StoneWood Sanctuary Retreat
Sunday August 30th - Tuesday September 1st
StoneWood Sanctuary
Women’s Retreat
JOIN THIS NOURISHING RETREAT AMONG
SISTERS OF COLOR
IN THE SOUTHERN BERKSHIRES
BEING HELD BY THE LAND
& GUIDED BY THE HOSTS
WHERE SACRED PLAY AND
HERB MEDICINE ALLOW
A COMING BACK TO SELF & TO COMMUNITY
Sunday 8/30 - Tuesday 9/1
In Collaboration with Mumbet’s Freedom Farm
The Setting
Welcome to StoneWood
A Land where many have come to gently transform disconnection & fear of natural surroundings to wonder, healing, and a newfound sense of belonging in a setting where other-than-human is the majority. The space is magical, peaceful & minimally developed, with just enough amenities to allow guests to throughly unwind and enjoy the river breezes through the swaying forest and the sunny field of medicinal flowers.
The Field of Dreams - full of native wildflowers and medicinal plants, is the first impression as you arrive onsite, between the River Forest basecamp and the Western Forest bordering the road. The field provides a spacious sunny area for frolicking, sunbathing, yoga, workshops, & ceremony. The field meadow, shielded by the forests on each side, invites us to just be under the sky & sun without an audience. Cartwheels, laughter, journaling, foraging, daytime gatherings, and nighttime stargazing are all welcome here.
From your arrival in the Field of Dreams you’ll enter the threshold of the River Forest - nestled alongside a private bend of the turquoise & beloved Green River - our campsite & retreat base. River and forest keep the area cool from summer heat and buffers the frenzy of society. Adjacent camping spaces and cozy tents are arranged beneath a canopy of Pine and Maple keeping a sense of held community.
Camping with community, being held by the Trees, Water & Fire
The outhouse and shower are sited discreetly, built with attention to comfort, simplicity, and cleanliness. The shower offers a refreshing, nature-connected rinse beneath dappled sunlight; the outhouse is clean, private, and respectfully maintained.
Outhouse, Shower & Sauna
Compost Toilet & Shower
Wood-Fired Sauna
Enjoy the peace of White Pines, Striped Maple & Ironwood on a rope hammock.
Turquoise Waters
Green River’s water is clear and cool, perfect for contemplative exploring, invigorating dips in the swimming hole, and mindfulness at the river bank.
The River Forest creates a protective, cool envelope around the campsite. Mature trees soften wind and sound, offering privacy and a sense of containment. Shade keeps temperatures comfortable and forget-me-nots underfoot lend a quiet, restorative atmosphere. Trails weave through the woods for short reflective walks and a path to the swimming hole. The land at StoneWood holds space where both solitude and connection are honored. The overall setting balances beauty and functionality: a peaceful, secure place designed to support rest, community, and regenerative practice.
Retreat Offerings
Intentional Sisterhood - . The retreat is for & centered around women of color. This container is designed to cultivate trust, community, compassionate witnessing, and shared reflection. Guided prompts and confidentiality agreements create a supportive container where participants can express insights, hopes, and fears. Emphasis is placed on mutual respect and honoring individual boundaries.
Five Nourishing Meals - Chef-prepared meals featuring seasonal, whole-food ingredients with vegetarian-forward base and protein-rich options. Meals focus on flavor and what’s in season, with accommodations for common dietary needs (gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-aware).
Snacks & Herbal Teas - A selection of wholesome snacks available between meals; fresh fruit, nuts, and light bites to sustain energy. An herbal tea station offers restorative blends chosen by Angela for the region, season and vibe of the group.
Camping Accommodations - a mix of tents, camp beds & hammocks are available.
Integration Guidance - Structured support to help you bring retreat learnings into your life, such as written resources with journaling prompts and practical tools for creating sustainable daily practices (breathwork, sleep hygiene, micro-rituals).
Group Reiki provided by certified practitioners to promote energetic balance and deep relaxation.
Daily yoga led by Ashni, a certified yoga instructor.
Herbal Remedies Workshop, Reiki & Sound Journey, Share Your Medicine showcase, Sacred Nature Art, Spaciousness, and Guided Exploration.
Plant Medicine Workshop
Facilitator, Angela Highsmith will discuss currently abundant native plant medicines, explore how different preparations serve us in different ways, demonstrate how to make the workshop herbal remedy. We’ll discuss the herb, remedy, and our general plant medicine experience; while we make a full sized plant remedy to take home. The class will enjoy an herbal tea tailored by Angela for this workshop with the abundance of the season.
Nature Crafted Art
We’ll enjoy creative sessions using natural materials gathered respectfully from the land for mandala-building, smudge sticks, and painting riverside. These offerings encourage all senses to engage with our plant kin while allowing space for casual & pleasurable creative expression.
Daily Yoga, Reflection & Exploration
Ashni leads us daily in yoga. Dedicated time and prompts are offered for contemplative journaling, guided nature walks, solo reflection, and play. Evening integration circles and optional sharing sessions give space to process emotions, notice patterns, and celebrate insights.
Reiki & Sound Journey
Angela & Ashni bring us back to our center through a drumming sound journey within a gentle container of Reiki.
Register here:
Retreat Exchange
River Tier - $450
(3 spaces available)
Forest Tier - $575
(5 spaces available)
Steward Tier - $700
(2 spaces available)
*The Steward Tier helps support lower cost spaces and community offerings.
Facilitators
Angela Highsmith
In 1999 Angela’s career as a model began after being ‘discovered’ in a mall. This decades-long career facilitated her dream of starting a family and her passion for practical healing, life in balance, and creation as a practice. Since early childhood she’s been creating with textiles, nibbling ‘unknown’ weeds, navigating what others don’t see, and inventing artful solutions with available resources. She’s practiced herbalism for 26 years with a 2010 herbal certification & mentorships with Peeka Trenkle, trainings with David Winston and 7Song, online intensives with Rosalee de la Forêt and David Crow; perpetual research feeds this eternal student. Her focus is on bio-regional medicine, culinary herbs, remedy making, food-as-medicine, herbalism-as-lifestyle, and educating/empowering others. Her herbalism workshop series Empowered Herbalism was created in 2016 for empowering others in the accessibility of herbs, remedy-making, integrating herbalism daily, and considering food as medicine. Reiki has followed her since 2000 and she is a certified Second Degree Usui Reiki Practitioner. She is the steward of StoneWood and the retreat host.
Sunder Ashni
Ashni, daughter of Cynthia and Allan, is a farmer, at Mumbet’s Freedom Farm, facilitator, educator and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY with rich roots in the island of St.Vincent & The Grenadines. Relating to the earth and our earthly body as the container for our experience and the literal ground that holds the myriad world of feeling, story, sensation and meaning making, Ashni invites clients into a process in which we get to the root of what is calling for healing. Beyond ideas, past the limits of our conditioning, and invite an exploration of the infinite possibility for healing with and through our bodies. While Ashni does not diagnose or provide clinical support she has over 20 years of experience working with individuals and groups to manage stress, anxiety and the effects of trauma utilizing skills cultivated with dedication to our mutual liberation. Movement, music, healing and their expansion through meditation and love are essential keys to Ashni’s being. From early experiences with death, escapades in library stacks to discovering yoga and teachings with Buddhist monks in High school, Spirit has always peaked her curiosity and tickled her heart. From an early age, Ashni has been devoted to learning from and listening to Spirit.
Saira
My love for food started long before I ever called it that. I first got my taste of baking at 10 years old when my cousin patiently taught me the magic behind simple ingredients. That small spark in her kitchen stayed with me forever.
From there, I taught myself every single day by watching Food Network. I was obsessed soaking in every technique, flavor, and story I could. Cooking became my therapy, my creative outlet, and my way of showing love.
During the lockdown of COVID, I dove deep into my roots and discovered the beauty of Pakistani cooking. It felt like coming home.
The spices, the stories, the soul in every dish-it became a part of who I am.
In 2025, I helped a friend out at Thea Gathering where I made Turkish red lentil soup-and that's where people really started noticing my flavors.
Not long after, I was trusted with my first retreat: Ex Of In in Rhinebeck, New York, cooking for about 12 beautiful women. It was such an honor to nourish a space like that.
That same year, I joined Stagecoach Tavern in Sheffield, Massachusetts as Sous Chef, where I grew so much and had the privilege of being part of the closing team.
I also hosted my own pop up dinner-an intimate experience filled with bold flavors, great energy, and unforgettable moments.
Along the way, I've had the joy of helping friends with their catering jobs, bringing my heart and skills to their visions.
Now, I run Tiffins by Saira, my weekly Pakistani tiffin service in the Berkshires.
Through it, I get to feed my community real food made with love-just like I was raised to do.
Exclusive access to secluded trails, meadow clearing, and quiet viewpoints on protected land. The setting supports connection, solitude, exploration, and reflective walks. Land stewardship principles and Leave No Trace guidelines are emphasized.