Christy Cashman talks about wellness and the future of U Think Retreats

Creative wellness is on the rise. With a growing number of spas and studios offering wellness retreats and treatments that combine creativity with spatial audio, art therapy, writing workshops, and more, it’s clear that you’re getting more out of a relaxing spa treatment than just a massage or facial. It has been proven.

One key example of this is the recently launched YouThink Creative Wellness Retreat by author Christy Cashman. The next one will be held this fall from October 3rd to October 6th at the Harborview Hotel on Martha’s Vineyard. The premise of the retreat is to transport guests to a wellness zone. , and stimulate their creativity.

“Compassion for others begins with compassion for yourself,” said Cashman, who founded the retreat in 2023 at Kilkea Castle, a charming 12th-century castle on the outskirts of Dublin.

“We provide each guest with a spiritual, creative and physical oasis,” she explains. “Enjoy a nurturing, intellectual and emotional journey through quiet reflection, inspiring programming and exhilarating activities led by some of the best in the wellness and creative industries.”

The author of Cashman is truth about horsesis a novel that focuses on the world of equestrianism and is currently being made into a television series co-produced with British actress Jane Seymour. She recently participated in a panel discussion about horses and their healing powers with Emily Blunt at Misty Her Meadows Equine Learning Center.

The Wellness Retreats, which she leads with Executive Director Shannon Pastuszak, focus on having speakers talk about health and wellness, as well as holistic and preventive medicine. Cashman will also host writing workshops for guests to explore their inner fiction writer. In addition to horseback riding, guests can also take part in the Cold She Plunge (“It’s an uncomfortable, but bonding experience when we all do it together,” she says).

She features workshops and classes taught by top industry experts. There will be a yoga and meditation class with Pam Butler, a communication workshop with Irish actor Alan Devine, and a holistic wellness workshop with Dr. Mark Kovacs. Los Angeles musician Keith Harkin will lead guests on a musicological journey, and Dr. Mary O’Connor will lead guests on an ecological walk and drama therapy session with Padraig J. Dunn.

The retreat was a long time coming for Cashman, an actor who has appeared in films such as . pink panther 2and american hustle, Before becoming a novelist. “For years I’ve wanted to do a creative wellness workshop where people get a chance to just be,” Cashman said. “It’s a place where you blend into your environment and carve out a space to be creative. Whether it’s rewriting that novel you’ve always wanted to write or painting that picture you’ve always wanted to paint, it’s about being inspired by life and its surroundings. is important. We get so wrapped up in our life’s work that we lose perspective.”

“The whole idea is to regain your perspective and create time for creative projects,” she added.

YouThink Retreats give back and bridge the gap between philanthropy and health. The retreat will fund YouthInk’s nonprofit creative mentorship program, which Cashman hosts quarterly, and scholarships for teens ages 13 to 18. We help teens express their creative voices through creative writing, film, photography, music, animation, fashion design, and acting.

“Creativity goes hand in hand with health,” said Cashman, who runs the program with co-creative directors Padraig J. Dunn and Mary O’Connor. “It’s about creating your own personal story, learning how to become a storyteller, and expressing your true creative self.”

After running the first pilot workshop at Kilkea Castle in 2021, Cashman recognized the power of creative workshops and wanted to offer it to adults too. “I thought adults would also enjoy this,” she recalls. “The 360-degree approach begins the moment you decide to take care of yourself. When you help yourself, you also help others.”

For Cashman, who knows this firsthand, dedicated time and space for creativity is key. When she started writing her book in 2013, she attended several writing workshops to perfect her craft.

“There was a sense of a new beginning,” she said. “The most important thing when it comes to writing is not just to have the talent, but to have time in your life. You have to take the time. The only way I was able to express that was through this retreat. .”

An upcoming wellness retreat on Martha’s Vineyard will feature how one person’s art influences another’s art with Sally Taylor, daughter of Carly Simon, who runs an arts organization called Consense. A lecture will be held.

“Creating art is scary, but it’s also very fulfilling,” Cashman says. “Attending a wellness-driven creative retreat is the perfect place to quiet, grow, and reconnect with your inner creator.”

Cashman, who is preparing for her next retreat on Martha’s Vineyard, will be featured on May 8 at Canyon Ranch in Lenox to discuss mental health. truth about horses With Dr. Mark Kovacs. She is continuing her book tour this spring with her speaking engagements in New York and Nantucket. Cashman will also appear in Washington on May 5 at the Capital Rare Book Fair, co-founded by Eve and Edward Lemon, where he will speak with royal expert Hugo Vickers and others. is. She is also working on her second novel, a mystery book set in the Tennessee Mountains of the 1980s.

Keeping her own creativity alive is key to the process. “I think we need creative exploration in wellness,” she said. “We are all creative beings. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a doctor, you have to be creative in some way. I believe everyone is creative.”