Embracing the Season
Somehow, it is already December.
The nights are growing longer here in the United States, and winter draws close as temperatures fall and shadows lengthen across the land and the waters.
There is so often a strong tension at this time of the year between the pressure to wrap things up from the year, which often requires being very busy, and the need for quiet and stillness as part of bearing witness to the what the year has brought us and how we are invited to change with it.
We're excited to be participating in this "Advent for the winter solstice" short series, which touches with our non-human relatives as they too are preparing for winter. It is so easy to be human-focused (all the time, but especially in the midst of year-end activities and the holiday season) so it is quite wonderful to spend some purposeful time in gentle, music-infused reflection. If you are curious about it, you might enjoy listening to this clip from the first session. You can also join the series this coming Tuesday.
We are also deep in the midst of preparing for our upcoming Board retreat: the first in person board retreat since pre-Pandemic! It is wonderful to be gathering together (mostly in person) again.
Right next to the Board retreat, this COMING SATURDAY, we are hosting our community retreat at this beautiful space at Rivendell Spiritual Center overlooking the Appalachia mountains in Sewanee, TN.
We will have great food (brought in by a local caterer), great conversation, time in nature, time to meet other people in the community, and time to have some silence. And - some pottery!
In some ways - those things - gathering in community, sharing food, connecting with nature - are the most important things.
As it happens, we are also going to do some individual and group reflective work using a circular time methodology that helps bring people closer to their ecological selves and what it means for them to find alignment. You
So if you are in the Tennessee area, we encourage you to come! And - you don’t have to register online. You can just show up. (Pre-registration does help us with preparing for meal count, etc.)
Here are some further details.
The Regenerative School’s Community Retreat
Rivendell Spiritual Center, 254 Rivendell Ln #3334, Sewanee, TN 37375
Saturday, December 07, 2024, 12-5pm, followed by dinner and chilled time with the fire!