Refresh Retreat

The Refresh Retreat was a huge success! We all had a great time. The number of guests that showed up were a few more than we expected but was just the perfect amount. The day began with the first arrivals setting in right away to either a massage or art play. We provided an array of drawing supplies and paper, canvas and paint, and clay. At about 2 we began the interactive food playshop. There were cutting boards for everyone and as we passed out the fresh organic veggies that we were to prepare Ruth and I discussed a variety of food concepts ranging from the Ayurvedic approach to food preparation to the global food shortage and how eating local products is beneficial to everyone. As we talked the guests were busy chopping their veggies and we encouraged them to taste them raw, to look at their beautiful colors and textures. As they did so they chatted among themselves and added bits of inspiring and educational information. Our hope was to inspire more than teach and I feel that we succeed. Since the event one guest sent me an e-mail saying that she was now investigating Ayurveda and a few other things she encountered during the retreat. I saw another woman a s subsequent party and when she came in she set her pot-luck contribution on the counter and told me that it had all 6 of the food flavors we had discussed, it was a complete meal! I was so happy. After lunch our friend Kristen led a nature as inspiration playshop in which the guests paired up and blindfolded each other as they explored nature together using all of their senses but sight. Again everyone loved it. The event finished with a movement playshop led by Sarah with live music provided by musician friends extraordinaire Tom Hamilton and Sam Arintok.

I am very appreciative of the guests who came, some just to show support but who left with more than they anticipated. I have since had 3 requests that we do it agian.


Sarah, Ruth and I coordinated the event over the six weeks prior to the date. It was not as much time as we all would have ideally hoped for but all things considered we committed to the 31st of May. I feel really good about the working relationships that we have begun to develop which was one of the priorities of our intention. We are all looking at graduating from college relatively soon and are considering what we plan to do with ourselves afterwards. We all have a fundamental belief that our loft ideas would be more easily achieved in the long run through cooperation and collaboration. However we all have enough experience to know that collaborating can be complicated in the initial stages seemingly more difficult that working alone.

I am proud of the approach we took by first meeting to discuss what we can expect from one another in terms of personality and experience, our strengths and weaknesses and offer each other insight in how to approach one another, where to accept shortcoming and where we can rely on one another, followed by discussion what our individual visions are and where they overlap.

i look forward to continuing our exploration and sharing healing and inspiration with our communities