Brigette Binesikwe Nies currently lives on Lake Superior in far northern Minnesota.   She has called Grand Marais home for the past 24 years and lives on a small piece of land just outside of town with her partner and two children. Gardening for her is a grounding and meditative practice and she has a living apothecary of over 100 medicinal herbs growing there on the land. Binesikwe is the owner of Ancient Traditions Healing and has been empowering women through her work, Women’s Circles and Women’s Retreats for many years.  She is a Body Worker, Soul Wisdom Coach, Yoga & Meditation Instructor, Master Herbalist and has been journeying with and learning from the sacred plant teachers since 2009. 

"  I feel there is something really special and magical about the land here in Northern Minnesota, especially in fall.  There is something so raw about the land that it easily draws up back into a state of remembering our sacred relationship to all of the natural world.  The richness of the fall colors, the crispness of the morning air, inviting us into presence, giving us permission to slow down and simple be. I cant think of a better way to reconnect with and nourish oneself.”

To learn more visit www.ancienttraditionshealing.com

Instagram @ancienttraditionshealing

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This year I am excited to announce that  Ryan Knickman will be joining us and leading the daily Yoga practices. Ryan is an initiate of the Himalayan Tradition of Sages and has been teaching and studying yoga for 24 years. She teaches a breath centric vinyasa class designed to cultivate mindfulness and presence in one's relationship to their body, mind, and spirit. She believes that each of us are the best instrument for our own learning and that the tools of yoga are incredibly helpful in assisting us to deepen and strengthen our relationship to ourselves, nature and life in general in meaningful ways. 

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Ryan will also be offering a limited number of bodywork sessions during the retreat. Register early and reserve your bodywork session with her at registration.

Ryan graduated from Northwestern Health Sciences University’s 700 Massage Therapy program in 2007 and has been practicing deep tissue trigger point therapy for 14 years. She has extensive experience helping people with injury, trauma, and chronic pain issues and brings this understanding to the asana classes that she facilitates with an eye for alignment and a strong understanding of the musculoskeletal system. 

Ryan has studied with many great teachers over the years including but not limited to Indu Arora, Rod Stryker, Seane Corn, Doug and David Swenson, Tias Little, Nischala Devi, as well as her late teacher Yogiraj Achala Charles Bates. She is currently taking a 340 hour teacher training at Devanadi Yoga in Minneapolis to return to learning in community as well as to nurture her own practice after a few years of sabbatical. 

Ryan has a heart for service and shadow work and enjoys witnessing and assisting others on their healing journeys. 

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