march 2013 essential wellness
DESCRIPTION
holistic digital magazine featuring healing, spirituality and related; this month features retreats and getaways, sacred travelTRANSCRIPT
march 2013 • resources for inner peace, health and healing
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8–15 Travel to a place that stirs your soulBY PHIL COUSINEA
22–27 Give your essential self the gift of retreatBY LAURIE FENNER
staff
essential wellness digital magazine
Twin Cities Wellness
aka Essential Wellness4270 Honey Tree PassDanbury, WI 54830
PublIsHErsDee & lynn laFroth
ADVErTIsINGDee [email protected]
EDITOrlynn [email protected]
ArT DIrECTOrsunshine sevigny
WrITING subMIssIONsClick here for 2013 Writers Guidelines
rECEIVE EssENTIAl WEllNEss bY EMAIlsend us your email to receive twice-monthly Celebrate Wellness e-news and Monthly digital Essential [email protected]
18–19 RETREATS & GETAWAYS DIRECTORY
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22–27 Give your essential self the gift of retreatBY LAURIE FENNER
30–37 Taking time for Self is to find the meaning of your lifeBY AMY WILINSKI
40–43 The wise retreat to embrace the wisdom of retreatBY MICHELLE BURNS
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BY PHIL COUSINEAURETREATS & GETAWAYS
C C O R D -ING TO the diction-ary, the word p i lg r image derives from
the Latin peligrinus, meaning foreigner or wayfarer. It refers to the journey of a person who travels to a shrine or holy place. Another older derivation, more poetic, reveals that pil-grim has its roots in the Latin per agrum: Through the field. This ancient image suggests a curious soul who walks beyond known boundaries, crosses fields, touches the earth with a destination in mind and a pur-pose in heart. The pilgrim is a wayfarer who longs to endure a difficult journey to reach the sa-cred center of his or her world, a place made holy by a saint,
hero, or god. Once there, the desire is to touch a relic, have a vision, hear an oracle, and to experience what psychologist Stephen Larsen calls the “irrup-tion of the divine in a three-di-mensional place.” In Richard R. Niebuhr’s elegant description, Pilgrims are persons in mo-tion—passing through terri-tories not their own seeking completion or clarity; a goal to which only the spirit’s compass points the way… Traditional pilgrims such as Abraham, Basho, Saint Je-rome, Saint Egeria, Chaucer, and Dante—and their mod-ern counterparts William Least Heat Moon, Freya Stark, Isabelle Eberhardt, Sir Richard Burton, Thomas Merton, Paulo Coelho’s young pilgrim on the Old Path to Santiago de Compostela, Ray
Kinsella in the baseball movie “Field of Dreams,” or Isak Di-nesen in Out of Africa—all have left chronicles of their journeys. From them we can discern a few telltale patterns. The pilgrim’s motives have always been manifold: to pay homage, to fulfill a vow or obli-gation, to do penance, to be re-juvenated spiritually, or feel the release of catharsis. The jour-neys all begin in a nervous state, in deep disturbance. Something vital was missing in life: Vital-ity itself may be lurking on the road or at the heart of a distant sanctuary.
PILGRIMAGE FILLS EMPTINESS The ritual act of pilgrimage attempts to fill that emptiness. It can happen halfway around the
Travel to a place that stirs your soul
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world, as it did with a very kind priest I know—Father Theo-dore Walters of Toledo, Ohio, who began leading groups to the Marian Shrine at Medju-gorjje, Yugoslavia, because he believed that modern people desperately needed “a heal-ing vision from the Mother of God.” He also confessed that he believed a war-battered country might need the kindness people on pilgrimage convey from the
sheer gratitude brimming in their hearts. Participation can be com-munal, as was China Galland’s march with a million other pil-grims to the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Jasna Gora Monastery, Poland. Or it may be solitary, as with the World War II pilot I met in Tokyo in the mid-1980s, who had just re-turned from a sorrowful visit to ground zero in Hiroshima.
SOUL’S YEARNING TO RETURN TO CENTER
What unites the different forms of pilgrimage is intensity of intention, the soul’s desire to respond to return to the center, whether it portends ecstasy or agony. What makes a pilgrimage sacred is the longing behind the journey, reminiscent of the fa-mous sixteenth-century wood-cut of the Pilgrim Astronomer, who pokes his head through a
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slit in the dome of the sky so he might gaze at the machinery be-hind the sun, stars, and moon. But what do we do if we feel a need for something more out of our journeys than the perennial challenges and pleasure of travel? What happens if the search for the new is no longer enough? What if our heart aches for a journey that defies explanation?
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Pilgrims are poets who create
By taking journeys.Richard R. Niebuhr
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RETREATS & GETAWAYScontinued...
Centuries of travel lore suggest that when we no longer know where to turn, our real journey has begun. At that crossroads, a voice calls to our pilgrim soul. The time has come to set out for the sacred ground—the moun-tain, the temple, the ancestral home—that will stir our heart and restore our sense of wonder. It is down the path to the deeply real where time stops and we are seized by mysteries. This is the journey we cannot not take. So imagine your first memo-rable journey. What images rise up in your soul? They may be of a childhood visit to the family gravesite, the lecture your uncle gave at a famous battlefield or the hand-in-hand trip with your mother to a religious site. What feelings are evoked by your en-shrined travel memories? Do they have any connection with your life today? Have you ever made a vow to go someplace that is sacred to you, your fami-ly, or your group? Have you ever
imagined yourself in a place that stirred your soul like the song of doves at dawn? If not you, then who? If not now, when? If not here, where? Bali? Benares? Cusco? Conne-mara? Dublin? Delhi? Uncover what you long for and you will discover who you are.
An excerpt by Phil Cousineau, from The Art of Pilgrimage, Conari Press, copyright 1998 Phil Cousineau is leading a journey to Ireland that you don’t want to miss! The Mythic Heart of Ireland: A Pilgrimage into the Heart of Sacred Ireland, begins Sept. 21 through Oct. 2, 2013. For details, please see www.sacredearthjourneys.ca. Sacred Earth Journeys is now in its 10th year of offering fabulous Sacred Journeys and Retreats to con-nect with the spiritual energies and ancient traditions that exist at some of the most important Sacred Sites around the world.
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Meta InstituteAssisting people in recognizing their resources in order to maximize opportunities for growth and success in any area of their life.
Therapeutic Coaching® ClassApplications being accepted for April 2013 Early payment discounts & payment plans available!
Free Information Session, Thurs., March 21 (6:30-8:30) please call to register
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5121 Winnetka Ave. Suite 200, New Hope, MN 55428
763-533-6527 [email protected] www.metainstitute.com
Reiki I March 16 Reiki II March 17(Sat., 10-6 pm) $75 (Sun., 10-6pm) $150
Reiki III Aug. 3 (Sat. 10-6pm) $300
Reiki Master Teacher March 13 & 14 (Wed. & Thurs., 6:30pm-10pm) $300
Demystifying The Tarot 3 day class, March 23 & 24 (Sat.-Sun., 10am-6pm) $295
(3rd day to be scheduled with class)
Intuitive Readings by Mary Beth Tracy 30, 45, 60 minute readings available by appointment only
We offer an array of services and training activities, from one-day workshops to 15-month intensive certification courses
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AUDUBON CENTER OF THE NORTH WOODS888-404-7743 www.audubon-center.org
Non-profit environmental learning and conference and retreat center on Grindstone Lake near Sandstone, MN. Diverse 535-acre lakeside sanctuary with seven miles of trails and meeting spaces, lodging, meals, as well as team-building, challenge or naturalist programs for any size group. Offering a variety of nature-connected all-inclu-sive adult, family, and youth ‘getaways’ such as our Wom-en’s Wellness and Adventure Weekends, Birding Bonanza, Woods, Water and Wisdom family camp, and Winter Family Escape.
CLARE’S WELL 320.274.3512Annandale, MNwww.clareswell.org
Clare’s Well in Annandale, MN offers space for reflec-tion and rest in hermitages in the country. We offer hos-pitality for private retreats. Therapeutic massage, Trager, and Integrative Energy Ther-apy are available. See www.clareswell.org and click on guest accommo-dations. Reservations by phone call only: 320-274-3512.
Essential Wellness features a number of categorical directories throughout the year for the Upper Midwest. This month features retreats and travel.
To be included in future editions: Dee: 715.259.3047 or [email protected]. Visit our online directory
ESSENTIAL WELLNESS
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JOURNEY INN, AN [email protected] Rock, WI (one hour from St Paul)www.journeyinn.net
Journey Inn is a green B & B that provides guests with a soul-pleasing, eco-friendly environ-ment in a natural setting. Avail-able for relaxing overnight and weekend stays and small group retreats. Workshops schedule throughout the year. Organic breakfast, meditative labyrinth and hiking trails on 66 acres of land. Private and quiet. Mas-sage and energy therapy, life coaching and japanese soaking tub available.
RENT RIVER HOUSELisa Schlingerman [email protected] www.rentriverhouse.com
Rent the River House on the National Scenic St. Croix River. The River House is one hour northeast of the Twin Cities and five minutes from William O’Brian State Park and the historic towns of Marine on St Croix and Scandia. The River House is available June through September. Reiki, tai chi, qigong and art making available on request.
TRAVELING GODDESSES TRANSFORMATIONAL TRAVEL FOR WOMEN www.travelinggoddesses.com
Imagine nurturing yourself with other amazing women in the Mexican Yucatan for one full week! Traveling Goddesses offers women of all ages a unique travel experience that creates space to embrace their power while celebrat-ing freedom, possibilities, and transformation. Trips provid-ing opportunities for rest and healing, discovery and play are offered twice a year. NOW Booking 2013 trips: Apr. 6-13 and Oct. 26-Nov.4. Visit us and register at: www.travelinggoddesses.com
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LEAD.INFLUENCE. Heal mind, body, spirit.
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BY LAURIE FENNER
OST OF us know the feeling; our lives get hectic, jam-packed
with responsibilities, our minds start suffering from chronic overload and it seems like we are perpetually “on.” We start to feel fatigued, overwhelmed, un-inspired, stressed, or depressed. We start to run on ‘auto-pilot’ and lose the ability to connect to our deepest selves—who we really are, our aspirations, dreams, goals, talents, even per-sonalities—our true natures. If we give ourselves the gift of a retreat from the everyday hustle of our lives, we have a chance to recharge and return
to our essence. By allowing ourselves some ‘me’ time, our mind has a chance to quiet and we can be truly present with ourselves. A periodic retreat from our constant stresses and responsibilities gives us time to check in with ourselves and re-focus our intentions and priori-ties. And by incorporating some time out in nature during these down times, we return to our daily lives with an even greater sense of aliveness, well-being, energy and clarity.
GET RECONNECTEd TO YOUR TRUE SELF
This disconnect with our true nature is probably more prevalent in an urban environ-ment, where most if not all
of our daily lives are spent in ‘built’ environments—our cars, workplaces and homes. Urban-ization and this technology age we live in have changed people’s relationship with nature. By be-ing immersed in today’s ‘turned on’ society, it is easy to lose sight of the connection we have with nature and how restorative that connection can be. We must remember that we are, after all, animals and part of the natural world. And just as wild ani-mals taken out of their natural habitats can start to degrade mentally and physically, i.e., parenting skills decline, aggres-sion increases, playful activity stops, etc., the same symptoms manifest themselves in stressed humans.
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Give your essential self the gift of retreat
RETREATS & GETAWAYS
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Give your essential self the gift of retreat
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By making a conscious ef-fort to ‘nurture your nature’— periodically retreating from the constant drain on your mental resources, letting your mind be still, immersing yourself in na-ture, and giving yourself time and intention—you will feel renewed and can get back into a stream of creativity and inspi-ration. Getting away from the daily grind and getting outside can help recharge your batter-ies, give you a fresh perspective, and reconnect to your true self. Nature writer and wilder-ness preservationist John Muir wrote about the restorative pow-er of nature in his 1901 book, Our National Parks: “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, nature’s peace will flow into you as the sunshine into the trees. The winds will blow their freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”
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RETREATS & GETAWAYScontinued...
AUdUBON CENTER GREAT FOR KIdS
I am fortunate to work at the Audubon Center of the North Woods, an environmental learn-ing facility and ‘green’ conference and retreat center near Sandstone, MN. A large part of the Center’s activities is its K-12 field trip pro-gram. Schools throughout Min-nesota visit for an environmental and outdoor education experi-ence. Our staff uses the outdoors as the primary classroom. A lot of our visiting schools are inner city and for many kids it is their first or only experience with nature. It always amazes me to observe the transformation, especially with three-day visits, within those students as a result of their experiences here; the increased self-confidence and change in attitude towards each other are almost tangible and a powerful testament to the positive rela-tionship between being in nature and human wellbeing.
RETREATS FOR AdULTS AT AUdUBON CENTER
In addition to K-12 pro-grams, the Center recognizes the need for people of all ages to af-filiate with nature and offers a number of nature-connected, all-inclusive adult, family and youth getaways, including:Women’s Wellness and Adventure Weekends:
Renew, relax and rediscover. Enjoy a variety of classes and workshops in Challenge, Well-ness and Nature, and Creative Expressions. Birding Bonanza Weekend:
Birding at it best with field trips led by seasoned guides, en-gaging on-site workshops, bird banding sessions, live raptor presentation, renowned keynote speakers.Scenic Minnesota Motorcycling Tour: 4-night, 5-day naturalist-led motorcycle tour of Minnesota’s most beautiful highways, byways and natural areas
Woods, Water and Wisdom:
Nature Adventure at the Lake family camp—the forests, fields, ponds and lakes of Minnesota’s northwoods hold exciting lessons for your family.Winter Family Escape:
Wonder, adventure and dis-covery. Celebrate the year end with family in the northwoods and make memories that last a lifetime! Laurie Fenner is Marketing Co-ordinator at the Audubon Center of the North Woods, a private, non-profit environmental learn-ing and conference and retreat center on Grindstone Lake near Sandstone, MN, 90 miles north of the Twin Cities. The year-round lakeside facility, on a diverse 535-acre sanctuary with seven miles of trails, can provide programming, meals, meeting space, and lodg-ing for 162+ people and is avail-able to host your retreat or event. Learn more www.audubon-center.org or call 888-404-7743. There is no better place to nurture your nature!
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Shamanism Training Program
Contact Mary Stoffel 763-444-8146mlstoffel@innovatord.comwww.humanimal.comwww.practicalshamanism.com
Healing the Wounded Spirit, Soul Retrieval,Recovery From Trauma, Space Clearing, Depossession
Avatar Personal Development CourseMarch 9-17, 2013, Orlando, FL Call for a free introduction
Advanced Animal Communication ClassMarch 23-24, 9am-5pm, Isanti
C R O S S TIME man has searched for the meaning of his life’s pur-
pose here on Earth. Oftentimes that search has led him or her to remote places, to stunning mountain tops, to the solitude of the desert, or on a journey through time and space. Jesus, Moses, Mikao Usui, St. Fran-cis of Assisi, and many others have taken the time to sit and break-free from the demands of our consensual reality, from ev-eryday life—to walk with spirit. They understood how impor-tant it was to take this time for themselves—how important it was to leave behind the noise and bustle of everyday life and to go to those remote regions
or high mountaintops to sit in contemplation of life, to con-nect with the forces of Nature, and to delve into their own shadow lands.
LOOK WITHIN TO KNOW YOURSELF
Jesus told us, in the Gospel of Thomas, “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is with-in you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.” Our ego fears change, whether for the positive or otherwise. So we of-ten resist looking into our shad-ows—so much so that we have allowed these parts of our self to become disassociated from our soul. Instead we end up project-ing these unhealed states onto others.
When we embark on our spiritual journey, whether as a metaphor or in the physical sense, we step onto the ride of our life! No longer are we taking the well worn track of others, but instead we forge forward into places we have never dared to dream of. We find the inner gifts, we recognize the strengths and the challenges in our lives, and celebrate the opportunities that allow our souls the freedom to fly. When we look at the story of the Holy Grail, we can rec-ognize it also as the spirit’s jour-ney—the soul’s search for the sacred, for the deeper meaning of life. These Knights of the Round Table spent their life-time searching for this sacred object. What if we were to find it within?
Taking time for Self is to find the meaning of your life
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RETREATS & GETAWAYS
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Taking time for Self is to find the meaning of your life
BY AMY WILINSKI
“Life is not measured by the breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away.”
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RETREATS & GETAWAYScontinued...
“It is only when we silence the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us,
as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts.”K.T. Jong
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RETREAT TO GO FORWARd
While it is possible for us to do this in our own home, for many of us it is hard to turn off the outside distractions. We eas-ily get pulled back into the day to day events, drama, and chal-lenges. Or we may feel we are not worthy to take that time for our self or to spend our resourc-es on a “vacation.” We may feel that it is “selfish” or that “there is not enough time or money.” In this day and age, taking a physical spiritual journey offers us the opportunity to recon-nect—with our own soul, with the forces of nature, and with Spirit. It is a time for learning,
releasing, and self awareness. This time is so important for each of us to deepen our con-nection with the Divine. It of-fers us the opportunity to shed those untruths we tell about our self. To remember the magnifi-cence of our Spirit and the gifts held within. Eight years ago I had the privilege of being invited to Peru as part of a research expedition to work with the high mountain shamans of the Andes Moun-tains. I had previously done a lot of self healing using many wonderful energy healing mo-dalities. However, taking two weeks for myself—spending
uninterrupted time in contem-plation and reflection allowed much more to come to the sur-face for healing. This experience knocked my socks off! It was an empowering experience and as-sisted me in finding the strength and gifts within. Over the past years I have had the privilege of leading groups on spiritual journeys to sacred places with our com-pany, Golden Light Healing. As we sit together in healing ceremonies, meditations, and in communion with Nature I have witnessed again and again
“It is only when we silence the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us,
as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts.”K.T. Jong
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RETREATS & GETAWAYScontinued...
this beautiful unfolding occur for those who have journeyed with us. “In the end you don’t somuchfindyourselfasyoufindsomeone who knows who youare.” —Robert Brault
AmyWilinskiisanEnergyPractitioner and teacher ofenergyhealing,intuition,andshamanism. Her love of na-ture and journey of personalhealing has led her to train
with renowned teachers invarious realms of metaphys-icsandshamanism.Sheoffersindividualenergyhealingses-sions and training in Reiki,Shamanism, mediumshipand intuition development.Her company, Golden LightHealing, is proud to sponsorspiritualjourneysyearlytosa-credsites.Joinusin2013for
The Mists of Ireland—CelticMysteries Tour in June orPeru—TheInitiationJourneyoftheAndeanShamaninthefall. Please see our websites:www.SpiritualJourneyforYou.comorwww.GoldenLightHealing.netfor more information orcallAmyat920-609-8277.
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“I want to wear the face I wore before the world was made.” Yeats
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TRESS IS suffo-cating the life out of you. You have a jam-packed schedule and run like a gerbil on
a wheel going nowhere; you are mentally scattered and not pres-ent. You could be nicknamed “Crabosaurus” as your sense of joy and play are nearly extinct. Your shoulders seem to be attached to your earlobes. You hear yourself sigh or catch yourself holding your breath. You are never “off” regarding technology overload or addiction. You are overwhelmed and unproductive with a “not enough” syndrome—that sense of constriction pertaining to time or energy. Your reserves are so low that exhaustion and depletion run the show. How many of these signs do you recognize in yourself or someone close to you? These
are some indicators that a retreat is in order. By retreat, I mean a getaway, a change of scene from your everyday routine.
RETREATS REBALANCE US
Frequently as a retreat coach, I’ll hear objections like, “I’m too busy,” “I can’t take time off.” or some variation therein. However, when one considers the benefits of retreat, the “yea buts” fade away. What is the value of taking a retreat? Take a moment to jot down your own answers of how you may benefit, and then let’s see where our lists intersect. For starters, the act of retreating is helpful in restoring wholeness, an opportunity to flex your muscle in the realm of balance and self care. This is especially essential for heart-centered souls who are wired to give and serve. There must be a balance of receiving.
BENEFITS OF A dEdICATEd RETREAT
• Opportunity to unplug for a few hours
• Peace replaces busyness • Space/time created for deep lis-
tening and intuition to emerge• Slower pace• Time dedicated for reflection,
rest, and renewal of spirit• Fun of gathering in commu-
nity with other wise souls on a similar path
• Opening to new vistas, locales, and perspectives
• Reconnecting with the senses, wisdom of the body and heart
• Giving the mind a breather• Savoring solitude• Restoring clarity and focus• Allowing nurturing time in
nature• Playing and reacquainting one-
self with fun and aliveness.
S
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The wise retreat to embrace the wisdom of retreat
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BY MICHELLE BURNS
The wise retreat to embrace the wisdom of retreat
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OUR BRAINS BENEFIT FROM GETAWAYS
And it gets even better. Did you know that the brain also benefits from retreat? Neurosci-ence of the brain is indicating that the mere act of reflection, often a practice during retreat, helps open up the brain to new pathways. Imagine a file cabi-net that is jammed so full, you can barely open a drawer to fit in one more thing. Through the process of retreat, it actually al-lows the whole brain to open up, like having spacious access to each and every drawer in the cabinet. I invite you now to frame retreat in the context of play. According to author and play researcher, Dr. Stuart Brown, MD, “Play is nature’s greatest tool for creating new neural networks and for reconciling cognitive difficulties. When we play, dilemmas and challenges will naturally filter through the unconscious mind and work themselves out.” Retreat guests often arrive burdened and bur-ied. Retreat, a form of play, al-
lows them to transform to a mood of easy lightness. As a re-sult, new insights and solutions flow. Participants return with fresh ideas and they’re reener-gized. This is precisely why there is wisdom in retreat. The ROI is positive. This investment in self care isn’t simply an indulgence, rather an essential tool for opti-mizing focus and wellness. A formerly reluctant par-ticipant became a convert. They shared this following their re-treat: “A leader who does not ever retreat, feed their soul, re-fresh their spirit—simply keeps giving out of what they have. They will run out, they will run stale; they will not have as good a storehouse to give out of to those they lead as they would if they were taking time to re-treat.” This participant is now intentional about including re-treat as a regular practice. As numerous as the benefits, there are also many possibilities for taking a retreat. The time-frame may span from an hour mini-retreat, to a half day, full day or multi-day retreat. Op-
tions include a public retreat, a private retreat, self-guided re-treat, or a virtual retreat. Venues include couples retreats, well-ness retreats, spiritual retreats, nature retreats, adventure re-treats, art retreats, leadership re-treats, yoga retreats, etc. There is wisdom in retreat. We can look to nature and see this first-hand. Day is followed by night, a period of rest and renewal. Seasons for growth are followed by seasons of dorman-cy and replenishment. Like the cycle of seasons, consider retreat as a sustaining, returning prac-tice for restoring wholeness and essential wellness.
Michelle Burns, PCC is a Mas-ter Retreat Coach and member of the Retreat Coaches Network. She leads custom retreats for in-dividuals and for groups. Mi-chelle is the author of Thriving Naturally: 21 days of Renewal, a journal for personal reflection.
Visit www.designyourdestiny.com/retreats/ for more information or contact her at 507.665.3358.
RETREATS & GETAWAYScontinued...
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Live Well.