The Importance of Retreat

I’ll be on retreat from July 1 - July 9 (so please note there are no sessions that week), and as I pack I find myself reflecting on the importance of taking time away from everyday life.

The best way to serve our families and the world is from a full and robust self. For me, that fullness comes from time in nature, reflection, prayer, meditation and learning. These activities are not only essential for my well being but deeply influence the way I show up for my family, my clients and my community.   

I find that when I’m drawn to a place or a teacher for my own healing, and when I dedicate myself to studying there, what I learn is woven into my work teaching and guiding clients. There is a beautiful play here that benefits us all. In that spirit, I thought I’d share a bit about the places I’m traveling to and what I’ll be studying.

My intention going into the journey is to deepen in and open my heart. So, I am headed to the Four Corners region of the southwest, a place I once called home and a land that is very sacred to me. The Four Corners area is bordered by four sacred mountains. The Hopi, a tribe in this area, believe that within these four mountains, there is a sacred site that will play a very special role for the future of mankind. It’s grounded and magical at the same time.

I’ll be in Mesa Verde, a place I have visited several times for it’s sacred teaching and complex layers of meaning. The park has 4,500 archeological sites left by a civilization that used to be known as the Anasazi, now known as the Ancestral Pueblo people.

At first they dwelled in shallow pithouses in the earth, but over time they built amazing dwellings tucked into the sandstone cliffs. Amidst the beautiful cliff dwellings, the beautiful plants and vast expansive landscape, I have experienced some of the most profound heart healings in my life. The land literally stretches the heart space open. Yum!

I’ll also be in retreat at Tara Mandala, a Vajrayana Buddhist retreat center in the mountains at Pagosa Springs, CO that is bordered by the San Juan National Forest and Southern Ute Tribal Land. Here I will spend time studying the Heart Sutras with my teacher, Anam Thubten. The Heart Sutra teachings are about awakening to the wisdom of emptiness or perceiving reality with an unconditioned mind. Sounds a bit like having the rug pulled out...more on these teachings when I return.

I’m excited to see how these teachings and land want to work with me and what I can bring back to our work together. I also look forward to hearing stores of how you are finding retreat, beauty and adventure during this summer season.  

With love,

Catherine