A day to reconnect with yourself and the things that nourish you
Take a fall drive to Sticks & Stones Farm, an enchanting Newtown setting with wooded trails, a river, and a stone barn. Begin with an herbal mocktail created for the day. Then let Alyssa guide you through low and slow yoga, Reiki, and sound healing with singing bowls while Stephanie tends to the meal.
Before we gather at the table, Alyssa will guide a gentle plant limpia, a cleansing ritual using herbs and mindful intention. It’s a chance to release the rush of the day and arrive at the meal more present.
We plan to build the meal around the seasonal harvest from Shortt’s Farm in Sandy Hook, with other local farms joining in as needed. Visiting the farmers and seeing what’s ready to harvest is a loving part of the process. It asks us to slow down, give the food our care, and connect with the people who grow it.
Over a delicious Buddha bowl, we’ll share simple ways to combine seasonal ingredients with an herbal vinegar vinaigrette. We’ll talk about how herbs can be chosen for different qualities—such as mineral-rich nettle, warming ginger, or calming lemon balm—and how to bring these ideas into everyday cooking. Come learn, eat well, and enjoy good company as we find a little more flow in working with the seasons.
Before we gather at the table, Alyssa will guide a gentle plant limpia, a cleansing ritual using herbs and mindful intention. It’s a chance to release the rush of the day and arrive at the meal more present.
We plan to build the meal around the seasonal harvest from Shortt’s Farm in Sandy Hook, with other local farms joining in as needed. Visiting the farmers and seeing what’s ready to harvest is a loving part of the process. It asks us to slow down, give the food our care, and connect with the people who grow it.
Over a delicious Buddha bowl, we’ll share simple ways to combine seasonal ingredients with an herbal vinegar vinaigrette. We’ll talk about how herbs can be chosen for different qualities—such as mineral-rich nettle, warming ginger, or calming lemon balm—and how to bring these ideas into everyday cooking. Come learn, eat well, and enjoy good company as we find a little more flow in working with the seasons.
The Ritual
GATHER
Meet your community Arrive, exhale, and settle in. Sip a seasonal herbal mocktail, meet your community, and begin to arrive fully in the moment. |
EMBODY
Come back to your body Breathe. Move. Listen inward. Gentle yoga and embodied practices invite you to reconnect with your body and become present to what is here. |
RECEIVE
Reiki, Sound healing, + Spiritual Cleaning Open yourself to Reiki and sound healing. Be held in stillness, vibration, and presence before moving into a special limpia—a plant-centered spiritual cleansing ritual offering space for release and renewal. |
NOURISH
Be fed—in every sense of the word. Gather around a vibrant, seasonal meal sourced from Shortt's Farm in Sandy Hook, CT. Prepared with care and shared around the table, the meal becomes its own kind of ritual. |
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Rooted in the Land
The land has always been a source of nourishment, wisdom, and connection. Our retreats follow the seasons, drawing inspiration from what is growing, blooming, resting, and ready to be gathered around us.
The Philosophy: Real food as medicine, grown locally and shared in community. Take the Wisdom Home (Hands-On Learning) You won't just experience the day—you'll leave with practical skills to weave into your everyday rhythm:
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Meet Your Hosts
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Stephanie Barnes holds an associate degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut. A full-time Realtor since 2005 and a yoga teacher, she is also deeply passionate about environmental stewardship, local farms, seasonal food, and caring for the body through movement and nourishment.
Her culinary training gave her a strong foundation in technique, but at the time, the emphasis was often on refining food rather than preserving its nutrients. Stephanie has developed a different approach: cook simply, use ingredients fully, and look for every opportunity to add nourishment rather than remove it. She truly views food as medicine and believes a meal can be both deeply nourishing and delicious. Her Buddha bowls—enjoyed at breakfast, dinner, and anytime in between—layer grains, beans, seasonal vegetables, protein, fresh lemon, and herbs. This flexible routine allows her to mix and match ingredients, make thoughtful use of leftovers, and prepare nourishing meals without spending hours cooking or feeling stressed about what to make. Adding herbal tinctures to her bowls became a game changer after Stephanie completed Alyssa’s Level One Herbology course. She now uses cider-vinegar-based herbal preparations selected to support the body in different ways, including herbs traditionally used for seasonal wellness and immune support. Combined with a little salt, fresh lemon, and additional herbs, the tincture becomes a flavorful dressing and an easy way to build another layer of nourishment into an everyday meal. You can learn more about Stephanie's here. |
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Alyssa Mancini is a Clinical Herbalist, Registered Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master, and former Biology and Chemistry teacher. She is the founder of Herbs Love + Yoga, an American Herbalists Guild member school offering education in herbal medicine, along with yoga and Reiki.
Alyssa’s work brings together plant medicine, body awareness, movement, and ritual, drawing from both scientific understanding and traditional herbal knowledge. Before becoming a clinical herbalist, she spent 15 years teaching Biology and Chemistry and later developed and taught herbalism within the NYC public school system, where students grew, identified, harvested, and made medicine from plants growing in their school courtyard. For this gathering, Alyssa has curated the plant-centered and embodied elements of the day, including herbal medicinal mocktails, gentle yoga, sound healing, and a traditional plant limpia for spiritual cleansing. Her approach invites participants to slow down, connect with their bodies, and experience plants not only as medicine, but as part of everyday ritual, nourishment, and relationship with the natural world. Through Herbs Love + Yoga, Alyssa creates hands-on experiences that make herbal medicine approachable, practical, and connected to everyday life. |
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Join Us
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A full day to slow down, reconnect, and be nourished.
Join Alyssa Mancini of Herbs Love + Yoga and Stephanie Barnes of The Balanced Life for a day centered around plants, movement, ritual, sound, and food. Your day includes:
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Date: Sunday October 25th 2-5pm
Location: Sticks + Stones Farm; 197 Huntington Rd. Newtown, CT 06470
Investment: $125
Limited spots available!
Come as you are. No previous yoga, herbalism, or meditation experience is needed.
Location: Sticks + Stones Farm; 197 Huntington Rd. Newtown, CT 06470
Investment: $125
Limited spots available!
Come as you are. No previous yoga, herbalism, or meditation experience is needed.
