Mother’s Day can stir many emotions at once — gratitude, tenderness, grief, longing, joy, and everything in between. This Mother’s Day Retreat in Santa Barbara is an invitation to slow down, rest, and be held in community, just as you are.
Immersed in nature and guided by compassion, this heart-centered weekend offers space to be with life as it is — without fixing, rushing, or glossing over what’s real. Through gentle somatic practices, time outdoors, shared meals, creative expression, and moments of reflection, we’ll gather in ways that feel grounding, nourishing and authentic.
The Weekend Experience
At the heart of the weekend is a simple intention to tend to ourselves with kindness, to show up for one another with care, to reconnect with nature and deepen our sense of community. The weekend unfolds with a gentle, spacious rhythm designed to support embodiment and connection in all forms. All offerings are invitational. Guests are encouraged to listen to their own needs — to participate fully, step back, or rest as needed.
Offerings include:
Gentle yoga and somatic practices
Nature walks and time outdoors
Rituals honoring grief and gratitude
Journaling and quiet reflection
Community singing and sound healing
Poetry reading and writing invitations with the beautiful writer and poet James Crews, joined by his husband and co‑author Brad Peacock
Your Facilitators
Left to right: Mike McCrory, Gwendolyn Kilfoyle, Stacy McCrory, Mitsuko McGavock, Danielle Elise, Elyse Grossman
Check out their bios listed under our Facilitators tab at the top of the page.
Special Guests
James Crews (left) & Brad Peacock
James Crews is the editor of several bestselling anthologies, including The Path to Kindness: Poems of Connection and Joy and How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope, which has over 100,000 copies in print. He has been featured in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The New York Times Magazine, The New Republic, The Christian Science Monitor and on NPR’s Morning Edition. James is the author of four prize-winning books of poetry—The Book of What Stays, Telling My Father, Bluebird, and Every Waking Moment—and a book of short essays, Kindness Will Save the World: Stories of Compassion and Connection.
James also speaks and leads workshops on kindness, mindfulness, and writing for self-compassion. He lives with his husband on forty rocky acres in the woods of Southern Vermont. James and Brad will be sharing poetry from their book, Love is for All of Us, along with James’ special tribute to his beloved mother, Turning Toward Grief. This promises to be a special time together and we hope you’ll join us!
Food and Nourishment
Throughout the weekend, we’ll enjoy thoughtfully prepared meals made with care and attention. Our food is created by two beloved members of our community — Chefs Elena Shelton and Zola Phillips — lifelong friends who grew up here in Santa Barbara, and now bring their shared culinary training and love of holistic nourishment into their work.
Meals are prepared with seasonal, whole ingredients hand-picked from the Santa Barbara Farmers Market, with deep respect for the ways food supports both body and nervous system. Shared meals are an important part of the retreat rhythm, providing moments of slowing down to connect and be nourished.
A Note on Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day can hold many truths at once. For some, it’s a time of celebration and gratitude, and for others, it carries tenderness and complexity. And for many, it’s a mix of it all. This retreat doesn’t ask you to feel any particular way. It simply offers a space where the full range of experience is welcome; where celebration and joy can coexist alongside pain and sorrow, without needing to be explained or fixed.
Whether Mother’s Day feels celebratory, tender, complicated, or quietly reflective for you, you are welcome here.
Together, we’ll honor mothering in all its forms: mothers who raised us, mothers we’ve lost, mothers we longed for or hoped to be, the children we carry in our hearts, and the ways we continue to mother ourselves and one another with kindness, compassion and love.
Our Approach
At TwoCan Retreats, we create experiences that are invitational, grounded and deeply human. This weekend is guided by mindfulness and self-compassion, offering space to be with whatever is present without fixing, forcing, or performing. While grief may be part of the landscape for some, this retreat is not grief-focused; it is rooted in care, choice, and respect for each person’s pace. Guests are encouraged to engage in ways that feel supportive.
Giving back is a core part of our mission. Through local partnerships, community collaboration, and acts of service, we strive to leave a positive impact on Santa Barbara and the communities that welcome our retreats in Costa Rica.
Scholarships & Community Support
We believe access to rest, care, and connection matters. If you feel called to attend one of our Santa Barbara retreats but are experiencing financial limitations, we offer a limited number of scholarship-supported spaces each season. These are available by request and intended to support those who would otherwise be unable to participate.
We also welcome contributions to our scholarship fund from those who feel moved to support this work. Funds contributed are used directly to offset retreat fees for scholarship recipients, helping make these experiences more accessible to members of our wider community.
If you’d like to inquire about a scholarship or contribute to the fund, please reach out here — we’re happy to share more. Scholarship contributions are not tax-deductible and are used solely to support reduced-cost participation in TwoCan Retreats programs.
Flexible Ways to Participate & Pricing
This Mother’s Day retreat is designed to offer flexibility and choice. Guests are welcome to join for the full weekend or participate in individual offerings in ways that feel most supportive. Below are the different ways to participate. Meals are included. Accommodations are optional. Pricing and availability are also listed on the registration page.
Friday Evening — Soup, Fire & Song Circle
A warm, low-pressure evening to arrive and settle in together.
Open to adults and children of all ages
Shared soup and fresh baked bread, community singing, and time to gather around the fire
This gathering is relational and informal, held to welcome the whole family into the weekend.
Price: Adults $44 / Kids (3-12) $11 / Kids (0-3) Free
Saturday — Adult-Centered Retreat Day
Saturday is the heart of the retreat, moving gently between presence, reflection, connection and rest. This is an immersive and all-inclusive retreat experience designed for adults, allowing participants to fully receive the day without caregiving responsibilities and to engage in ways that feel supportive.
Gentle practices, including yoga, guided experiences, grief and gratitude rituals, sound bath
Rest, writing invitations, nourishing meals, community
Time for reflection and integration
The day unfolds at a spacious, unhurried pace. We’ll begin with morning yoga and breakfast, followed by a grounded group ritual with somatic practices woven in — an invitation to listen and make space for what’s present, including grief without fixing or solving. From there, the morning opens into unstructured time to rest, reflect, and enjoy the natural surroundings before gathering again for lunch.
In the afternoon, we’ll spend time outdoors together on a mindful nature walk and gentle creek-side hike, offering space to move, breathe, and notice what feels steady and alive. A gratitude ritual will be woven into our time outside, inviting more reflection and integration.
The later afternoon is intentionally open, with time for journaling, quiet rest, or personal reflection. As the day winds down, we’ll gather for a sound bath near sunset, followed by a brief candlelight vigil, dinner and fire circle to close the day together.
Price: $222 per person
Sunday — Mother’s Day Brunch w/Poetry Reading & Writing Invitations
With New York Times bestselling poet, James Crews, joined by his husband and co-author, Brad Peacock
Sunday offers flexibility, allowing guests to choose how they wish to participate.
Sunday registration options include:
Gentle Yoga + Brunch: $88
Gentle Yoga + Family Brunch + Poetry Reading: Adults $144
Yoga is adult-centered (teens welcome)
Children are welcome to join brunch and the poetry reading with their caregivers: Brunch $11 /Poetry (no charge)
We ask caregivers to use their discretion when deciding whether the quieter, reflective poetry reading on Sunday afternoon feels like a supportive fit for their child and the group.
Optional child care (ages 3-12) for Sunday morning yoga: $11
If interest supports it, optional, staffed child care will be available. Activities include time in the backyard with our two Nigerian Dwarf goats, arts and crafts, and outdoor play.
Full Weekend Retreat Pricing
(without lodging: $388 per person*)
For those who feel called to experience the full arc of the weekend, a limited number of full weekend passes are available. Joining us from Friday through Sunday allows space to arrive, settle, deepen, and integrate — moving together through shared meals, embodiment practices, community time, and closing rituals.
This option is well suited for local participants or those arranging their own off-site accommodations.
*For guests traveling from out of town, on-site lodging options are listed below.
Accommodations
On-site accommodations are available for adults attending the full weekend retreat. All accommodations sleep two people and are priced per person. Our lodging includes thoughtfully prepared glamping options — a mix of tents and vintage camper vans — as well as a limited private guest suite for those who prefer additional privacy and indoor amenities.
Glamping Accommodations (Tents or Vans): For guests attending together, glamping accommodations may be set up with one shared bed or two separate beds, depending on preference and availability. Tents have queen or twin mattresses with 3” memory foam mattress toppers, luxury linens, heaters, fans and 5-star touches.
• Two Vintage Volkswagen Westfalia Vans (double occupancy): $777 per person
• Three 13’ Round Bell Tents (double occupancy): $888 per person
High-quality restroom and shower trailer on site featuring private, well-lit, enclosed bathrooms and hot showers.
Private Glamping Accommodation (single occupancy): For guests who prefer solo use of a tent or van, private glamping accommodations are available: $1111
Private Guest Suite: A limited guest suite is available for guests seeking a more spacious, indoor accommodation with added comfort and privacy. Private entrance, patio and ensuite bathroom with rain shower, soaking tub and extra 5-star touches.
• Double occupancy: $1111 per person
• Single Occupancy: $1444
Logistics
Dates: Mother’s Day Weekend; May 8-10, 2026
Time: Friday 4:00PM-Sunday 2:00PM
Location: Montecito Foothills, Santa Barbara, California
Format: Weekend retreat with flexible participation options throughout the weekend.
Who It’s For: Adults, with family-inclusive gatherings Friday evening and Sunday.
Experience Level: No prior retreat or yoga experience required.
Space is limited.
Questions or Curious?
If you’re wondering whether this retreat is the right fit, or have questions about participation, accommodations, or anything else, we’re happy to connect. You’re welcome to reach out with questions here — we’re glad to help you find your way in.
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