Experience profound nourishment, relaxation, healing movement, bodywork, and expert guidance during this retreat for people living with musculoskeletal pain.

Movement is the essence of life. But when pain limits our capacity to move, tissues stiffen from lack of use, and the brain’s ability to feel and direct movement becomes compromised. Over time, unhealthy movement patterns replace healthy ones, placing undue strain on joints and deepening discomfort.

For many people, persistent pain can be traced to a specific event: a fall, an injury, or surgery. These events create scar tissue that, over time, restricts movement and amplifies pain. In an effort to protect ourselves from discomfort, we move less, which eventually creates more pain.

Step Toward Pain-Free Living takes a holistic approach to pain that conventional medicine rarely offers. It works on its own or alongside medication, without judgment and without pressure to change what is already working.

At this retreat, you will learn effective therapeutic techniques to interrupt the repeating cycle of pain. Scar tissue release, somatic movement, meditation, and lifestyle tools form the foundation of a practical path toward long-term well-being.

This program includes:

• Two 60-minute bodywork sessions addressing scar tissue, visceral fascia, and the brain’s role in pain perception
• Daily classes in diaphragmatic breathing, deep relaxation, and somatic movement, a practice of retraining the nervous system to restore natural, pain-free movement
• Physician-led session on sleep, diet, and movement
• A guided introduction to meditation
• An optional evening of kirtan (a form of meditative group chanting) ending with a guided meditation
• Practical self-care resources to support your healing at home
• Add-on a private consultation with Dr. Oswald (see below)
• Wholesome lacto-ovo vegetarian meals with vegan and gluten-free options

Add-ons:

Private consultations with Dr. Oswald are available as an add-on to the retreat for $210 for a 60-minute consultation. These visits offer an opportunity to review your personal history, discuss your current pain patterns, and receive guidance tailored specifically to you. Dr. Oswald is board certified in both Integrative Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, bringing together the full scope of conventional and holistic approaches to pain.

Additional bodywork sessions or Biofeedback are available by appointment.

Meet Your Wellness Guides:

The Step Toward Pain-Free Living retreat is led by Nema Nyar, LMT, and Dr. Theresa Oswald, a physician board certified in both Integrative Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

With over 30 years of experience in bodywork and movement therapies, Nema brings the approaches that supported her own recovery from chronic hip pain. Dr. Oswald integrates the rigor of modern medicine with proven holistic methods to address pain at its source.

Together, they offer practical, time-tested tools drawn from both their clinical expertise and their personal experience of healing.