: Now Haus