Healing the Decolonized Voice:
a retreat for writers of color
Thursday, Aug 27 – Sunday, Aug 30, 2020
at The Millay Colony for the Arts
Austerlitz, NY
Many of us work hard to unpack and deprogram the behaviors and thought patterns taught to us and our ancestors by our colonizers. Breaking these patterns requires a lot of difficult invisible work on our part. It takes courage to shed our old beliefs and create new ones that support us in thriving, not merely surviving. But this kind of work can leave us depleted–even traumatized–as we uncover deep ancestral wounds, wounds that must be brought to light if we are to free ourselves from these inherited prisons and become the liberated beings we’re meant to be.
Imagine spending four days with other writers of color, receiving deep healing of these wounds through a gently-facilitated process of writing, meditation, and restorative movement. We’ll begin each morning by grounding ourselves and connecting with our bodies through breath practices and meditation. From there, we will move into expressive writing and sharing circles. Your afternoons will be free for integration, quiet time, and optional hikes. In the evening, we’ll close the day with sacred healing circles around a bonfire. You’re invited to come with an open mind and a soft heart.
Located on the estate of Edna St. Vincent Millay in upstate NY, you’ll find quiet and serenity on the grounds, including plenty of gardens and a poetry path, as well as a nearby mountain hiking trail. While Millay Colony appears to be remotely located, the property is only 20 minutes from the Berkshires with local attractions such as Kripalu and Tanglewood.
What’s included:
- Four transformative days of deep healing and writing work
- Single-occupancy accommodations
- Private writing studio
- Nightly nourishing vegetarian dinner prepared by a personal chef
- Fully-stocked kitchen with amenities for self-service breakfast and lunch
What’s NOT included:
- Travel to Millay Colony
- Insurance: Personal, Medical and Travel Cancellation Insurance
- Off-site excursions
Early Bird Pricing: Save $200 if you register with a $500 non-refundable deposit before 4/1!
Your Investment is $2000 (early bird $1800)
VIP packages: $2300 (only 3 available! Includes a 60-minute one-on-one coaching session in which we work together to discover your personal design on writing)
Please complete the registration form below and submit your $500 deposit through the PayPal link provided, which will be applied towards the retreat total.

Healing the Decolonized Voice Retreat Deposit
Four-day healing and transformative retreat in Upstate NY at The Millay Colony for the Arts. $500 deposit due to secure your spot. Second payment due 5/1. Final payment due 7/15.
$500.00
About your Retreat Facilitator:
Leslieann Hobayan is a poet, essayist, healer, badass mama, a writing, yoga & meditation teacher and host of the podcast, Vinyasa In Verse. As an American-born daughter of immigrants, identity has always been at the forefront of her work. As a result, her work’s focus has been to help others facilitate their own healing in order to uncover and express their truest identities, their most authentic selves. Nominated for a Pushcart Prize and a 2018 Best of the Net, her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Rumpus, Aster(ix) Journal, The Grief Diaries, The Lantern Review, The Mom Egg Review,The World I Leave You: Asian American Poets on Faith and Spirit, and elsewhere. A former mentor for youth poets with Urban Word NYC, she now teaches creative writing at Rutgers University. She also teaches yoga and meditation, including trauma-informed yoga, at local studios and with private clients where she guides them through sessions that strive to connect mind, body, and spirit with a little spunk. With an open heart, kind words, and a little silliness, she works to create a safe space that nurtures and heals.She believes in magic –that it exists in all of us—and uses it in everything she does. She also loves to bake, enjoys sunrise walks on the beach, and sometimes goes by the spiritual name, Surya Gian Kaur.