A Retreat for Creating Community

I love me a retreat! I love going to retreats, I love leading retreats, I love planning retreats. In short, I love everything about them.

I’ve written before about planning your own home retreat, and that can be effective, however, nothing beats the gathering of a group of like-minded people with intent and purpose.

With this in mind, I’m in the process of planning my next retreat. I’m always talking about the importance of finding your community, and this year I’ve chosen the theme “Celebrate Community.” Community offers support, keeps us healthy and increases our happiness.

So, this retreat is all about creating community while honoring who you are and what you bring to this world. Along the way, you will learn new practices and rituals to guide you in this journey.

This year is an Autumn gathering at a beautiful private home in Ahwahnee. The days are comfortably warm, the evenings comfortably cool, and mother nature is showing her colors. The dates are October 10-13, 2025.

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As any experienced retreat participant can tell you, there are many benefits to retreat. A retreat should not end when you go home, but should give you tools to take with you. A typical retreat I plan centers around this. You might find the following:

Connect with nature.
Henry David Thoreau said “I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.” Connecting with nature has been shown to have many health benefits including decreased stress, increased energy and increased immunities. And so, much of our time during retreat will be spent outside, in activity or quiet contemplation.

Unplug from your routine.
Take this time to unplug from technology, leave work behind, let go of distractions, so that you can focus on the inside work.

Give yourself some love.
Use this time to nurture your mind, body and spirit. While much of the retreat is structured, there will be plenty of “down time.” Heck, you can use the entire retreat as “down time” if you want – nothing is mandatory here. Use your down time time in any way that feels right to you – read a good book, focus on a project, go for a walk, relax and unwind, meditate. Remember when you take time to attend to yourself, you’re benefitting all those around you as well.

Enjoy some healthy eats.
Food is a big part of any retreat, and it’s always healthy, satisfying and delicious! If you have special requests or dietary needs, just ask!

Find your balance.
Retreats always include workshops or activities to help you find your balance. That might be literal, like yoga, or figurative, like a astrological reading. Hone your vision and create your happy, you might be surprised what the practice of retreat reveals.

Get your meditation on.
Not a day goes by with out something new about the benefits of meditation and mindfulness, including reduced stress, increased patience, gratitude and greater peace. Meditation is for everyone, and can be done anywhere. I can take the mystery out of the practice.

Registration is now open for the 2025 Retreat “Celebrate Community” on October 10-13, 2025 in the beautiful Sierra Nevada just outside of Yosemite National Park. Won’t you join me?

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