ABOUT THE RETREAT

“If we do not know how to take care of ourselves and to love ourselves, we cannot take care of the people we love. Loving oneself is the foundation for loving another person.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, Your True Home: The Everyday Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh 
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•    Do you wish you felt better about yourself, liked yourself more, loved yourself?
•    Do you crave connection to kindred spirits, a community of women, your inner being?
•    Do you long for rest, renewal, time and space to be in the present moment? 

If you recognize yourself in any of these questions, and identify as a woman, join us for a retreat exploring Self-Compassion using the Center for Courage & Renewal’s®, Circle of TrustⓇ approach. 
These days life can feel hard. Amidst war, politics, rising prices, a never-ending list of stressors, and seemingly insurmountable tasks, it is easy to forget the very things we need to weather the storms of life... connection to community and nature, hope, a strong sense of purpose, and the time to hear our inner voice reflecting true self, and the wisdom to trust it. 

We get caught up in the spinning pace of the world, and being women, we often let the needs of others eclipse our own. The old adage, “put on your own mask before helping others,” seems vital right now. How can we expect to show up with compassion, again and again, without showing the same to ourselves? What would it be like to offer ourselves kindness, be mindful, take time out to remember who we are in connection to the universe and each other?

In this retreat, we will explore self-compassion, reminding ourselves we are worthy of love, respect, kindness, and comfort. In a supportive group of women, we will invite each other to:

●    Slow down, breathe deeply, and rediscover the inner wisdom seeded in us at birth
●    Lean into poetry, music, art, and dialogue (or “3rd things”)
●    Spend solitary time in reflection; share reflections in large and small groups
●    Practice listening to each other without the need to multi-task
●    Bring our whole, messy selves into the room and trust the circle to support us
●    Experience a new way to be in community… without judgement, criticism, or advice
●    Embrace ourselves, and each other, just the way we are.

Guided by the Courage & Renewal® approach developed by Parker Palmer and the Center for Courage & Renewal® we will use “3rd things” as conduits to explore our inner life of feelings, longings, fears, doubts, passions, and hopes. 3rd things help us reconnect with an infinite source of wisdom—our inner teacher—what some call “soul.” From this sacred space, we invite our souls into the process of meaning-making—figuring our way between our inner world and the external one in which we live.

Finally, together we will form a Clearness Committee, a community-forward Quaker tradition, opening time and space to hold an individual grappling with a problem, concern, or dilemma. We listen deeply as this person shares, then practice asking open, honest questions designed to “hear” them into deeper exploration and reflection.