Healer Heal Thyself, An Expressive Arts Retreat

A DHARMAKAYA CENTER STILL PROGRAM FOR THOSE OFFERING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

We’re sorry, but this retreat is currently completely filled. 

The more adept we become at offering our gifts, wisdom and expertise, the more our clients intuitively know we can handle their deep pain and suffering. While this work is a sacred privilege, too much exposure to suffering can also lead to burnout, vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue. This retreat is for those who do the heavy lifting—and is designed to provide respite, restoration and meaningful self-discovery. It is an invitation to regenerate so you can stay the course in your critically important work.

This free retreat—part of our Still program—is designed for therapists, counselors, coaches and other mental health professionals working with individuals who are deeply burdened by trauma, grief, and debilitating physical and mental conditions. Please apply HERE.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Deepen the ways you access your own resources more consistently so you can continue to show up with your big hearts and deep compassion. Drinking from the overflow of the well, this is a regenerative invitation for sustainability in a field that offers services to the most vulnerable.

The expressive arts are wonderful allies in providing respite, restoration and meaningful self-discovery.  Both contemplative and playful, these experiential modalities are gentle, yet powerful. Come play and discover your creative soul.

• Listen to the Whispers of Your Soul with Therese Bimka
  Developed by Seena Frost, SoulCollage® involves the use of collaged imagery on 5 x 8 cards to create a “deck” that captures a glimpse of “the spark” that lives within all of us. SoulCollage is a beautiful creativity tool for accessing your deep and authentic inner wisdom. You uncover core identities and archetypal energies (dormant or active) while engaging with inner-directed purpose and guidance. In SoulCollage you have the opportunity to unlock emotional obstacles that keep you stuck as well as receive accurate guidance for how to step into the most authentic expression of your vital core self. SoulCollage is a fun and inspiring way to get to know yourself more deeply, with great ease and accuracy. It easily taps into and helps us attune to the inner life that is seeking to be known and express itself.

• Tapping the Creative Well of Imagination: Nourishing the Spirit with Lucy Barbera
  The Creative Art Therapies offer infinite possibility for self-care and preservation through the “creative connection” in, through, and between verbal and non-verbal forms of self- expression.  Participants will be invited to give the analytical side of their brain a well-deserved rest and instead invite the less used, imaginative side of their brain to assist them in mitigating the negative effects of burnout, boost their resilience, and welcome a natural state of “Flow”, through active engagement in the creative process. Mask-making, journaling, and other creative methods will be offered to facilitate the exploration of the many roles we play in the world, touch base with our “original” self, and imagine our own creative care plan for deep self-nourishing. Please note: No prior art-making experience is necessary to participate, as we will be engaging in creative art making for expression of feelings, not for exhibition, critique, or sale.

• Multi-Sensory Sound Bath Meditation with Katie Down
  Sound Baths are deep listening experiences, inviting all the senses into the act and art of Deep Listening. Sound Baths create a holding atmosphere of safety, grounding, and release through the use of resonant musical drone instruments including gongs, singing bowls, monochords, flutes, percussion, shurti box, and voice. Participants are invited to lie down or sit comfortably, focusing on breath, physical and energetic presence, and listening, in order to experience connection to the self and others throughout the sound journey. We offer mindfold eye masks and essential oils to facilitate connection through breath and visualization. At the end of the sound bath, Kaie invites us to use our voices in gentle humming and vocal toning to experience physical and energetic sound within the body—to both call in and release nergies and intentions.

• Sounding Masks and Mask Up
  Masks can be an extension of the self—a symbol of our innate nature, persona, character, or emotional state.Masks both accentuate and hide aspects of ourselves; in making them, we are engaging with a kind of mirror that is not only reflective but enhancing. Together, we’ll play with this idea using sound and music to bring to light the dance of the mask.  Participants will be invited to use a variety of instruments to explore the world of the mask individually and with one another. We will play with themes, improvisation and spontaneity.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• Intimate setting with personal access to the teacher
• Interactive sessions with question and answer periods
• Shamatha and guided meditations
• Delicious all-vegetarian meals with locally sourced ingredients
• Option to extend stay on Personal Retreat
• Extensive library of dharma books
• Expansive wooded grounds with beautiful paths, flora and fauna

APPLICATION

This program is free of charge, but requires an application, which you can download here. Applicants will be accepted on a rolling admission basis.

SCHEDULE

(subject to change)

Friday, April 11

Saturday, April 12

Sunday, April 13

This program is made possible by the generous underwriting of  M&T Bank.