We are delighted to share that our 2023 season is open for registration. Find the Hollyhock programs that are right for you! New programs are added weekly.

CHOOSE FROM OUR PROGRAMS BELOW
Seriously Funny: The Magic of Humour in Storytelling
With Janelle Hanchett and Lisa Page Rosenberg
June 11 - 16, 2023
Cortes Island
Let’s explore the transformative power of humour in storytelling. What makes a character funny? What do we mean by “humour = tragedy + time?” How (and why) do we laugh at the human condition in a way that deepens meaning? In every genre, nuanced writing uses humour to create three-dimensional…
Discover Cortes: Nature Adventures (June)
With Bill Ophoff
June 11 - 16, 2023
Cortes Island
The natural world is your classroom as you hike, kayak, and sail amid the wild beauty of Cortes Island. Discover the flora and fauna of both land and sea along with local history and geological phenomena. Explore ancient forests, sandy beaches, colourful tide pools, windswept bluffs, and a mysterious bog.
SAORI: Weaving without Boundaries
With Terri Bibby
June 11 - 16, 2023
Cortes Island
Immerse yourself in colour and texture while creating your own unique weavings! Explore the beautiful SAORI weaving philosophy from Japan where there are no rules and no mistakes.
Hollyhock Explore & Discover
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute
June 16 - 20, 2023
Cortes Island
Discover the magic of the Discovery Islands and Desolation sound. Immerse yourself in a four day exploration of Cortes Island’s rich natural beauty and history. Guided nature hikes, ocean adventures, and local lore will leave you salty, windswept, and in awe of this spectacular and delicate part of our world.…
Tantra and the Energetics of Intimacy: A Traditional Immersion
With Yogacharini Maitreyi
June 16 - 21, 2023
Cortes Island
Learn Tantric practices and tools for your daily life that create deeper self connection, self awareness, healing and resilience. Work with your mind and prana and experientially understand the principles of Tantra.
The Embodied Voice
With Amy Thiessen
June 16 - 21, 2023
Cortes Island
Our voice is both the channel through which we excavate past traumas and conditioning as well as a vehicle through which we may find healing & reconciliation with the various facets (voices) of our being. In each embodied voice session, you will be guided into a new dimension of voice…
Hollyhock Rest & Restore
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute
June 21 - 25, 2023
Cortes Island
Breathe in. Breathe out. Let the natural wisdom of Cortes Island relax and restore your body and soul. Enjoy the healing experience of the ocean and forest while you indulge in time for yourself to connect with the natural world. Your package includes: Four nights of accommodation at Hollyhock (see…
Open to the Sacred: A Meditation Retreat
With Dawn Mauricio
June 21 - 25, 2023
Cortes Island
What is your relationship to the sacred? Do you turn away from it or use it as a support for these turbulent times?
Unwind: Yamuna® Body Rolling & Essential Somatics®
With Namchi Bazar
June 21 - 25, 2023
Cortes Island
Explore two modalities to support your journey of self-discovery and self-healing. Let go of unproductive holding patterns as you develop effective body-wellness routines that are easy to incorporate into your home practice. Focus on foundational movements that help you exercise without pain.
Salish Shorelines: A Saltwater Journey (June)
With Jonas Fineman and Kai Harvey
June 25 - 30, 2023
Cortes Island
Join local Cortes Island guides and mariners for a kayaking exploration of the Salish Sea surrounding the renowned Hollyhock Campus. Each day’s adventure offers a safe and comprehensive foray into the seascapes and histories of Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands.
Mindful Self-Compassion
With Megan Prager and Martin Thomson-Jones, PhD
June 25 - 30, 2023
Cortes Island
This 5-day residential program is an intensive form of the internationally recognized, eight-session Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) training developed by Christopher Germer and Kristin Neff. It is open to laypeople and professionals alike. Participants will learn to: understand the science of self-compassion, practice self-compassion in daily life, motivate themselves with kindness…
Joy of Ukulele: Beyond C, F, & G7
With Kimo Hussey
June 30 - July 5, 2023
Cortes Island
Beyond C, F, & G7 is the much-anticipated extension of our Joy of Ukulele series with master player and teacher, Kimo Hussey. Expand your aptitude and appreciation of this beloved instrument by embracing new techniques to enhance musical quality.
Nitõtitān – Let’s Listen: A Yogic retreat to deepen connection to self, community and Land
With Malina Dawn
June 30 - July 5, 2023
Cortes Island
Nitõtetān is a Cree word meaning ‘Let’s listen’. Listening deeply is key to living in balance. Living in balance means we are not only taking good care of our selves, but being an active and willing participant in life. We take care of our communities, the earth and all our…
Salish Shorelines: A Saltwater Journey (July)
With Jonas Fineman and Kai Harvey
June 30 - July 5, 2023
Cortes Island
Join local Cortes Island guides and mariners for a kayaking exploration of the Salish Sea surrounding the renowned Hollyhock Campus. Each day’s adventure offers a safe and comprehensive foray into the seascapes and histories of Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands.
Hollyhock Explore & Discover
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute
July 5 - 9, 2023
Cortes Island
Discover the magic of the Discovery Islands and Desolation sound. Immerse yourself in a four day exploration of Cortes Island’s rich natural beauty and history. Guided nature hikes, ocean adventures, and local lore will leave you salty, windswept, and in awe of this spectacular and delicate part of our world.…
People, Power, Change
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute, Olivia Chow and Duncan Pike
July 5 - 9, 2023
Cortes Island
Every day we confront so much injustice, inequality, and unfairness, it sometimes feels like there's nothing we can do. But we can win change, build a society based on justice, and heal our planet. All it takes is organizing, building relationships, challenging power and unrelenting faith in hope. This is…
Discover Cortes: Nature Adventures (July)
With Bill Ophoff
July 9 - 14, 2023
Cortes Island
The natural world is your classroom as you hike, kayak, and sail amid the wild beauty of Cortes Island. Discover the flora and fauna of both land and sea along with local history and geological phenomena. Explore ancient forests, sandy beaches, colourful tide pools, windswept bluffs, and a mysterious bog.
Time of Transition
With Thomas Atum O'Kane, PhD
July 9 - 14, 2023
Cortes Island
Let go of your old identity and lay the groundwork for a new sense of self.
Singing in the Vocal River
With Rhiannon
July 14 - 19, 2023
Cortes Island
Hear your own song and learn new ones as you find your place in the world of music and invention. This program is for strong singers with solid, inventive skills in rhythm and pitch, and are comfortable singing in a group setting. Together, we stretch our intuitive courage, tell our…
Connecting to Source: Yoga, Meditation, Ritual
With Mara Branscombe
July 14 - 19, 2023
Cortes Island
Since ancient times, the human collective has aligned with the seasons, the elements, the rhythms of the sun, the moon, and the earth as a way to source pure energy and connect to one’s inner compass. The mind-body science of yoga, combined with the practice of meditation, breath-work, and the…
Art of Spiritual Guidance: The Reunion
With Thomas Atum O'Kane, PhD and Margie Gillis
July 14 - 19, 2023
Cortes Island
Reunion - Remembrance - Renewal - Rededication. A 5-day reunion gathering of Spiritual Guidance graduates from around the world.
Hollyhock Rest & Restore
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute
July 19 - 23, 2023
Cortes Island
Breathe in. Breathe out. Let the natural wisdom of Cortes Island relax and restore your body and soul. Enjoy the healing experience of the ocean and forest while you indulge in time for yourself to connect with the natural world. Your package includes: Four nights of accommodation at Hollyhock (see…
Drawing Towards the Earth: Making Journals for Life
With S. Portico Bowman
July 19 - 23, 2023
Cortes Island
Learn how to draw and make art with natural earth elements provided by nature. We will make paper with abaca, bast and stock from the Hollyhock garden. We will cook our own vine charcoal, and take this to the paper, or twigs and tools to the beach for more performative…
Dancing from the Inside Out
With Margie Gillis
July 19 - 24, 2023
Cortes Island
Move into your body’s experiential wisdom and reveal the soul in motion. Develop your sensitivity to the connection between thought, feeling, spirit and body as you listen in to your body’s inner wisdom, impulses, conversations and emotions.
Hollyhock Gathering
July 24 - 28, 2023
Cortes Island
Change rarely comes in isolation, but instead is rooted in the resilience of community connectedness. The new Hollyhock Gathering invites us to refill our reservoirs, and drink deep from the well of innovation, joy, and renewal.
Whole Human Health: Functional Medicine 2.0
With Dr. Lawrence Cheng and Dr. Devon Christie
July 28 - August 2, 2023
Cortes Island
Embody your well-being potential! Join us on this four day immersive retreat to learn, explore and experience true health and healing, from a cellular to whole-being level. Dr. Lawrence Cheng and Dr. Devon Christie expertly guide you through their unique and holistic synthesis of functional and mind-body medicine, and share practices to…
The Song & Dance of the Drum at Olatunji Hall
With Gordy Onayemi Ryan and Zoë Ryan
July 28 - August 2, 2023
Cortes Island
Bumbamba! - Celebrate Life! Activate the Fire in your hands, the Beat in your feet, and the Song in your Heart on this Soulful journey in Rhythm at the Olatunji Hall.
Painting Between Person and Place
With Jeremy Herndl
August 2 - 6, 2023
Cortes Island
Painting outdoors (or plein aire) was popularized in the mid 19th century with the advent of portable paint in tubes. It was the latest, most radical departure from the standard academic practices at the time as it sought to represent the realities of contemporary life in the industrialized West in…
Discover Cortes: Nature Adventures (August)
With Bill Ophoff
August 6 - 11, 2023
Cortes Island
The natural world is your classroom as you hike, kayak, and sail amid the wild beauty of Cortes Island. Discover the flora and fauna of both land and sea along with local history and geological phenomena. Explore ancient forests, sandy beaches, colourful tide pools, windswept bluffs, and a mysterious bog.
In The Garden: Low Tech Photography Workshop
With Sarah Fuller
August 6 - 11, 2023
Cortes Island
This alternative photography workshop focuses on the Anthotype and Cyanotype Print processes using plants from Hollyhock's garden for inspiration and creation of non-toxic photo emulsions.
Healing and Joy with Energy Medicine Yoga
With Lauren Walker
August 6 - 11, 2023
Cortes Island
At the root of our desire to heal is our desire for joy again, to be exquisitely present and attuned to the nuances of our lives. This week we’ll uncover that joy state, understanding that it is always alive within us. By releasing energies that have made us sick, tired,…
Flying SOULO: Your Story on Stage
With Tracey Erin Smith
August 11 - 16, 2023
Cortes Island
Transform your life’s stories into a Solo Theatre Show or Keynote. Through improvisation, writing exercises, and one-on-one coaching, uncover the stories that need to be told and reveal your truth in a powerful and entertaining show. Culminates in a short performance of the work created in class.
Writing to Awaken: Memoir as a Path of Healing
With Mark Matousek
August 11 - 16, 2023
Cortes Island
This transformational five-day program uses personal writing as a path of self-discovery, authenticity, and spiritual growth.
Nature & Nurture Yoga: Embracing Abundance
With Fiji McAlpine
August 11 - 16, 2023
Cortes Island
Embrace the abundance of August in the Pacific Northwest on spectacular Cortes Island.
2023 Canadian Psychedelic Summit (Application)
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute, Kim Haxton and Orane Cheung
August 16 - 20, 2023
Cortes Island
The psychedelics field is experiencing rapid and exciting growth in Canada and abroad. As we stand on the precipice of establishing a regulated market for medical access, Hollyhock invites leaders to pause, connect, and create a vision for the future fitting of the revolution that psychedelics promise. After a successful…
Andean Wisdom: Deepening Your Relationship with the Four Elements
With Jhaimy Alvarez Acosta
August 20 - 25, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 10% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jun 20, 2023.
Weaving together Andean Wisdom Teachings, Ritual, Healing Meditation, and Intentional Practice, this 5-day retreat will provide you with powerful tools to transform and expand your life in beautiful ways. Working with the laws of nature allows for an abundant flow and grace to come into each day. This retreat is…
Ebb & Flow: Kayak & Yoga Immersion (August)
With Jolaine Boucher and Kai Harvey
August 25 - 30, 2023
Cortes Island
Immerse yourself in the rhythms of the natural world and the ebb and flow of the Salish Sea. Join us for a rejuvenating five days of kayaking, exploring, yoga, mindfulness and fun!
Essential Somatics: Free Your Movement!
With Martha Peterson
August 25 - 30, 2023
Cortes Island
If you have “tried everything” to relieve your back, neck, shoulder, or hip pain for the long term and have only experienced short term relief (or none at all), then this program is for you.
Science and Poetry of the Salish Sea
With Dr. Marjorie Wonham and Melanie Koenderman
August 30 - September 3, 2023
Cortes Island
How do you see the sea? Explore the ecology and poetry of the ocean with a place-based focus on the Salish Sea. Through a unique combination of field observations, marine biology, and poetry, we will examine compelling and timely questions in the relationship between humans and the sea. Each day…
Informed by Cancer: Yoga Therapy for Integration of Lived Experience
With Anne Pitman
August 30 - September 3, 2023
Cortes Island
Cancer changes us. It is, in itself, a full-time job: the immediate flurry of tests and difficult decisions as well as having to navigate unexpected side effects of treatment. Family, friends and caregivers are also impacted; differently, but significantly. In the rush and mayhem, little room or time can be…
Fermentation Demystified
With Kathryn Lukas-Damer and Kirsten K. Shockey
August 30 - September 3, 2023
Cortes Island
Learn to collaborate with the microbes that make your foods delicious and your health vibrant. Expert fermenters Kirsten and Kathryn come together in this master fermentation class to explain the safe and simple process of how to ferment in your kitchen. You’ll learn about the history, science and health benefits…
Songs of The Open Road: Exploring The Practice of Pilgrimage
With Dawn Pemberton and Jenn Cianca
September 8 - 13, 2023
Cortes Island
For centuries, across cultures, and around the world people have made pilgrimages—moving towards distant, unfamiliar and often sacred places. While the destination often promised spiritual or personal redemption, the journey itself became a means of personal transformation and social connection. Today, pilgrimages continue to offer individuals unique opportunity to explore…
Reclaiming Your Roots & Amplifying Your Voice: An Embodied Yoga and Mindfulness Retreat for People of Color
With Susanna Barkataki
September 8 - 13, 2023
Cortes Island
In this unique immersive workshop, for BIPOC practitioners, teachers and students of yoga Susanna Barkataki will guide participants on a rich cultural journey into the roots of yoga, skill-building for connecting with your ancestral wisdom, power and amplifying your voice.
BE-LONGING: A Reverent Partner Dance Experience
With Malina Dawn and Wren LaFeet
September 13 - 17, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jun 14, 2023.
O keep squeezing drops of the Sun from your prayers and work and music And from your companions’ beautiful laughter, And from the most insignificant movements Of your own holy body. Now, sweet one, Be wise. Cast all your votes for Dancing! -Hafiz Let’s gather around the fire of community…
The Nourished Woman Goddess Retreat
With Abneet Kaur Sandhar
September 13 - 17, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jun 14, 2023.
Aligned. Knowing. Full Bloom Radiance. Clear. Shining. Grounded. These qualities all exist within us, yet for so many women, we feel depleted and defeated, attention being pulled in many different directions, with a low-grade fever of constant overwhelm. We may feel racked with guilt, shame, and comparison, constantly feeling we…
From Age-ing to Sage-ing®: Deepening the Sage Within
With Annie Klein
September 13 - 17, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jun 14, 2023.
A great gift of our older years is the potential for deepening wisdom and expanding possibilities. As more and more of us are living longer, we want these extra years to be vibrant, inspiring and fulfilling. This program will help you discover what gives your life meaning as you age. An…
People & Plants: Exploring Horticultural Therapy in the Hollyhock Garden
With Cheney Creamer
September 17 - 22, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jul 3, 2023.
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” - Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden Experience the raw beauty and power of the Hollyhock Garden like never before! Examine the principles and practices of horticultural therapy in this heart-opening, hands-on experience. While…
Hope in a Time of Precarity: Being, Thinking, and Acting for a Hopeful Future
With Hollyhock Leadership Institute
September 17 - 21, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jun 18, 2023.
Hope in a Time of Precarity is an energizing gathering that will convene a diverse group of thought leaders and culture shapers who are interested in doing both hospicing and hopeful work. The purpose of convening this dynamic collective is to strengthen mental, emotional, and spiritual stamina for responding to…
A Secret Garden: Writing Childhood Memories
With Caroline Adderson and Kathy Page
September 17 - 22, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jun 18, 2023.
“Anybody who has survived childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days.” - Flannery O’Connor No matter who we are, we have this in common: we were all children once. It is during this universal stage of life that we are the most open…
Reconnect with Breathwork and Earth Medicine
With Ariana Fotinakis
September 22 - 27, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jun 23, 2023.
Modern life has left us disconnected from ourselves, our communities, and from the land. Our planet and communities are hurting, and the healing process begins as an individual journey. Embark on your healing path as you explore your own personal medicine wheel and move through the four directions and their…
Cultivating Wellbeing for Health Professionals
With Mark Lau, PhD and Andrea Grabovac, MD
September 22 - 27, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jun 23, 2023.
"In dealing with those who are undergoing great suffering, if you feel “burnout” setting in, if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself." -Dalai Lama Replenish and revitalize yourself in this mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) meditation retreat for physicians,…
Courageous Spaces & Cultural Intersections: Movement and Your Cultural Compass
With Heidi MacPherson
September 22 - 26, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jun 23, 2023.
Cultural intersectional pedagogy teaches us to live in a courageous space, the space that marginalized and stateless individuals survive in every day. What are cultural intersections and how do we navigate diversity through mindful, thoughtful, and courageous living? Create and develop your Cultural Compass that guides you towards holistic living…
Intentional Evolution Yoga Retreat
With Fiji McAlpine and Mary Prefontaine
October 1 - 6, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jul 2, 2023.
Embark on a transformative 6-day yoga retreat, immersing yourself in a realm of self-discovery and renewal, set against the captivating backdrop of Cortes Island. Led by the exceptional duo of Fiji and Mary, this retreat invites you to explore the depths of your being, connecting your physical practice with inner…
Writing with Ghosts: The Power of Haunted Writing
With Hiromi Goto and Kyo Maclear
October 1 - 6, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jul 2, 2023.
“It seems that the essential impulse in working at all is to rehaunt your own house, or to allow what haunts you to have a voice, to chart what is deeply private and etched on the soul, and find form and structure for it.” —Colm Toibin What haunts you? What…
Wim Hof Method, Breathwork and Your True Nature
With Cian Dalton and Carolyn Schmidt
October 6 - 11, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jul 7, 2023.
"We are so successful at being comfortable that comfort is becoming the enemy of success" - Wim Hof Using the Wim Hof Method and other practices, we will explore our TRUE NATURE as human beings, stripping away the layers to reveal our most authentic powerful selves. Optimize your health using…
Animal Spirit Painting
With Autumn Skye
October 11 - 18, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jul 12, 2023.
"Painting with Autumn Skye is a process of levelling up, not only in painting technique but in spiritual connection to creativity. Just like her works, Autumn Skye's teaching is enlightening." -Signe Knutson Explore the creative process of acrylic painting and connect with the animal realm! Over seven days of studio…
Psoma with a P: The Heart and Soul of Hakomi
With Donna Martin & Shelley Winton
October 15 - 22, 2023
Cortes Island
Book now and get 15% off campus rates! Offer valid until Jul 16, 2023.
How can we assist someone on their healing journey without any suggestion of something wrong, something to fix? Can we recognize healing as an inside job… the unfolding of intrinsic wholeness, rather than a return to wholeness? Is it possible to be the kind of presence that is itself a…