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Why a Solo Retreat?

                       

Silence. Emptiness. Time. These are requirements if one is to make a decent to one's self. It's hard to find these things in daily life. Life is full. Our psyches and bodies are full too . . . with thoughts, to-do lists, worries, decisions, griefs, losses, traumas, longings, regrets, questions, dreams and responsibilities! When in our busy lives do we have the time and dedicated space to descend into ourselves . . . to listen deeply to the inner life and to reconnect with our inner resources . . . to follow the mercurial, meandering paths that lead to our inner fountain of wisdom and renewal? Our fast-paced lives leave little time or space to hear the guidance of our deepest voices. This dedicated solo retreat time is an invitation - is permission - to drop under the layers of holding and tension that we carry in our bodies in order to meet, greet, and love what we discover there.  


Regularly engaging in solo retreats focused by a teacher or a witness/guide is a long-standing tradition in many spiritual traditions. For more than a decade, the most anticipated highlights of my year - and a mainstay of my bodysoul work - were my week-long solo Authentic Movement retreats with my teacher, Janet Adler. It's from this deep well of dedicated practice, and the value gained from it, that I offer these solo retreats.


How is a Retreat Structured?


Retreats are held in my studio, BodySoul Work, on Whidbey Island in the Pacific Northwest, Washington, USA. Our primary way of working during the retreat will be Authentic Movement, supplemented with sandplay and expressive arts. We will follow your needs and together create a rhythm for your weekend. Prior to the retreat, we will communicate about your vision for the retreat. I will send you some focusing questions, readings and meditations to help you prepare.


One possible 2.5 day retreat scenario is as follows . . .You arrive to the Island on a Friday afternoon/evening and settle in to your cozy lodging. You allow yourself to unwind in the silence, breathe the clear air, watch the moon, see the night stars. Following a good sleep, we meet at an easy pace on Saturday and Sunday - four hours each day . . . two hours in the late morning and two hours in the late afternoon. In between the studio work, you have plenty of unstructured time . . . for meals, walks in nature, writing, resting, dreaming. You may choose to leave the island on Sunday evening following the end of our studio work, or arrange to stay on for a day or two after your retreat. Other arrangements can be made on length of retreat, timing, etc. 


Please email or call for further information, availability and booking.