Nurturing Spirit Retreat ‘Connecting through Self-Care’

February 24-26, 2023

Stillwood Camp and Conference Centre

44005 Watt Road.

Lindell Beach BC, V2R-2X9

Near Cultus Lake, West of Chilliwack

Registration is $250

*scroll down to see the schedule

Connecting Through Self-Care

At this retreat, we’ll learn self-care techniques to help ourselves, and to aid the caregiver in each of us, which we all are in someway or another. We’ll look at ways to ensure we don’t take on the pain and baggage of the people we care for, how not to burn out, how to ensure our cup is full so we have something to offer others, and simple practices to de-stress, find meaning in our lives, be joyful, and pamper ourselves.

This is a retreat for anyone who yearns for time to be with friends and family to experience practices of self care, and without the need to rush off to the usual chores we expect to perform at a retreat. We have no chores here.

Our Guest Speaker is Alexis Beer

Alexis Beer (she/her) is passionate about mental health care and wellness. She has an academic background in psychology, sociology, and public policy, as well as a professional background in health promotion and harm reduction. Alexis currently works with the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Resilient Minds program, which is a mental health education program for first responders. In her spare time, Alexis enjoys singing and spending time with family.

Our Musical Guest is Edith Wallace

Singer, songwriter, storyteller Edith Wallace, loves sharing her experiences of life and living. Her commitment is to sing of ordinary things, everyday moments, find light amongst shadow, bring light to shadow, and give through song and story, love and joyful expression. She has been about her business since she was a teenager, and as the decades have moved along their linear lines, she has travelled and toured, performing for, and with many lovely souls. Life is beautiful. She is so happy to share with everyone, this evening

Barbara Rose will lead our morning meditation and stretch, and yoga.

Accommodations

Our accommodations are dorm style. When you register, please advise us of who you would like to stay with. The dorms are spacious. Each dorm can accommodate 10-12 people however we would expect to have 4-6 people per dorm.

Our building has two floors with four dorms on each floor that have 5 or 6 sets of bunk beds. Each dorm room has one or two queen beds on the lower bunks.

Washrooms – there is one washroom on each floor with 4 showers, 4 toilets, and 4 sinks each.

The top floor washroom will be gender neutral.

The main floor washroom will be women only.

Each floor has a common area where we will have coffee and tea available.

We have booked a lovely activity hall, The Maple Room, for all our daily activities.

Remember to add to your registration:

Who you would like to stay with in your dorm

If you need to be on the lower level due to stairs

If you have any food allergies

Our meals will be in the main dining hall and other groups will be seated at the same time. We will have a buffet line just for us. We hope you’ll use this time to enjoy the company of your friends and family as well as meet new people who are dining at the same time.

There are no Cleanup or Chores at Stillwood Retreat Centre! At the end of the retreat, we will only need to pack up our dorms and the activity room. After meals, we will only need to place dishes in the cleanup line.

We have priced this retreat so that anyone who wants to attend may do so. We greatly appreciate any donations. If you can support this program or others who would like to attend, please donate on the registration page. Canadians will receive a tax receipt for your donation of $25 or more.

If you would prefer to make a donation via e-transfer, please send it to donations@CreatingConnection.ca and note Nurturing Spirit Retreat and cc Debra@CreatingConnection.ca so we have a record of which donations are for this program.

What to bring

Bedding or sleeping bag and pillow.

Toiletries and towels

Water bottle

Rain Gear for outdoor activities – optional- check the weather before arriving, you may want an umbrella or hat

Walking shoes or boots for exploring the grounds, or anytime we leave the dorms

Slippers for inside our Activity Hall, the Maple Room, so we don't track dirt into our space

Flashlight

For classes:

Comfortable clothing

Yoga mat, strap, sash, or belt

A personal journal

Extra yoga mat if you're able

An open heart and an open mind

A few extra yoga mats will be available – please advise us if you will need one.

Chairs will be provided for those not comfortable on the floor.

Connecting Through Self-Care: A Nurturing Spirit Retreat

Schedule

Friday February 24

4pm Arrive and check into dorms, explore the retreat centre, teatime

5:30 Dinner – mealtime is fixed please be prompt

7:00 Connecting through Self Care – Maple Room

Welcome, Introductions and Activity – Debra Donohue and Alexis Beer

Small Groups Check-in – Debra Donohue

Meditation of Sound – Edith Wallace

9:00 Visiting and Games in the Maple Room, or early to bed

11pm – 7am is Quiet Time on the grounds.

Saturday February 25

7:30 Morning Walk – meet Debra outside the dorm

8:00 Breakfast – mealtime is fixed please be prompt

9:00 What is Self-Care? Alexis Beer- Maple Room

10:30 15-minute Break

10:45 Meditation of Sound – Maple Room – Edith Wallace

11:15 Small Groups Check-in

11:45 Break

12:00 Lunch - mealtime is fixed please be prompt

1:00 Rest time in Dorms or Free time to walk, play games or visit in the Maple Room

2:00 Practicing Self Care and Setting Boundaries - Alexis Beer – Maple Room

3:30 Break

4:00 ‘Self Care through Creativity’- Affirmations, Needle Point- Maple Room – Shannon McAdam

5:30 Dinner - mealtime is fixed please be prompt

6:40 Mindfulness Meditation – Kat Goheen

7:00 Evening of Music – Edith Wallace – Maple Room

8:00 Visiting and Games in the Maple Room, or early to bed

11pm – 7am is Quiet Time on the grounds.

Sunday February 26

7:00 Gentle Yoga – Barbara Rose – Maple Room

7:35 Morning meditation – Barbara Rose – Maple Room

8:00 Breakfast - mealtime is fixed please be prompt

9:00 Pack up Dorms

10:00 Sharing and Closing time - Maple Room – led by Shannon McAdam

Current Covid Policy - Please note that our policy is subject to change based on Covid cases

In light of Creating Connection’s enduring principles around the worth of all persons, unity in diversity, and personal responsibility, we are offering guidance for our retreats in 2022. We do this because of our call to welcome everyone including the least and most vulnerable among us.

First of all, our corporate responsibility at a minimum, is to follow local Covid guidelines for safe gatherings.

Second, each of us has a personal responsibility to consider what we can do to protect one another. Personal responsibility is:

Updating your Covid-19 vaccination by receiving any boosters that are available.
Considering getting vaccinated if you have not yet done so, as it is the best way, we know of to curb the spread of Covid-19.
If you aren’t vaccinated, we ask that you get tested for Covid-19 no more than two days prior to arriving at camp. (free rapid tests are fine)
Not coming to camp if you are feeling even a little bit ill.
Isolating for 5 days prior to coming to camp, regardless of your vaccination status, to ensure you are not unduly exposing yourself and others to illness.
Wearing a mask while indoors to avoid spreading illness.
Ensuring good hygiene through:
regular hand washing
coughing or sneezing into an elbow or sleeve

Our guiding question for you is: How will you protect the precious neighbour that sits beside you at this retreat?

We also encourage everyone to respect one another’s choices in how they have responded to Covid. Regardless of our individual views on vaccinations or public health mandates, we come together as one community who find unity in diversity. Some people will feel more comfortable wearing a mask and keeping their distance, others will be ready to embrace everyone. Please respect the speed and space of each person’s engagement at the Nurturing Spirit Retreat. We will provide color coded name tags for everyone so others will know our comfort level with contact around each other.

We can’t wait to spend time with you.

Your Nurturing Spirit, Creating Connection Team

Nurturing Spirit Retreat 'Connecting through Self-Care'