Come learn a holistic approach to health and wellness on an all-organic regenerative 300-acre farm nestled along the majestic Smith River in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia.
Our team will guide you through ways to assess and overcome stresses or influences, known and unknown, that sabotage the joy in your life.
"I’ve seen and learned a ton of new things, my mind has been completely opened. When I came here I was pretty closed off and closed minded, but I was able to learn a lot of new things, eat incredibly healthy healing foods and completely changed my perspective on life. I learned a lot about myself, my emotions, being able to look inward, which are huge assets to me in the next phase of my life."
"The TEDS Foundation has been life-changing and a huge benefit for me in my life this year. TEDS taught me about health, wellness, fitness, lowering stress and being a whole person more than I could ever imagine. My time at the TEDS Foundation taught me life skills and lessons I’ll always carry with me!"
"My daughter and I came to the TEDS farm to learn how to better deal with stress in our lives. We had tried many other types and methods of getting rid of stress, and TEDS truly is unique! It allowed us to heal as a family, as well as individually, and it is a truly empowering way to live free of stress and negativity in your life! It was a visit that we won’t forget!”
A variety of physical movements help to release stress and emotional tension from the body. Each morning, guests meet as a group to practice therapeutic connectivity drills incorporate elements from qi gong, yoga and much more.
How you breathe constantly affects your ability to perform, so we practice nose-only breathing and specific breathing drills to optimize oxygen utilization, reduce stress, prevent dehydration, and enhance the mind-body connection.
Often people eat certain foods or remain constantly full to mask emotions they do not want to feel. Many foods are medicinal, but depending on foods is not healthy, so we vary the interval, timing and selection of foods we eat each day. This intermittent fasting and intentional eating practice creates openings for personal growth and more holistic wellness.
From May through October, we grow chemical-free vegetables, greens, and herbs in permaculture raised beds. Throughout the year, guests eat all-organic meals with farm-to-table ingredients, as seasonally available. We personally have relationships with all the farms from which we source products on an annual basis.
Team members of the TEDS Foundation have observed various diet regimens to enhance performance or help address health challenges over time. They would love to share their impressions and experience of these diets with guests. They will also equip guests with skills to determine the best eating focus for themselves and optimize the nutritional value they get from the foods they eat.
Chickens, ducks, turkeys, donkeys, pigs and cattle (beef and dairy) live on the farm. The farm animals are intentionally moved through pastures across the 50 cleared acres and into silvopasture paddocks to enhance the health and carbon-carrying capacity of the soil. We encourage guests to participate in the regenerative farming practices, such as hand-milking the dairy cows or feeding the animals.
Spending time in nature is a phenomenal way to reconnect with the earth and become grounded. Participating in outdoor recreation between sessions is an opportunity for reflection on what guests learn during the scheduled sessions. The farm has over 10 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and ATV riding through the mountainous native forests. The forest includes 1.25 miles of frontage on the Smith River, voted one of the top 100 trout streams in North America.
A steel-framed 6-bedroom, 3-story guest house is situated at one end of a North-South aligned river valley. The third floor of this building serves as a workout and game room.
Eight single bedroom, 2-bathroom cabins rim the crest of a hill overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Each of the cabins houses two beds.
Learning and equipping yourself to lead a holistically healthy, fulfilling and dynamic existence!
Spiritual focus on fasting
General Think, Eat, Do, Serve program
Intentional eating weekend
General Think, Eat, Do, Serve program
General Think, Eat, Do, Serve
People from service professions are welcome to participate
Faith-based people who want to learn a lifestyle focus are welcome to participate
Spiritual focus on fasting