SOMA 2027
A Five-Day Retreat on the Mendocino Coast
Leia Layus + Morgann Francesca
Nestled among the redwoods in the quiet coastal community of Albion, SOMA invites you to nourish the body, awaken the senses, and deepen your relationship with the living world.
We believe every landscape has something to teach us. Over five days, we’ll gather for yoga, tea ceremony, seasonal meals, and time immersed in Mendocino's forests and coastline.
This retreat has been shaped in conversation with the place itself. Guided by Morgann’s life in Mendocino, Leia’s love for Northern California's landscapes, and Jessica’s roots in coastal cooking, each outing, meal, and gathering has been thoughtfully chosen to reflect the rhythms of this place and the people who call it home.
From tea beneath the redwoods to horseback rides along the coastline, quiet forest walks, and meals shaped by the season’s harvest, each part of the retreat reflects this landscape's character and rhythms.
Limited to ten guests, SOMA offers an intimate setting for practice, rest, and genuine connection—with ourselves, one another, and the landscape that quietly shapes us.
Get the announcement before anyone else.
The Offering
Three nights and four days in a private woodland retreat
Daily Tea Ceremony with Morgann Francesca
Yoga practices guided by Leia Layus: Somatic Movement, Slow Flow Vinyasa, and Restorative Yoga
Seasonal California farm-to-table meals by Jessica Dean Harrison
A guided horseback ride along the Mendocino coast
Tea Ceremony at Morgann Francesca’s personal Tea House
An afternoon to wander the town of Mendocino
Optional massage therapy with Rebecca Eberhardt, CMT
Throughout the retreat, you'll also have space to read, rest, journal, and explore.
Our Approach
Yoga and Tea invite us into direct experience—through breath, movement, stillness, taste, touch, and attentive presence. Rather than asking us to escape the body, they invite us to inhabit it more fully.
Throughout the retreat, these practices weave together to deepen our relationship with the senses, the natural world, and the quiet intelligence that arises when we slow down.
Nourishment
Meals are lovingly prepared by private chef Jessica Harrison using seasonal ingredients sourced from Mendocino County and the surrounding region.
Inspired by California’s farm-to-table tradition and years of cooking in Zen practice centers, her food honors simplicity, seasonality, and the quiet beauty of gathering around the table.
Each meal becomes another invitation to slow down.
ACCOMODATIONS
WATER TOWER
The water tower invites a slower pace. Cedar walls, minimalist design, handcrafted furnishings, and views into the surrounding forest. This private space includes a King bed, a Twin bed, and a shared bathroom — best suited for two friends or family members traveling together.
Double occupancy: two guests share the King and Twin beds.
TBD
OCTAGON COTTAGE
Anchored by weathered timber beams and a wood-burning stove, the Octagon Cottage carries the quiet warmth of a woodland home. A private loft King bedroom, private bathroom with shower, and an outdoor clawfoot tub make this cottage perfect for solo retreat time — or for friends or family comfortable sharing a King bed.
TBD
THE SPARTAN TRAILER
A thoughtfully restored, large vintage Spartan trailer with a private bedroom (Queen bed), cozy living room, kitchenette, and a private bathroom with toilet and shower—plus access to a shared bathhouse with a clawfoot tub.
Best for one person, or friends/family comfortable sharing the Queen bed.
TBD
THE BARN
A warm, cedar-lined barn featuring a private bedroom with a King bed, kitchenette, and shared bathroom. The Barn’s spacious living room serves as our communal gathering place for yoga, meditation, and tea ceremony, making it an ideal option for guests who enjoy being at the heart of the retreat experience.
Perfect for one, or shared with a friend or family member comfortable sharing the King bed.
TBD
TENT CABIN
Tucked among the trees, the Tent Cabin with a King bed is the quietest space on the property within the meadow. Wake to birdsong, journal on the covered porch, and unwind beside the wood stove after a day of practice. Guests share a nearby bathhouse with the two neighboring trailers, featuring a vintage clawfoot tub and toilet.
Best for one, or shared with a friend or family member comfortable sharing the King bed.
TBD
VINTAGE TRAILER
This charming vintage trailer is our coziest accommodation, ideal for one guest seeking a simple and peaceful stay. Complete with a twin bed, kitchenette, and dining nook, it offers everything needed for a restful retreat. The guest shares a nearby bathhouse with a vintage clawfoot tub and toilet.
TBD
Commuting Guest
Prefer to sleep in your own bed? This option includes full access to the retreat's classes, meals, and community — without overnight lodging. Perfect for locals or anyone who'd rather drive in each day and soak up the experience at their own pace.
TBD
*Not local and need help finding a place to stay nearby? We're happy to point you in the right direction. Send us an email and purchase the Commuting Guest option to reserve your spot at the retreat with off-campus lodging.
F.A.Q.
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Our retreat is held at a private residence in Albion, CA 95410. For privacy, the exact address is shared directly with confirmed guests upon completion of purchase.
In the meantime, you're welcome to plug "Albion, CA 95410" into your GPS or maps app to estimate driving distance and travel time.
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Your retreat includes:
Five days and four nights of accommodations
Daily yoga, meditation, and tea ceremony
Seasonal, nourishing meals throughout the retreat
Guided experiences in nature, including a forest hike and horseback riding.
Opening and closing circles
Time to rest, explore, and enjoy the beauty of the Mendocino Coast
Optional offerings such as massage available for an additional fee.
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Transportation to and from Albion, California is not included. Optional activities, travel insurance, and personal purchases are also the responsibility of each guest.
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The closest major airports are Santa Rosa (STS), San Francisco (SFO), and Oakland (OAK). From there, guests will drive to Albion on the Mendocino Coast. We will provide arrival information and may help facilitate guest carpooling closer to the retreat.
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Prefer to avoid the fee? Pay directly via:
Venmo
@LEIALAYUS
(Last four digits: 1898)PayPal
paypal.me/leialayusZelle
LLAYUS@gmail.com -
Cancellation notification must be received at least 31 days prior to your arrival date to be eligible for a partial refund. If you must cancel your reservation, we will refund 50% of the amount paid.
Cancellation notifications made within 30 days of arrival are ineligible for a refund. No refunds will be issued for the cancellation of a portion of a reserved stay or a reduction in the size of your party made within 30 days of arrival, unless the room is re-rented and occupied — in which case, the refunded portion will be increased by the amount recovered from re-renting the room.
A last-minute cancellation or date change gives us little chance of filling the space. For this reason, we uphold a strict deposit and cancellation policy. Should it be necessary for you to depart earlier or arrive later than your confirmed dates, you will be responsible for payment of the original reserved dates or room nights of your intended stay.
This Retreat is Held By
Leia Layus
is a yoga teacher and integrative therapist whose work bridges movement, Eastern philosophy, and contemplative practice. Her approach draws on years of study in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Restorative Yoga, along with Satya Yoga, a somatic movement practice. She trained primarily with Tias and Surya Little of Prajna Yoga, and continues to deepen her understanding through the Yoga Sutras and her devotion to Cha Dao with Global Tea Hut — together shaping her sense of presence, subtle awareness, and embodied practice.
She holds graduate training in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, and continues to explore the intersection of movement, philosophy, and nervous system regulation through Taoism, Zen Buddhism, Qi Gong, and somatic healing traditions.
MORGANN FRANCESCA
has been a meditation practitioner for over 10 years with a dedicated focus on both the Vipassana and Zen traditions. Her practice led her to The Way of Tea (Cha Dao), where she began to share tea ceremonially by offering the Leaf as medicine and a means of deep connection. Initiated into a lineage, she has taken vows to commit to the practice and a life of service. She has recently returned from living in Taiwan with her teacher, Wu De, at The Tea Sage Hut, a tea and zen center in Miaoli, Taiwan.
JESSICA DEAN HARRISON, Chef
Jessica is a private chef and artist living on Pomo land at Salmon Creek Farm in Albion, where she sometimes cooks for retreatants and artists-in-residence. She also hosts regular popups at the Caspar Inn through her business, Instant Karma, and works as a line cook at Fog Eater Cafe in Mendocino.
Her cooking is rooted in her upbringing in Berkeley, where she first taught herself through the cookbooks of Alice Waters. She has since cooked at Kismet restaurant in LA, the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center kitchen, and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. Her food centers local, seasonal ingredients chosen with close attention to color and texture, prepared using old-world methods with an intentional simplicity. Focused primarily on California farm-to-table cuisine, her cooking also draws on Eastern influences shaped by 1970s counterculture food movements and cookbooks like Moosewood, The Tassajara Bread Book, and The Greens Cookbook.
Rebecca Eberhardt, CMT
Rebecca Eberhardt, CMT is a massage therapist whose practice blends myofascial release, nervous system regulation, and energetic touch with somatic and holistic bodywork. Her path began with an early interest in the mind-body connection, later deepened by her own healing journey with autoimmune illness — which led her to massage as a way of reconnecting with her body.
Rebecca trained at the San Francisco School of Massage and Bodywork, with additional study in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and psychology. She offers integrative, personalized bodywork to help clients reconnect with the wisdom of their own bodies.