Softening Into Ourselves: Nourishing Spirit, Deepening Connection

Much of our lives ask us to lean forward—to respond, manage, and care for others. This retreat offers a different rhythm. Together, we will practice leaning back into support, cultivating receptivity and trusting stillness. We will explore what becomes possible when we shift from effort to presence, from yang to yin, and from holding ourselves up to allowing ourselves to be softly held.

Mindful movement, dance and art will be the central pathways into this exploration. As we dance, we will notice the gestures, patterns, and rhythmic qualities of expression that naturally draw us. What actions feel familiar? Which ones feel dynamic and enlivening? We will also gently explore aspects of ourselves that may have been hidden, neglected, or pushed aside in service of who we felt we needed to be. With curiosity rather than judgment, we will welcome these forgotten parts back into relationship.

Through guided inquiry, we will begin to recognize the stories our bodies have been telling and the possibilities they have yet to express. Together, we will discover “our dance not done”—the impulses, and expressions that may have been interrupted or left waiting for a more welcoming moment. We will create space for these unfinished dances to emerge and unfold. Written reflections and art explorations will help us anchor our discoveries, weaving embodied experience into awareness and insight.

Our Women’s Circle will provide a sacred space for witnessing and being witnessed. A place for stories, dreams, longings, and discoveries to be shared as we practice deep listening, remembering the healing that emerges when we gather in community and speak from the heart.

Schedule:

Monday, November 9

• 3 – 6 pm Arrive & Check-in
• 6 – 7 pm Dinner
• 7:30 – 9 pm Welcome, The Art of Softening; Bon Fire

Tuesday, November 10

• 7:30 am “Greet the Day” Labyrinth Walking Meditation
• 8 – 9 am Breakfast
• 9:30 am – 12 pm Meeting Ourselves with Curiosity, Qi Motion, Art & Writing Explorations
• 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
• 2 – 5 pm Weaving Connection; Somatic Movement, Yoga and Reflections
• 6 – 7 pm Dinner
• 7:30 – 9 pm Making Sacred Objects That Hold Our Stories

Wednesday, November 11

• 7:30 am “Greet the Day” Cycadean Rhythms
• 8 – 9 am Breakfast
• 9:30 – 12 pm Listening within; finding the rhythms that move us
• 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
• 2 pm Discovering the Dance Not Yet Done and Journaling
• 4 – 6 pm Sharing Our Voices Listening Circle
• 6 – 7 pm Dinner
• 7:30 – 9 pm Healing Sound Bath

Thursday, November 12

• 7 – 11 am Check out of rooms
• 7:30 am Closing Circle
• 8 – 9 am Breakfast
• 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch & Departure

*Please note this schedule is subject to change.