Above meme / words shared from Sarah Mielke
Sometimes life stops us in our tracks. Our well laid plans seem to have no say in the matter, and we find ourselves stuck. Maybe we can’t handle being stuck, so then we try and move in any direction we can. It’s like being on a highway during traffic…some people may do anything they can to shift gears and move ahead one or two car lengths. Maybe it’s the opposite…have you ever gotten out of line to get into an even slower line? Now that’s fun for the person who is in a rush. Yet at the end of the day it’s not really about who is “ahead” or “behind” though, is it?
We all have heard some take on the saying “life is a journey.” That it’s not about getting from one place to the next; it’s about how we travel. How have you been travelling lately?
The pandemic in many ways was like hitting a wall. And while not all of us were afforded the time to rest, a handful of people did get to experience what rest can be like. And the power of slowing down, of leaning instead of pushing.
As people are trying to resume their “normal” routines, many of us are more aware of the imbalanced nature of the over-culture, how we have glorified the busy and undervalued rest. How it is more systemic and learned than it is in our true nature.
Many of us are working to re-write the story and re-wire generations of trauma. Retreat experiences in their essence are about giving you ample space to take a rest and to heal. To lean into the stopping, and receive the kind of nurture you need. Retreat space allows us to come home to ourselves if we haven’t had a lot of time to be in reflection to center in the self.
Above meme / words shared from Santapan Minda
We have an expert “rester” joining us this year as part of the Winter Retreat support team, and I am so happy to finally introduce her to you. Her name is Elianne, and I am honored to have her with us this year . I randomly received a prenatal massage from her years ago when I was given a gift certificate and since then I see her whether I need a massage or when we are taking a class together as fellow plant medicine practitioners. When we moved the retreat local to Stillwater area this past year, she was the first person to pop into my mind to ask to join us. And we are so lucky she said yes! To have her energy in the mix this year is such a gift, and the rest she gives herself truly radiates out to others in the best of ways.
Elianne is a bodyworker and herbalist that believes in healing the soul on the deepest levels. Part of the journey for her is observing the Sabbath or Shabbat every week. A day set aside to rest from the cares of the world, connect with God and others, and contemplate lessons in nature. It is a time for her to rest and get rejuvenated. It is a day for her to nurture her soul.
To Breathe. Listen. Connect. Reflect. Release.
Much of our retreat will be like an extended Sabbath time. During some of the free time there will be opportunities, should you want to, to sign up for some 1:1 experiences (more to come on those in the next blog post!). Gentle body work is always on the menu, and Elianne will be the primary bodyworker on retreat to support you. In the spirit of Sabbath, she offered to gift her services that would take place during Sabbath time: Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. That means she will not be accepting payment on that day, as it is not a day of work for her. Should you join us on retreat, this year she would love to meet with you on any day. If you are local you can also book with her the week leading up to the retreat or post-retreat as a lovely way to extend your care.
Logistically, depending on needs and interest, we will determine a way for you to set up time with her if you would like.* To honor her own needs for rest, she will open to see a maximum of 5 people on Saturday. There will be times you can set up a massage with her outside of Shabbat for a special retreat rate of $75/hour.
Elianne’s heartfelt and generous response to my invitation was one that touched my heart and opened the door for Christin and myself to renegotiate the whole pricing of the retreat.
As we ourselves prepare to take a rest from offering the Winter Retreat in the near future (2023 will be our last one on the books for a time), we wanted to also make the retreat as financially accessible as we could. We understand how hard times have been for many people. We also have been given so much in our lives and through the pleasure of leading this retreat together through the last 7 years, we look forward to giving back as much as we can this year.
If you have any questions about our time together or need a link for a payment plan, please email kjh@kali.mn for the links to register.
We look forward to resting with you soon, and cannot wait to be with you.
In love and rest~
Kali (written by), Christin, Teresa + Elianne
“Like a path through the forest, Sabbath creates a marker for ourselves so, if we are lost, we can find our way back to our center.”