Two hours each Thursday evening, starting at
4:30 p.m. Pacific / 5:30 Mountain / 6:30 Central / 7:30 Eastern
“The rigors of winter are accompanied by amazing gifts….
Times of dormancy and deep rest are essential to all living things.
Winter clears the landscape, however brutally, giving us a chance to see ourselves and each other more clearly, to see the very ground of our being.”
~ Parker J. Palmer
One of the gifts of winter is the way the world around us slows and stills. For many creatures, winter is a time of hibernation or migration; seeds cast in the abundance of autumn lie dormant, waiting for spring. It is an inside time for curling up by the fire, for the telling and hearing of stories, a time of deep replenishment and reflection – often hard to come by amidst the unprecedented challenges of these times.
“Wintering Through: Courage in the Deep” is an opportunity to experience the winter gifts of stillness and rest, of renewed clarity and mindful presence. Grounded in the truths of your own stories and questions, and guided by the Circles of Trust® model based on the work of author and educator Parker J. Palmer, this Courage and Renewal® online retreat series invites you to step with intention into a place apart, to plumb the deep places of your life, and to honor with gentleness and patience the shared weariness of our souls in these times.
Prairie Oaks Institute and The Milkweed Group invite you to join us for this life-giving series of mini-retreats: “Wintering Through: Courage in the Deep.” Knowing the importance of human connection, especially in these times of physical distancing, we will gather online (via Zoom) in a cohort of no more than 25 people. Each session will be a spacious two hours (including ample time for pause and movement) on the following Thursday evenings (at 4:30 Pacific / 5:30 Mountain / 6:30 Central / 7:30 Eastern):
February 4: The Gifts and Rigors of Winter
February 11: Going Deep
February 18: Let Your Life Speak: Clearness Committee process of discernment-in-community
February 25: Warmed by Hearth and Story
Led by experienced Circle of Trust® facilitators Karen Harding, Chris Johnson, and Diane Petteway, these Courage & Renewal® gatherings will help us to:
Our gatherings will include a nourishing mix of solitude and silence, conversation, and opportunity for reflective practice (writing, drawing, movement...). They’ll be grounded in your own experience and fueled with insights from poets, scholars, artists, naturalists, musicians, scientists, and various wisdom traditions. Strictly confidential practices of deep listening, discernment, and mutual support will be a key component. The third session will feature "Clearness Committees," an opportunity for those seeking deeper discernment around a specific issue or question to be supported by a small group of deep listeners in learning from their own inner wisdom.
Commitment and Cost:
Since we also recognize that these are tough economic times, we suggest a donation $120 for the complete series. We don’t want cost to be a barrier, so please let us know what can work for you by emailing Chris (cjohnso542@gmail.com). And since space is limited, please scroll down to register now!
Once we have your registration, we’ll send you some short pre-readings and the information to connect to the sessions via Zoom.
We look forward to having you with us!
Karen, Chris, & Diane
We suggest a donation of $120 for the entire series.
We're committed to cost NOT being a barrier to anyone's participation, so if it better suits you, please select this "supported registration" option -- or please let us know what level of investment can work better for you by emailing Chris at cjohnso542@gmail.com.
If you're able, please consider subsidizing someone else's participation in the series by selecting this registration option.
