Events & Resources

Upcoming Events

2013 Events

Sacred Journey, Sacred Time: A Kirkridge Pilgrimage to India with Valerie Brown and Sharon Miller

February 11-27, 2013


SORRY, THIS IS FULL & WAIT-LISTED! 

India, steeped in spirituality and religion, is one of the most religiously diverse and vibrant countries in the world. In this Kirkridge pilgrimage, we explore the sacred sites of North India in order to create greater interfaith understanding and to build a deeper appreciation for both our own faith traditions and that of others. Most days will include time for meditation and reflection.

OPTIONAL 3-DAY EXTENSTION TRIP—To Tamil Nadu, in South India to visit a micro-finance project sponsored by Right Sharing of World Resources, www.rswr.org

For more information contact:

Kirkridge Retreat and Study Center
2459 Fox Gap Road Bangor, PA 18013
610-588-1793
www.kirkridge.org

Living from the Center®: A Mindfulness Meditation Retreat at Calling Lakes Retreat Centre March 8-10, 2013

Slow down and savor the deep connection that comes with centered awareness of the present moment. This weekend retreat weaves mindfulness throughout daily activity, including periods of guided sitting, walking and eating meditation practice, mindful small and large group discussion, guided deep relaxation, personal reflection, as well as mindful Kundalini yoga, and Dharma Talks. Delve into what it means to be fully alive, fully centered. Reveal your wise, loving and compassionate nature through nonjudgmental awareness. Cultivate trust and clear insight. Return home rested, refreshed, renewed and resilient.

About Calling Lakes Retreat Centre:

Calling Lakes Centre is a fully accredited education and retreat centre of The United Church of Canada which nurtures growth in individuals, congregations, and communities through programs, retreats, and hospitality. Located on the north shore of Echo Lake in the beautiful Qu’Appelle Valley, the Centre provides a peaceful yet accessible “getaway” for retreats, workshops, and conferences.

Calling Lakes Centre, Box 159, Fort Qu’Appelle SK S0G 1S0
306-332-5691
Fax: 306-332-5264
office@callinglakes.ca

Journey Toward an Undivided Life: A Spring and Fall Circle of Trust® at Woolman Hill Retreat Center May 2-5 and October 24-27, 2013

About Woolman Hill:
Woolman Hill, a Quaker retreat and conference center situated on 110 ridge-top acres of meadows and woodlands in western Massachusetts, is dedicated to fostering, developing and strengthening the testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends.

Named after John Woolman, an eighteenth-century American Quaker who was a powerful voice for social justice and economic and ecological responsibility, our rustic facilities offer a peaceful atmosphere for conferences, workshops, meetings, family gatherings, individual retreats, and other events.

107 Keets Road, Deerfield, MA 01342
413-774-3431

www.woolmanhill.org

Journey Toward Wholeness:  A Courage & Renewal Retreat at Ghost Ranch, October 7 to 13, 2013  

See the event’s flyer here.

Based on the work of Parker J. Palmer, this Courage & Renewal ® Retreat explores the intersection of our personal and professional lives. Using poetry, meditation, dialogue, stories, music, movement, relaxation and journaling, we foster renewal of body and mind. Those in professions such as organizational leadership, education, community service, law and medicine know the challenge of sustaining our values and beliefs. The more passionate we are about our work, the more vital it is to take time to renew our spirit. Three off-Ranch trips planned: to Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, Christ in the Desert Monastery and exploring local weavers. This retreat coincides with the peak of fall color and artists festivals.

Register at :  http://ghostranch.org/journey-toward-wholeness/

2012 Events

2012 Biennial Conference for Legal Services Managers, October 4 and 5, 2012, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Arlington, VA.  

Valerie is a special guest presenter.  Her plenary session is entitled, “Mindfulness Communication Skills:  Powerful Tools for Building Social Justice and the Greater Good.”

Journey Toward an Undivided Life: An Introductory Circle of Trust® Retreat

SORRY, THIS IS FULL & WAIT-LISTED!

September 10-16, 2012


See the event’s flyer here.

Based on the work of Parker J. Palmer, this Circle of Trust ® retreat explores the intersection of our personal and professional lives. Using poetry, meditation, dialogue, stories, music, movement, relaxation and journaling, we foster renewal of body and mind. Those in professions such as organizational leadership, education, community service, law and medicine know the challenge of sustaining our values and beliefs. The more passionate we are about our work, the more vital it is to take time to renew our spirit. Three off-Ranch trips planned: to Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, Christ in the Desert Monastery and Georgia O’Keeffe’s home and studio in Abiquiu village.

Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center in Northern New Mexico
Registration $375 + lodging & meals
Additional information, including lodging fees, can be found at www.ghostranch.org or you may call the registrar at 505.685.4333, ext. 4155.

ABOUT GHOST RANCH

Ghost Ranch, 21,000 acres located in northern New Mexico, stands proud as an ecumenical and interfaith education and retreat center of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). For more than half a century people have come for spiritual development, to discuss issues of peace and justice, to work together in creation care, to pain and write, to hike and ride horse-back, to research rich and globally renowned archeological and fossil quarries, to see where Georgia O’Keeffe painted or simply to rest and renew their spirits.

Journey Toward an Undivided Life: A Circle of Trust® Retreat Series Led by Valerie Brown and Carol Kortsch

SORRY, THIS IS FULL & WAIT-LISTED!

See the event’s flyer here.

Based on the work of Parker J. Palmer, the Circle of Trust Retreat Series enables professionals to explore issues of transition, vocation, passion, life purpose, direction, and related questions, and to live in alignment with one’s deepest values. The series consists of four retreats – one during each season – using the lens of nature’s cycles to examine vocational and life questions.In a safe, quiet, nurturing, and confidential environment, each retreat presents a variety of tools that promote reflection and clarity, including poetry, prose, music, video, interaction with nature, and movement. Morning meditation and gentle yoga are available to start each day. There will be periods of silence, time for journaling and self-reflection, and large and small group discussions. Clearness committees, a Quaker communal process for individual discernment, are offered at each retreat.

Participants must commit to participate in all four weekend retreats and
complete a short questionnaire upon registration. Limit of 20.
Session 1 – The Seed of the True Self, November 9-11, 2012
Session 2 – Dwelling in Darkness, February 22-24, 2013
Session 3 – Embracing the Power of Paradox, April 19-21, 2013
Session 4 – Living with Abundance and Gratitude, July 19-21, 2013

Valerie Brown is a Circle of Trust® facilitator prepared by the Center for Courage & Renewal and Parker J. Palmer. A member of Solebury Monthly Meeting (PA) and ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh as a lay member of the Tien Hiep Order, Valerie has written two Pendle Hill pamphlets and is a popular Pendle Hill teacher and retreat leader.

Carol Kortsch was born in Canada, raised and educated in Africa, and worked internationally for 20 years establishing live-in rehabilitation, counseling, and training communities. With a lifelong passion for leading and teaching in diverse communities, Carol is now a group facilitator with the Center for Courage & Renewal.

Room, board, and tuition for all four sessions:
$1860/shared room ∙ $2160/private room
$1520/commuter
Register online at www.pendlehill.org or
call 610-566-4507 or 800-742-3150

Pendle Hill is a Quaker residential study center grounded in the faith, practices, and testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends and rooted in the unifying experience of divine guidance. It seeks to prepare Friends and others for Spirit-led lives of service, leadership, prophetic witness, and right relationship. Perks to build an inclusive community and to foster the spiritual growth of all who join them, and partners with Friends’ and other organizations to work for peace, justice, and spiritual renewal.

Open Heart, Peaceful Mind

A New Year’s Retreat for Rest and Reflection With Valerie Brown

December 28, 2012—January 1, 2013 (Friday—Tuesday)

SORRY, THIS IS FULL & WAIT -LISTED

Link to flyer here.

Relax into a time of serene rest and renewal. Open to the new year’s unfolding with a retreat that honors your heart, mind, and soul. Practice mindful meditation in the rhythms of daily life with sitting, walking, and eating meditation, as well as mindful dialogue. Savor sustained periods of silence, quiet reflection with poetry and stories
by the fireplace, small and large group discussion, an afternoon in the art studio, laughter, gentle Kundalini yoga, and deep relaxation. Restore your spirit and enter the new year with greater calm, clarity, and energy — and ways to sustain them in the coming year.

Registration
Visit www.pendlehill.org,
or call Ext. 3 at 610-566 4507
or 800-742-3150 (toll-free in US)

Accommodations
Private room $675
Shared room $565
Commute $430

*Register by August 31 and get a 10% discount

Travel
Pendle Hill is just fifteen minutes from Philadelphia International Airport, and twenty minutes outside the city. The campus is a short walk from the Wallingford train station. Take the SEPTA Media/Elwyn line from Philadelphia.

The retreat includes a joyous alcohol-free New Year’s Eve Celebration featuring hors d’oeuvres, a home-cooked dinner with local organic ingredients, a chamber music concert with Maestro Karl Middleman and guest performers, and a candlelight Meeting for Worship to welcome the New Year.

338 Plush Mill Road
Wallingford, Pennsylvania
www.pendlehill.org

Resources

 Free Mindfulness Guides

Read these free guides to practicing mindfulness in daily life:

Free Audio Podcasts

Listen to Valerie’s free audio podcasts on:

Publications

  • Together We Are one, Honoring Our Diversity Celebrating Our Connection by Thich Nhat Hanh – read Valerie’s essay on using mindfulness to address difficult relationships
    Order at www.parallax.org
  • Living From the Center, Mindfulness Medication and Centering for Friends – this 36-page pamphlet describes the spiritual process of ‘centering’ and its relationship to mindfulness
    Order at www.pendlehill.org
  • The Mindful Quaker – this 36-page pamphlet describes the Buddhist teachings on mindfulness and its relationship to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
    Order at www.pendlehill.org
  • Heartfulness:  Bringing Heart, Mind and Spirit on Retreat and Beyond –  this pamphlet explores recurring questions about retreats: Why take a retreat?  What happens during the retreat?  How do I keep the feeling of well being following a retreat?  Due out February 2013. Order at www.pendehill.org