SANTOSHA (PART TWO)
Backwoods Blog;
in the woods and on the road…
Santosha on the Carrabassett (part two)
In last week’s post when I shared that Linda and I recently spent three days and two nights at Santosha on the Carrabassett, a yoga and mindfulness retreat center located in Kingfield, Maine, I failed to mention that it was absolutely free with the exception of healing arts sessions, alcoholic beverages and gratuities. Santosha sent out over 200 letters to yoga teachers in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont inviting them (and a partner or a fellow yoga teacher) to join them for an all-expenses paid retreat and introduction to what Santosha on the Carrabassett had to offer. Nineteen people responded. In the opening circle, as we checked in, many of the retreatants expressed their initial hesitancy to reply thinking this had to be some sort of a scam. Linda and I were one of the first to respond. This remarkably unexpected and generous offer set the tone for the entire stay.
From the invitation letter it says, “Year round, every day, Santosha offers our retreatants four meals, three yoga classes, two meditations, and a nightly Dharma talk. We offer specialized retreats, too – from kirtan circles to memoir and writing workshops to telemark skiing. Our guests enjoy direct access to the Carrabassett River; easy access to alpine skiing at Sugarloaf Mountain Resort; and ample opportunities of Healing Arts, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking, paddling, fly fishing, world-class golfing and miles and miles of Maine’s best hiking trails, including nearby stretches of the Appalachian Trail.”
Over the course of our two and a half day stay, I don’t think I had ever done so much yoga in my life! I rediscovered parts of my body I had not felt in a very long time. I also took a short hike and explored the trail along the Carrabassett River with my camera (smart phone) in hand. The food was exceptional, with both vegetarian and omnivore options and a locally renowned chef operating in the kitchen. Retreatants were encouraged to poke their head inside the kitchen and get to know the staff, and when I did so, I found the head chef doing repairs on the Hobart commercial dish washing machine in between meal shifts. You gotta love a chef who can also double as his own mechanic. Santosha also features a fireside bar complete with local brews on tap and a craft menu of Prohibition Era cocktails and mocktails. Santosha’s bookcase library has a wide selection of spiritual books and a very cozy reading nook nestled in the upstairs lobby. And Santosha is dog-friendly. One of the guests brought along their dog who joined the three dharma dogs on staff; Pamplemousse, Amos and Winnie. Santosha has a little bit of everything. You can check out their “Our Team” page on the website here to meet the entire staff at Santosha (dog profiles included).
JennyBess Chaim is the founder of Santosha on the Carrabassett. JB started out as a successful corporate attorney for Latham & Watkins in her pre-yogic life, and then, her sabbatical ventures took her sailing with Pamplemousse in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Caribbean; living at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Nepal, studying yoga in Hawaii and hiking the mountains of Argentine Patagonia and Camino de Santiago in Galica. Eventually she returned to the lakes and mountains of western Maine where she spent many of her childhood years and Santosha is the special place where JB and Matt are manifesting a vision of community, spiritual practice, food, fun and playing in nature. You can check out “Dave’s Five Minute Interview” with JB by clicking right here https://youtu.be/r3l3WWuGUxM
As you can probably tell, Linda and I had a special stay at Santosha and we’d like to thank JB and the staff (once again) for their generosity, authenticity and creative brilliance for making it all happen. My nine-word review is “Go to Santosha – You won’t come back the same.”
In the Woods,
Dave
December 6, 2022
