The Body Compassion Project 2027 Retreat
2027 Dates coming soon
Space is limited
An Experiential, Holistic healing Retreat
for anyone interested in cultivating a more compassionate relationship with their body through:
gentle yoga
Somatic Therapy
energy work
guided meditation
neuroscience
art AND Journaling
Time in Nature and more
2027
at the Himalayan Institute
This once in a lifetime 3 day retreat at the Himalayan Institute in the Poconos is a wonderful way to dive deep into your relationship with your body and your Self and emerge with a renewed sense of connection and harmony. Together we’ll delve into the roots of body image, learn to let go of limiting beliefs, nurture our existing inherent strengths, and cultivate an inner advocate and personalized plan to carry body compassion forward into our daily lives.
Body love and acceptance may seem like an unattainable concept. Body compassion is all about starting small. From compassion, comes acceptance.
In a world that thrives on unrealistic beauty ideals and external validation, we can lose our connection with our personal power and feel discontent with our bodies. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to teach simple yet powerful ways to: practice compassion and connection with your body; experience more peace and grace in the unscripted chaos of life; develop mindfulness skills; and cultivate more appreciation for your unique values and qualities.
Join us for a retreat at the serene, scenic, and peaceful Himalayan Institute in the Poconos and begin or expand upon your own personal body compassion project! With rolling hills, a lush shoreline, and magnificent sunrises and sunsets as our backdrop, this special weekend will include discussion, journaling, yoga, art, and support from a group of like minded individuals who want to create a more compassionate relationship with their bodies. There will also be plenty of time to explore the grounds, connect with nature and one another, and replenish your mind, body, and spirit with rest and relaxation.
This series is appropriate for anyone who wants to explore how to be kind to their body. Whether you struggle with body image because of diet culture, your past, and/or cultural and societal pressures around weight, race, size, ability, aging, illness, or more—we invite you to join us. Those looking to (re)connect with their bodies after trauma, medical trauma, fertility treatments, pregnancy, injury, illness and more can also greatly benefit from body compassion work. No yoga experience necessary! And no flexibility required!
This year’s theme: The Revolution Is Within
In a world that constantly demands our performance, obedience, and self-correction, it is a radical act to return to the body—not to fix it, but to listen, tend, and reclaim it.
This year’s Body Compassion Project Retreat—The Revolution Is Within—offers a sacred space for personal and collective transformation. Through gentle movement, somatic awareness, creative expression, and embodied practices, we will explore what it means to come home to ourselves in a time when disconnection is everywhere.
This theme arose organically from last year’s retreat, held just days after a national election, when participants arrived holding grief, urgency, and righteous anger. In our time together, we realized that body compassion isn’t always soft or gentle. Sometimes it roars. Sometimes it burns. And sometimes, it’s the quiet persistence of showing up again and again in a world that teaches us to disappear.
Together, we will engage the body not as a problem to solve, but as a landscape to return to—with reverence, resilience, curiosity, and care. With compassion, we will shed the messages that were never truly ours, honor the ones we’ve chosen to carry, and plant new seeds of compassion, wisdom, and belonging.
This retreat is a space to slow down, come inward, and reimagine what it means to be whole. Not perfect. Not fixed. But deeply, defiantly connected to yourself.
Space is Limited
*10 CEs for NJ social workers or PA social workers (LSW and LCSW), MFTs, or LPCs
*Yoga teachers, nurses, and PTs have previously also been able to get credit. Therapists in other states may also be eligible. Please reach out to your board and/or Kanjana@healingheartswellness.com to learn more about CEs.
Deposit to save your spot is only $295!
Your 3 Day Retreat Includes:
Somatic Healing
Experience Reiki, Yoga Therapy, mindfulness, and creative art and therapeutic writing practices for cultivating body compassion in all layers of the Self: Physical, Energetic, Mental, Wisdom, Spirit
Symbolic Practices
Enjoy ancient, symbolic practices for surrender, empowerment, and alignment such as a fire ceremony, a lunar flow gentle yoga practice inspired by the moon’s cycles, and a forest bathing practice.
Explore The Why
Learn about the research and neuroscience behind these holistic, alternative modalities. Why? Because when we know why something works, we are more likely to continue with it.
BCP Theme
Each year we select our theme based on the prior year’s retreat. Each year has new elements and practices. This year’s theme is: The Revolution is Within. We hope you can join us!
Relaxation in a healing environment
Feel the healing energy of the Himalayan Institute nourish you from the inside out with healthful, ayurvedic meals and acres of trails and lush mountain views.
A community of like-minded people
Join others invested in body compassion for support & accountability so you can make sustainable change together rather than feeling stuck and alone.
From Past Participants
“It’s rare for me to feel supported in my struggle to love my body. It was enlivening to meet women who understand. I realize now that finding solidarity with others on the journey is imperative. It’s nourishing and healing to be part of a community. I explored challenging topics and learned valuable skills, but most of all I realized I’m not alone. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
“There was nothing that I could have expected more from this retreat! After a year where I felt like I was facing one obstacle after another, I knew I needed a vacation and thought I would take a trip to Mexico. Who knew that a weekend of getting in touch with myself, surrounded by such beautiful women in a beautiful area in the Poconos, is what I truly needed. It has been a few weeks since the retreat and I am still feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, pure, and whole. I learned to appreciate myself, my body, and the earth.”
“I highly recommend this retreat to anyone who struggles with self-doubt and body-image-related issues. Kanjana and Jennifer provide a safe place to explore who you are and where you want to be. ”
“Through introspective art and journaling activities, yoga therapy, breath work, and the love and support of our group, I went back home to Florida with a renewed sense of self-love, a new understanding of how it feels to be truly connected to my body, and a goal of reprioritizing my recovery and my health, because that is the ultimate path to body kindness.”
“This retreat was an incredible opportunity to explore how my relationship with my body influences how I relate in the world. It was so healing to be able to disconnect from life and focus on me, all while connecting with other women struggling with similar issues. And I really enjoyed using yoga and creative arts to do this exploration. I hadn’t touched watercolors since elementary school, and what a treat to be able to play with them as an adult!”
“I refer to the retreat as ‘the weekend I didn’t realize I truly needed.’ I was not sure what to expect even after registering for such a retreat, so I tried to go without any preconceived notions and keep an open mind. Within minutes of first introductions, I was put at ease as I could almost feel everyone exhale out their reservations and any anxiety. It was refreshing to be around such good-hearted individuals who had a similar goal of self-betterment.
The lovely ladies running the workshop, Kanjana and Jennifer, executed activities with much integrity as well as a quiet determination with the objective of making everyone feel comfortable in their own skin. As a self-proclaimed introvert, I was ready to challenge myself emotionally as well as spiritually so took this opportunity to do so. However, I believe I was able to do it with such ease because Kanjana and Jennifer created an open and peaceful ambiance. The only change I would have maybe requested would be to add another day!”
“The retreat gave me the opportunity to slow down and reconnect with my body. A month later I continue to meditate every day and I have the energy to take on my day. As a mental health professional, that value is unspeakable. Thank you!”
REGISTRATION
Reserve Your Spot
$295
Save your spot with a deposit payment. We require a deposit to hold your spot. It will be subtracted from the total cost ($1095).
Payment of the deposit holds your space for the 2027 retreat in Honesdale, PA. Please note the remainder of your retreat cost ($800) will be split into 3 monthly payments of $267 based on the date your deposit is paid.
Please contact Kanjana@healingheartswellness.com if you would like an alternative payment plan.
Early Bird Discount
$995
Pay for your retreat in full before December 31st, 2026 to receive $100 off the total retreat cost.
Included: Yoga Therapy, group Reiki, mindfulness practices, forest bathing, Yoga Nidra, a fire ceremony, chai tea and cookie welcome party, a lunar inspired gentle yoga practice, and some take home goodies to help integrate Body Compassion into your daily life.
Not Included: Transportation, Room & Board
Bring A Friend
$1035 each
Do you want to share in this experience with a friend?
Register for 2 spots or more together to save $60 off each.
Limited to one per person. And can be combined with the Early Bird discount for a total of ($160 off), if payment is completed by 12/31/26.
This is for 2 retreats paid in full. If you would like to purchase more than 2 spots at this discount, please contact Kanjana@healingheartswellness.com.
Room & Board
The above payment is for your retreat. It is either a deposit payment with a payment plan or a payment in full for a discount. It does NOT include room & board.
Room & Board must be booked through the Himalayan Institute and begins at $230 for a standard shared room Friday through Sunday, access to the stunning grounds and acres of trails, and tri-doshic, Ayurvedic meals from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch. Just let them know you are with our group (The Body Compassion Project) when you book!
Please call (570) 253-5551 to book your room or visit https://himalayaninstitute.org/retreat-center/accommodations/ to learn more about the rooms available.
What’s Included?:
$1095 includes: Yoga Therapy, group Reiki, mindfulness practices, forest bathing and private hike, Yoga Nidra, a fire ceremony, chai tea and cookie welcome party, gentle Body Compassion yoga practices, and some take home goodies to help integrate Body Compassion as a part of your daily life.
What is not included?:
Transportation to and from the Himalayan Institute
Room & Board– A shared room (with someone else from our program) is $230 and includes your room and meals from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch. You can pay to upgrade to a single room or suite if you prefer. Room accommodations can be found here: https://himalayaninstitute.org/retreat-center/accomodations/
We recommend booking your room as soon as possible.
If you are staying off site, you will need to pay a grounds fee of $40/day for meals, access to the free optional yoga and meditation offerings, access to the shrine, access to the trails.
Cancellation Policy– Due to the limited space and the nature of the retreat, we offer full refunds for 60 days or more from retreat (less processing costs of 3%), 50% refunds for 30-60 days before retreat , and no refunds for 30 days or less before retreat. As we are a small retreat, we must be firm with our cancellation policies in order to run. Thank you for your understanding.
Travel Insurance– We highly recommend this. Due to the limited space and the nature of the retreat, we offer full refunds for 60 days or more from retreat, 50% refunds for 30-60 days before retreat, and no refunds for 30 days or less before retreat. Travel insurance will cover you for unexpected cancellations.
What is body compassion?
Body Compassion is being kind to your body in terms of how you talk to yourself about your body, how you move your body, and feeling present within your body.
This retreat is designed for anyone who wants to cultivate a more compassionate relationship with their body. This is inclusive of body image, but extends beyond that to the relationship with the body as a whole.
What exactly does that mean?
So, when most people think of body image, they think it’s a mental picture of their bodies and what they think and feel about that image. This can include size, shape, attractiveness, and general satisfaction with appearance. Body image is that, but it’s also so much more.
Did you know that in the most recent research, body image is seen as a complicated construct that can include the following?:
- How we relate to our bodies
- How we experience our bodies
- How we connect to our bodies
- How present we are in our bodies
- Actions we take related to our body’s perceived appearance
- Our own unique individual life experiences
- And sociocultural factors such as family, culture, peers, and systems of power and oppression.
All these layers and complexities can make it harder to shift the way you think about, feel about, and feel in your body!
Body Compassion Yoga can help make that shift feel more attainable by breaking it down into small, accessible parts. Body love or body acceptance may feel like impossible, far off dreams, making it hard to take action at all. But compassion is possible. And body compassion is all about starting small. From compassion, comes acceptance.
Whether you struggle with body image because of your past, illness, injury, medical trauma, and/or social constructs and societal pressures around weight, race, sex, gender, gender expression, shape, size, ability, injury, aging, or more, we invite you to join us.
No yoga experience necessary!
is this retreat for me?
If you answer yes to some of the questions below, it may be!
- Do you have a loud inner critic or repetitive, negative thoughts about your body or your Self?
- Do you long for a kinder relationship with your body and your Self?
- Are you struggling to adjust after a big change to your body like injury, chronic illness, pregnancy, medical trauma, and/or aging?
- Do you feel like it’s hard to connect with your body after trauma, infertility, or just in general?
- You love the idea of yoga, but have found yoga classes to not be inclusive or your size, shape, weight, health, ability, gender, and/or race?
- You love the idea of meditation, but being silent and still sounds like a nightmare?
- Are you a therapist or healer wanting to earn CEs while attending a unique retreat where you will not only learn about the evidence behind these practices, but experience body compassion for yourself for deeper learning and self-care?
- Do you want to foster personal growth while learning exciting content with likeminded community at an ashram in the Poconos mountains?
Did you answer yes to some of the above? Well, then it sounds like The Body Compassion Project Retreat may be a fit for you. And I cannot wait to take this journey with you! I’ve learned how to harness mindfulness, yoga therapy, Reiki, and therapeutic creative practices to help you connect more deeply to yourself, others, and nature.
At The Body Compassion Project you will find yoga retreats and workshops to rebuild healthy and compassionate connections with your true self – body, heart, and soul – through yoga, meditation, journaling, art, and time in nature.
What is included in the cost of the retreat?
What’s Included?:
-$1095 includes: Yoga Therapy, group Reiki, mindfulness practices, forest bathing and private hike, Yoga Nidra, a fire ceremony, chai tea and cookie welcome party, gentle Body Compassion yoga practices, and some take home goodies to help integrate Body Compassion as a part of your daily life.
What is NOT included?:
– Transportation to and from the Himalayan Institute
-Room & Board- A shared room (with someone else from our program) is $230 and includes your room and meals from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch. You can upgrade to a single room or suite. Room accommodations can be found here: https://himalayaninstitute.org/retreat-center/accommodations/
We recommend booking your room as soon as possible.
If you are staying off site, you will need to pay a grounds fee of $40/day for meals, access to the free optional yoga and meditation offerings, access to the shrine, access to the trails.
Cancellation Policy– Due to the limited space and the nature of the retreat, we offer full refunds for 60 days or more from retreat (less processing costs of 3%), 50% refunds for 30-60 days before retreat , and no refunds for 30 days or less before retreat. As we are a small retreat, we must be firm with our cancellation policies in order to run. Thank you for your understanding.
Travel Insurance– We highly recommend this. Due to the limited space and the nature of the retreat, we offer full refunds for 60 days or more from retreat, 50% refunds for 30-60 days before retreat, and no refunds for 30 days or less before retreat. Travel insurance will cover you for unexpected cancellations.
Continuing Education Credits
*10 CEs for NJ social workers or PA social workers, MFTs, or LPCs
FOR PENNSYLVANIA SOCIAL WORKERS, MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS, AND PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS: This program is approved for 10 credits for professional workshops sponsored by the Pennsylvania Society for Clinical Social Work, a state affiliate of the Clinical Social Work Association listed in Section 47.36 of Title 49, Chapter 47 of the PA Code, State Board of Social Work Examiners. This program is approved for 10 credits for professional workshops for marriage & family therapists (Section 48.36) and professional counselors (Section 49.36).
FOR NEW JERSEY SOCIAL WORKERS: This program is approved for up to 10 clinical credits. Attendance at programs or courses given at state and national social work association conferences, where the criteria for membership is an academic degree in social work, are a valid source of continuing education credit (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.4(c)4).
*We have had nurses, physical therapists (PTS), and therapists in other states get credit by applying with their board BEFORE the retreat. If you’d like to do that, please reach out to Kanjana@healingheartswellness.com to get all the information your board will require.
Payment Terms & Conditions
Your $295 deposit holds your space for the May 2027 retreat in Honesdale, PA at the Himalayan Institute.
In the event that were are not able to gather enough participants for these dates we will give you the option to push to a new, later date OR to have a full refund of your deposit. Thank you for your understanding.
The remainder of the retreat cost ($1095-295 = $800) can be paid all at once by March 1st or on a payment plan with 3 payments of $267. You will automatically be set up for the 3 month payment plan when you check out, as long as you say yes to saying a card on file, if you would like an alternative plan, please reach out to Kanjana@healingheartswellness.com.
Earlybirds ($100 OFF for registering by December 31) receive a discount for registering in full at the time of payment.
Bring a Friend Discount ($50 OFF for registering for at least 2 people at once. Please contact Kanjana@healingheartswellness.com for payments for groups larger than 2).
Previous BCP Retreat Participants can get an additional $60 OFF, please contact Kanjana@healingheartswellness.com for your payment link.
*A maximum of 2 discounts can be applied to each person.
Additional trainings
If you are unable to attend this retreat, but are interested in learning more about body compassion and obtaining Continuing Education Credits, you can take Kanjana’s training through PESI.
Meet Your Facilitators
Kanjana Hartshorne
(she/her)
LCSW, Yoga Therapist, Reiki Master, and Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional
Kanjana is passionate about empowering people in all bodies to find a deeper, more compassionate relationship with all layers of the Self (body, energy, mind, wisdom, and spirit) through self-discovery, connection, and simple, accessible holistic self-care practices.
Kanjana owns a group practice, Healing Hearts Wellness, specializing in holistic and somatic therapy for mental health. She also leads retreats across the country, offers continuing education for therapists, teaches and researches yoga for mental health, and has been a speaker at PESI, University of Pennsylvania, and a number of private mental health practices, law firms, and healthcare facilities across the state.
Connect with Kanjana by visiting www.healingheartswellness.com
Erika Tenenbaum
With over 25 years of experience as a yoga teacher, 15 years as a yoga therapist, and 10 years as a yoga therapy educator, Erika brings deep wisdom, compassion, and curiosity to her work. She specializes in the intersection of somatics and mental health, with a passion for helping clients reconnect the often-fractured conversation between brain, mind, and body.
Caitlyn Mitros
Caitlyn is a master’s level clinician who is currently working to pursue licensure in the state of Pennsylvania. Her perspective on counseling involves an open and collaborative dynamic in order to provide an empathetic and inviting space for clients to feel welcome on all levels. Through a compassionate and gentle approach, she stresses the importance of being culturally humble and providing inclusive and affirmative care for clients.