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COUPLES RETREAT IN THE DESERT 
April 19-21, 2024
 

 3 great days+ 2 great nights of togetherness, romance, connection, holistic health and the desert! Escape to the desert in a 2 night, 3 day couples retreat where you celebrate your love, your patner and learn more about each other getting closer while also relaxing and escaping from real life.  

This retreat is led by Shawna Schenk (of Yoga With Shawna) and her loving partner John Bebbling at their desert retreat property, Desert Dimension, which was built together with love.

 

Desert Dimension is located in Twentynine Palms, CA. This land is 5 acres out in the desert, about 15 minutes away from grocery stores, restaurants and Joshua Tree National Park. It is the rustic desert: dark and quiet, vast and inspiring. We are in the middle of no where off a dirt road.  It is approximately a 3 hour drive from San Diego. The experience is one of a kind: the desert is a very healing, powerful and humbling place. 


The price of the retreat varies upon the sleeping arrangement you and your partner agree to. Your stay includes the chosen accommodation for the 2 nights, 3 days plus  all meals, classes, and activities  listed on the schedule (date night is at your own cost but Joshua Tree National Park admission, the private hot spring's admission, and the picinic lunch are included in price), access to all the amenities on the property including hot tub, gameroom, zen garden, hammocks and sitting areas, outdoor + indoor kitchen, bathrooms + showers, affirmation path, outdoor library, etc. Read more on our amenities here.  See a map of the property here.

We offer both indoor + outdoor accommodations. We have a limited number of rooms, domes and campsites, so space is limited. Each couple will be in their chosen space.  Community activities, meals and holistic classes will be done both indoors + outdoors. For pictures + details on each of the different sleeping accommodations  go here. 
 
Please select the sleeping accommodation you prefer: the domes are stand alone; the rooms are private but in a shared home; the campsites are private but close to each other [you must bring your own tent/camping supplies)
Do you have a vaild national park pass?

Thanks for submitting! We will get back to you with details + payment information soon. We are looking forward to our time in the desert.

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY

 3:00 PM: Welcome Snacks, Lover's Sun Tea, Check In + Welcome

Grab some snacks and a glass of Lover's Sun Tea made by Shawna, brewed in the dsert sun! Get settled into your room or campsite. Explore the property. Connect with the land + each other. 

4:00 PM: Gentle Hatha Yoga + Sound Healing 

A class focused on self love for we cannot show up and love another without showing up and loving ourselves. We will start off the retreat with self pampering in a gentle yoga class that will stretch your body after your travel to get to the desert. This 50 minute tension release hatha class will relax and restore the body. Various sound healing instruments will be played as you move and stretch to bring peace and harmony to the mind and body.  

5:00-6:00 PM: Cooking With Your Partner Pot Luck

This retreat is focused on celebrating one another and your relationship. Food is medicine and food holds memory. What is one special meal (can be a main course, appetizer, snack or desert) that has a beautiful memory associated with it for you and your partner? Maybe it was something you had on your first date, your wedding, or a special vacation somewhere. Maybe it was something that is a traditional family meal or inside joke or secret with one another. Maybe it is simply your favorite thing to eat or your go-to meal on a Monday night. Bring all the ingredients + prepare it together. 

6:00 PM: Community Potluck Dinner

We will share our "favorite" meal together sampling each other's special home-made meal! You will connect with the group introducing yourself + sharing the story of your food  and why what you prepared is special for you as a team; as we bond and connect with each other over our special meals, we will celebrate all the fulfilling memories that love brings and nourishes our life.  

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At dinner we will also share when and how we met our partner! It will surely be a fun dinner of love stories and shared food!

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7:00 PM: Couples Journaling + Intention Setting + Altar Building: 

Bring a picture or an item that is symbolic of something you accomplished or love about each other and/or your relationship. You can bring more than one. We will put these things on our desert alter. 

 

Each couple will be gifted a special journal that has various prompts that help celebrate each other + your relationship along with improve communication skills + get to know each other deeper + deeper. You will be given your journal + your first prompt at this time, directions on how to use the journal throughout the retreat + after (as it will serve as fun tool to keep the romance and connection going once you leave the desert and get back to your  regular routine. We will engage in our first journaling exercise together with the topic focusing on intention + couple's goals [both on the retreat + in life] and work on coming up with tangible ways to make your couple's wants, desires + dreams a reality. 

 

You will be given a hope string that you can tie on our sacred hope pole for a blessing at any time in the weekend!

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7:45 PM: Aromatherapy + Mini Massage: After all that it is time to wind down! You will be guided through a mini (clothes) massage that you will give each other with sensual essential oils that entice romance, sleep + relaxation. 

 

FREE TIME:

Hot Tub, Star Gazing, or Couple Alone Time 

Soak in the color changing hot tub with lavender aromatherapy release tight muscles.  Relax.  Go outside + stare at the stars and make wishes together. Go back to your room and have some alone time. The night is yours to enjoy each other as you please. 

 

Optional Telescope Viewing: If weather permits, we will set up the telescope to view the moon!

 

SATURDAY

7:00 AM: Fresh fruits, teas, + coffee substitutes will be provided for you to get at your leisure 

 

Sleep in a little and take your time waking up together.  There is no rush. Or, hang on the property (play some games, read, meditate in the zen garden, walk the labyrinth, go for a walk, etc). Enjoy the morning as you please + meet us for couples yoga at 9:30 AM.

 

9:45 AM: Couples Yoga 

We will stretch and connect with our partner setting the intention of togetherness in the morning while also nurturing our bodies together with movement. You will learn various stretches you can do together to have a new, healthy routine too after the retreat. 

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11:00 AM: Brunch 

Enjoy a brunch together cooked by lovebird Shawna + John for you and your lover. We will share some of our favorite breakfast + lunches that are healthy and yummy. 

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12:00 PM: Couples Reiki Session

There is an energy between each other: a definite vibe that brought you together Reiki works with vibes and in this session, we will use the energy session to amplify the love + vibe between with you. Of course, we all have a past + there can be resentments or other negative energies lingering or energy cords that need to be cut that can hold your relationship back from feeling happy + free! Each couple will receive a powerful energy session. 

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*The sessions will be done in the group + the healing will be given together as a couple + individually where needed. A cleanse for the couple's energy will be provided along with a blessing of love for the future. Oracle cards + a couple's mantra or energy advice  will be provided to keep the good vibes going.

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1:30 PM: Lovebird's Picinic at Joshua Tree National Park:

We will leave to hike to Heart Rock at Joshua Tree National Park (a straightforward, on mainly flat ground,1.7 mile, rated easy, hike.) Then you will be left with a small lover's picnic to enjoy together in the park! 

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 Stay as long as you wish. We will give you other tips, hikes + trails you can enjoy together as you will be left for some free time!

 

Date Night: Couple alone time is very important in a relationship. Here you will be free from outside obligations + can enjoy each other + the desert. We are providing the rest of the day/night to do what you'd like together! You can stay longer at the park and have a hiking date exploring more of the park, leave the park and go into town for shopping, site-seeing and dining, or come back to the property and get ready and go out for a night on the town (there is a very small casino (that is 10 minutes away) with lots of character! 

 

 John + Shawna will give you their favorite places to enjoy a date in Joshua Tree or the surrounding area. This area is very special to them + they had their first formal date in Twentynine Palms! Together you will create a magical night! 

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Karaoke, Games + Black Light Lounge, Hot Tub + more!

The property will also be open if you'd like to come back for a romantic night at home (in your room, dome or tent!). Sing karaoke and serenade one another. Stoke your competitive side + play the various games in our fun lounge. Lay down in our far out black light lounge. Be silly. Have fun. Bond.

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SUNDAY: 

Sunrise: Hot Springs Soak: We will go to a private hot springs where you will have your own private granite tub with your love! Golden hour is a very special hour at the desert. You will watch the sunrise and soak in the healing waters. We provide you a healthy green juice in a champagne flute to cheers to each other! [You can bring your coffee too]. 

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Light Breakfast: We will eat alight breakfast of yogurt granola fruit  bowls (nondairy option available) at the springs before we come back to the property for yoga + breakwork. 

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Yin Yoga: This will be a practice of deep stretching to prepare for the day and nicely accompany our soak. It will not be partner yoga but we will touch and stay connected to each other. 

Couples Breathwork, Gratitude + Meditation: A connecting and intimate  breathing exercise + meditative rest to bond comfortably but vulnerably. Followed by a gratitude exercise and then a restorative meditative rest together. 

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Snacks, Reflection + Pack Up: We will leave out some heallthy snacks and space to share and reflect on the weekend while you pack up and get ready to journey home and back to real life stronger, happier, and more connected together!

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 12:00 PM: Check out 

SPECIAL NOTES:

  • The retreat is limited to 6 couples.

  • Guests can enjoy indoor showers and bathrooms. There is also a portapotty outside + outdoor shower.

  • If you have dietary restrictions let us know. You can bring extra food and snacks to eat at any time. Guests can cook in the outdoor or indoor kitchen + store food + drinks in the outdoor or indoor refrigerators. Grills, griddles and stoves provided. For our family potluck, we will tell you how much food to bring for the number of couples coming but it will be a small amount for sampling! 

  • Snacks + lover's sun tea + fruit infused water will be provided throughout the trip! 

  • Filtered water is provided. There is a coffee maker; although we will not offer caffeine on the retreat, you are welcome to make your own coffee . 

  • WIFI

  • You must be pet friendly: your hosts John + Shawna have two dogs, a 125 pound St. Bernard who is a big lover knows no boundaries and a 5 lb Chauhauha who is sweet + feisty all in one. These two fur babies will be staying in the house (sleeping in our bedroom) but do keep that in mind if you are sleeping in the house.

  • No refunds or credits. We understand things happen but due to the limited availability and nature  of this retreat, we cannot afford to refund guests who have to cancel. All  are sales final. We thank you for understanding. 

  • The property is still a work in progress. We have so many great things to share with you and we are looking forward to spending our time together. There will be things in construction but this will not effect any of our offerings at the retreat or your stay. 

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