Desolation Sound Nirvana – Hollyhock

By Cherie Thiessen

Almost every North American boater knows about Desolation Sound – that ultimate cruising destination snugged between British Columbia’s mainland and Vancouver Island. Cortes Island, at the end of the Gulf of Georgia, marks the entrance to this wild and wonderful area of pristine and prolific beauty, rimmed by the snowy coastal peaks and dotted with sylvan landmasses called the Discovery Islands.

One of these is Cortes. Sixteen miles long and 8 miles wide, it’s the happy home of 950 permanent residents who love their isolation and pristine lifestyle. You have to REALLY want to get here. First you need to get yourself to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, then you need to drive the 95 miles to Campbell River, then you take a 10 minute ferry over to Quadra, another of the Discovery Islands, then hustle over to the Quadra ferry terminal at Heriot Bay and THEN roll unto a vintage little ferry, the M/V Tenaka, for a spectacular 45 minute crossing of the gulf to Cortes. Or – you can fly.

You would think that finding yourself on a beautiful island in the middle of a stunning part of the world would be enough, but no – now you get to discover Hollyhock, as we recently did.

It was a mid September dawn when even the sunrise seemed half asleep, urging light on a somnolent sky when we rose and attempted to shine. There was way too much to do to stay in bed.

Below the pinkening clouds, at the rim of the ocean, an early bird was stretching her arms in what I suspected might have been a Yoga position. She looked like the same swimmer we saw in yesterday’s twilight, although it was hard to recognize her in clothes. (Clothing is optional on the beach and in the hot tubs.)

It was 6:45 when we left our beachfront sanctuary and sleepwalked toward the lodge and a few organic jolts of freshly brewed java before Yoga in one of the circular session houses in the forest.

Maybe there is something in the incredible food that Kitchen Manager Moreka Jolar creates that makes early morning rising not quite so formidable because it seemed most of the guests were already up. Some had gone off on a guided morning row, stocked with tea and fresh muffins, others had signed up for the afternoon naturalist excursion – a guided walk to discover mushrooms  – or were being led out on a garden tour to inspect its early autumn cornucopia.

When breakfast was presented in the airy and spacious lodge, it felt like the universe was unfolding as it should. It was enough to turn you vegetarian; you just knew that whoever served up food like this had done it with love and passion, so it wasn’t surprising to find that Jolar had been with Hollyhock for 9 years.

The retreat is also known for its diversified and delicious menu of workshops, from writing, art and singing to Celtic Voice and Animal Communication. Often the courses fill to capacity with Hollyhock bursting with up to 110 guests. Amazingly, in 2007, a total of 109 sessions were offered.

While three quarters of the guests have come for these offerings, the rest arrive solely for rejuvenation, points out CEO, Dana Bass Solomon. They come to take care themselves, to savor the fresh air, the nourishing natural food, and to say an intimate hello to nature.

My companion, Cathy, and I belonged to this group, but rejuvenation didn’t necessarily translate into idleness. A pre-dinner beachfront oyster barbecue had enough appeal to lure us out of the hot tub, dress, and drip down to slurp raw mollusks and barbecued oysters.
 
After the succulent dinner there were offerings in the session houses, ensuring both body and soul were nourished equally. First, we tried Tibetan Buddhist chanting and meditation, then we wound our way by flashlight to the Raven house where 60 of us gathered for another presentation.

The story of Hollyhock’s birth 25 years ago is as magical as the place itself. One of the founders, Rex Weyler (also a founder of Greenpeace International) was visiting his good friends, Lee and  Shivon Robinsong, another founder, at their new Cortes Island home, when they passed the deserted buildings of what used to be the Cold Mountain Institute, a Gestalt Therapy centre that had been prominent in the 1970s. Weyler was amazed to view a huge overgrown garden rife with gigantic red hollyhocks.

Why he was amazed was that shortly before this visit, in the summer of 1981, he had had his fortune told by a Hungarian fortuneteller, who had whispered into his ear. Red Hollyhocks growing above the hedge. Look for them. They will be very important to you.

Don’t you love stories like this?
From its inception, even before “minimizing one’s footprint” was in our vocabulary, Hollyhock has tried to co-exist gently with the diverse plants and creatures that also call Cortes home.

In every aspect there’s always been a green initiative, Dana pointed out, and goes on to passionately urge: The mission of Hollyhock is to be a place where people can come and think their best thoughts and communicate in the best ways and learn their best skills and take all that out into the world and make a positive difference. It’s important; we’ve got to do it now!

Cathy and I wound up the brimming day with coffee on our beachfront deck. I had finally put my finger on the feeling of déjà vu I’d been experiencing. You remember that feeling that everything is possible? The heady joy of those Friday campus pub nights when we all shared our plans to change the world?

Dana is right. Hollyhock is about rejuvenation.