Being Home in Body, Mind, and Soul ~ A Weekend Retreat to Create Sacred Sanctuary (Online and In-Person)

Because of the surge in positive COVID-19 cases in West Michigan, this retreat is rescheduled from April 23-25 to September 24-26.

As we ride out the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, allow yourself to find space in the body, rest in the mind, and connection with the soul by taking part in Being Home in Body, Mind, and Soul ~ A Weekend Retreat to Create Sacred Sanctuary.

The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. ~ Maya Angelou

Last spring radically altered how many of us work, attend school, care for and connect with loved ones, and live in our physical homes. With the pandemic came countless unknowns and changes we were likely unprepared for. Now, a year into our COVID-19 existence, let us reflect on our experience of being at home in body, mind, and soul as well as contemplate action we might take to create sacred sanctuary within our homes and within our very being.

Dominican Center’s Being Home in Body, Mind, and Soul retreat offers participants:

• Ideas for creating sacred sanctuary in your physical home
• Time for rest and movement to nurture your body
• Space to explore and tame the wildness of your mind through journaling and creative pursuits of your choosing
• Opportunities for silence, solitude, and other spiritual practices to expand connection with your soul
• Time in nature on the tranquil grounds of the Franciscan Life Process Center in Lowell, Michigan
• Companioning with a spiritual director and a life coach, both online and in-person
• Group spiritual direction

After you register for the retreat, you will receive an email from Dominican Center with …

• A map to the Franciscan Life Process Center
• Information on what to expect
• Journaling prompts and other activities to complete before our first meeting on April 23
• Liability forms that need to be reviewed, signed, and returned to Dominican Center before the retreat begins

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RETREAT AGENDA

Wednesday, September 22

A couple of days before the Being Home retreat officially begins, you'll receive an email with retreat guidelines, tips for preparing your at-home sacred space, and journaling prompts that focus on body awareness. Plan to spend, at a minimum, two hours on Thursday evening settling into your body and your space.

Friday, September 24 / 6:30 - 8:00 pm

Meet your fellow retreatants and retreat guides via Zoom. During our time together we will come home to our bodies with a centering meditation and breathwork. We will also spend time getting to know one another, setting intentions, journaling, and sharing.

Saturday, September 25

Spend the majority of the second retreat day quieting the mind with silence and solitude. On this day, you are invited to explore ways to tame your racing thoughts and shifting mindset. Perhaps your time will be spent resting, studying, moving, meditation, or in contemplative creativity. You may choose to check in with your retreat guides and fellow retreatants via Zoom at 11:30 am and again at 4:30 pm on this day. Optional retreat directives will be offered before the day begins.

Sunday, September 26 / 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Join your fellow retreatants and retreat guides at the Franciscan Life Process Center in Lowell as we take time and space to focus on our souls. We will gently begin our day together with a guided meditation and group sharing. After, weather permitting, immerse yourself in nature by exploring the serene grounds of the spirituality center. At lunchtime, you may choose to join with others for Centering Prayer. We will end the day with group spiritual direction.