FREE YOURSELF!
5-Day Intuition Painting® & Yoga Retreats
Joshua Tree, California
Five unforgettable days of painting, yoga, desert beauty, nourishing food and meaningful connection. No painting experience required. Max 10 participants.
Read amazing testimonials.
Come remember what it feels like to be fully alive, wildly creative, and completely yourself surround by desert magic.
Nestled on a peaceful, private five-acre ranch beside Joshua Tree National Park, this intimate retreat invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with yourself through yoga, Intuition Painting®, nourishing food, breathtaking desert landscapes, and inspiring community.
Whether you’ve never picked up a paintbrush or have been creating for years, you’ll discover a spontaneous, freeing way to create that brings out your unique visual voice.
More than an art retreat, this is five vibrant days of Intuition Painting®, movement, emotional release, laughter desert wonder, authentic connection, and the unexpected magic that appears when you truly let go.
“I can’t tell you how much your retreat made a difference in my life. What a release and relief! A good clearing and reset. Thank you so very much my Dear Montine! You are an incredible, beautiful soul and your work is so valuable and much needed in our society. Flowing you Love and Light always! ”
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A One-of-a-Kind Creative Experience
At the heart of this retreat is Intuition Painting®—a transformative approach to creative expression and intuitive art-making, originally conceived by Aviva Gold (author of Painting from the Source) over 40 years ago and since evolved and refined by Montine Blank over more than 25 years of facilitating and training others.
In this unique approach, you learn to quiet the inner critic and follow intuition, curiosity, sensation, and spontaneous imagery wherever they lead. Many participants describe the experience as "dreaming onto the page." Unexpected images bubble up, reflecting your inner world and reconnecting you to your hidden passions, yeilding a greater sense of vivaciousness and personal freedom.
You’ll also leave with a deeper connection to your unique visual voice, practical tools for using intuitive expression to support emotional resilience, and a renewed sense of hope for the future.
* Whether you come in spring to witness the breathtaking super bloom, or in fall to experience the vibrant Hwy 62 open studio art tour, this trip consistently exceeds expectations.
“I absolutely loved every minute of this Retreat. The location was perfect, meals were delicious, and the Yoga was a beautiful addition. I got so much more out of this retreat than I could have ever expected. The process of painting Intuitively is so rewarding and every time I experience it, it blows me away. It is truly such a gift to get to know what lives inside my soul, to express what needs expression and to see a part of who I am on that paper.
Montine is a wonderful facilitator who helped guide us thru our process with ease, kindness, patience and wisdom. Such a beautiful experience!”
What’s Included
5 Days / 4 Nights of immersive retreat in Joshua Tree, California
Daily Intuition Painting® sessions to unlock your authentic creative expression
Gentle movement and yoga practices to connect you to your body and inner rhythm
Nourishing, homemade breakfasts, lunches, and snacks daily
Two scrumptious evening dinners served on premises
Hike through Coyote Hole Spring, where ancient petroglyphs abound
Excursions to vintage markets, farmers market, boutiques, and galleries
Visit to an incredible desert sculpture by renowned artist Daniel Popper
Nature mandalas with desert findings and intention
All art materials provided — just bring an open mind
“This 5-day Intuitive Art & Yoga retreat with Montine as a whole is a haven. The pacing, the tenor, the process, the openness, the flexibliity we felt in being able to do what we needed is priceless. Montine strikes the right intuitive balance between guiding / prompting to allow us to find our voice. It is rich in the experience of transformation and a lifelong gift that enables us to grow and glow in our lives.”
Our Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival & Opening
Join us at a private, 5 acre ranch next to the Joshua Tree National Park. Once you arrive, you will have time to settle into your room before joining the group for orientation, a sunset walk, and dinner. Dinner provided.
Days 2 & 3 – Drop In & Access Your Creative Flow
Start the day with yoga to ground yourself. After breakfast, we’ll dive into Intuition Painting®. After lunches, you have plenty of time to relax by the pool, nap, read, take a walk, etc. Afternoons move into the next phases of Intuition Painting, including Let Go & Connect to Intuitive Flow. Evenings include petraglyph sightseeing on Native American lands and a visit to incredible desert sculptures. Breakfast & lunch provided, dinner out.
Day 4 – Desert Adventure & Image Decoding
Have an easy morning with an excursion into Joshua Tree/Yucca Valley to explore Joshua Tree’s farmers market, vintage treasures, local art, and more.
In the afternoon, we return to the studio for lunch and the final painting phases of Intuition Painting, including Reveal & Transform.
We’ll wrap the day with our last dinner together on the property by a fabulous local chef. Evening meal al fresco, stargazing, music, movement, and celebration. Breakfast, lunch, & dinner provided.
Day 5 – Painting Integration & Activation, Closing & Departure
Early morning desert hike to greet the day. After breakfast, we begin the Intuition Painting closing process - where the messages and meanings of our paintings are clarified fully and activated for each participant. The closing session is the most impactful part of the Intuition Painting process. Lunch follows and departure is 1:30. Breakfast & lunch provided.
A Week Filled with Creativity, Joy & Discovery
Each morning begins with gentle yoga to awaken your body, quiet your mind, and prepare you for a day of creativity and adventure.
From there, each day unfolds into a vibrant rhythm of Intuition Painting®, delicious shared meals, laughter, meaningful conversation, movement, exploration, and the breathtaking beauty of Joshua Tree.
You'll paint wildly and authentically. You'll be brave enough to truly let go. You'll laugh until your cheeks hurt—and you might cry just as much. Dance when the music moves you. Wander among towering boulders. Watch spectacular sunsets. Share nourishing meals and unforgettable conversations. Discover quiet moments when you need them—and joyful moments you never saw coming.
Along the way, you'll begin to notice something else: moments of awe, unexpected beauty, and the quiet magic that reveals itself when you slow down, pay attention, and trust the journey.
Some experiences are playful. Others are deeply moving. Together, they create a week that feels expansive, restorative, inspiring, and wonderfully alive.
By the end of the retreat, it's not unusual for strangers to become lifelong friends—and for participants to leave feeling more connected to themselves, each other, and the beauty of life itself.
Quail Tree Ranch
Our event takes place at a private, mid-century ranch surrounded by the striking landscape of the Joshua Tree National Park. Nights are blanketed by shining stars and mornings greet us with foraging families of quail and cotton-tailed rabbits. The views are breathtaking and the tranquil surroundings invite immersion into a world of natural wonder.
The ranch is located 45 minutes from the Palm Springs Airport (PSP) and approximately 2 1/2 hours from Los Angeles (LAX).
Why We Love Joshua Tree
There’s a raw, magnetic beauty to this land — a vastness that invites truth.
The open skies. The sacred silence. The sunrises that call you back to what matters.
The desert is a mirror — it strips away the noise and leaves space for your inner voice to speak clearly. This retreat is designed to match that spaciousness: grounding, soulful, and creatively wide open. Surrounded by the rugged beauty of the desert, you’ll find the space you need to reconnect with your authentic self and discover new ways of being and seeing.
Let’s Go!
Does this feel like a full YES? If so, we’d love to have you join us Free Yourself! in Joshua Tree:
Cost: Starting from $1420, depending on accommodations. See Rooms & Views.
Register: Once you register and pay your deposit, you will receive a confirmation email and details from us with information about the exact location, packing tips, preparation, and more.
Cancellation Policy: Please see our cancellation policy.
Giving Back:
For every person who joins a Life is an Art retreat, we offer a scholarship for a free online Intuition Painting® course from our pool of applicants. Learn More.
Reserve Your Dates
If you are ready for a meaningful pause, a creative awakening, and time with beautiful, kindred souls, join us and take this time for yourself.
“I am so glad I decided to take this. I found it to be a very effective route to the expression I was needing. I have never painted before. What was surprising was the connection I felt to the work I was doing, and how much it felt like deep healing while I was engaged. I give all the credit to Montine and the safe space she creates for this to happen.”