Retreat Program Calendar

Retreat Programs with the potential to awe, transform, and heal

The Christine Center welcomes everyone to come and participate in retreat programs with the potential to awe, transform, and heal. Learn new skills, discover ways to grow spiritually, experience new depths of understanding. If you’re being nudged towards deeper meaning, step out of daily life for a few days to learn with others in a spirit of deep community support.

Our facilitators are experienced and skilled. Lots of wisdom is found here.

Please note: Schedule is subject to change. Retreat programs begin Friday evening after supper and end Sunday morning after brunch unless otherwise noted.

 

Meditation and the Practice of Loving Kindness

July 25-27

We invite you to enhance your meditation practice and experience quiet and renewal. With an emphasis on the cultivation of loving-kindness, reminiscent of loving your neighbor as yourself, Jesus taught, we can develop compassion for ourselves and others. When troubled by diffiult emotional situations and the pressures of our lives, this skill can help us deal with them. Life’s challenges can become sweetened and changed, and your mind and heart can become open and calm with this form of concentration meditation.

Facilitators: Henrita Frost, SSND and Johanna Seubert, FSPA. Tuition: sliding scale of $75-$150, plus meals and lodging. Henrita and Johanna are members of the Christine Center Leadership Team. Read about them here.

 

Soul Collage

July 25-27

Come learn and practice Soul Collage, a very simple yet powerful collage process to create your own deck of inner guidance cards based on the many parts of your Self.

Facilitator: Audrey Chowdhury. Register at www.creativespiritguide.com. For more information email Audrey Chowdhury at acsunprairie@aol.com.

Audrey Chowdhury, MS, ATR-BC, is a board certified art therapist, a SoulCollage Facilitator/Trainer, and a certified practitioner of Integrative Breathwork by Jacquelyn Small of Austin, Texas. She has been presenting retreats and workshops for several years in Wisconsin, the Midwest, and beyond. She loves witnessing the unfolding of wisdom, beauty, and deeply felt connections that occur during transformational inner work. Her style has been described as intuitive, warm, encouraging, open, and inviting.

 

Writing the Sacred: A Psalm-Inspired Path to Appreciating and Writing Sacred Poet

July 25-27

Ray McGinnis’ book Writing the Sacred: A Psalm-Inspired Path to Appreciating and Writing Sacred Poetry, is the model for the retreat. You are invited to play with words and rediscover your connection with the sacred through the aliveness of language. Through sensory and poetic exercises you are invited to explore some of the poetic forms, such as simile and metaphor, present in the Psalms and other poetry. A splendid range of other poets including Rumi, St. Francis, Mary Oliver, Rilke, Emily Dickinson, Leonard Cohen and others are heard to expand our imaginations as we contemplate what we want to express about gratitude, joy, ecstasy, love, lament, wisdom, vision and other spiritual themes that are emerging for us. This retreat requires no familiarity with either the Bible or poetry. Both seasoned writers and those who have never put pen to paper are welcome to explore the thin spaces where creative writing and spiritual self-expression meet.

Facilitator: Ray McGinnis. Tuition: sliding scale $150-200, plus meals and lodging.

Ray McGinnis is the designer and instructor of Write to the Heart workshops. He is a graduate of the Center for Journal Therapy, in Lakewood, Colorado. He studied with Kathleen Adams, author of Journal To The Self: 22 Paths To Personal Growth. He is a published poet and studied poetry through the Banff Centre for Fine Arts Writing With Style program in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Ray has facilitated groups for over thirty years. His writing workshops have been in demand at health-care facilities, educational settings, churches, retreat settings, professional groups and conferences across North America.

Since 1999 he has taught over 13,000 people to write and gather in writer’s circles to write, share and learn together. Writing the Sacred: A Psalm-Inspired Path to Appreciating and Writing Sacred Poetry is his first published book through Northstone (2005). Learn more by visiting www.writetotheheart.com.

 

Health and Inner Peace with Relaxation and Full Natural Breathing

July 28-30 (Monday-Wednesday)

Relaxation of body and breath releases the tensions caused by stress in your life. Helpful relaxation creates space within for peaceful spirit and life force energy to enter. Come learn many body and breath relaxations of varied length and styles that can be done while lying, sitting, walking or standing. These techniques can be used in almost any situation where you find yourself in need of calming. Practices range from a one minute calming breath practice to the more lengthy Yoga Nidra practice of extreme relaxation.

Facilitator: Roberta Hodges. Tuition: Two-days $95 or three-days $150. Begins at 2:00 p.m. on Monday. 

Roberta Hodges has been studying, practicing and teaching yoga in the Himalayan tradition for 25 years, including Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and more recently, Tantra Yoga. She has made several trips to India for study, practice and inspiration. She is also a practicing massage therapist and energy worker.

   

Get to Know your Chakras Adventure

August 3-7 (Sunday through Thursday)

Come learn how our Chakras spin for us and why that is so important to our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. You will learn about these seven main energy centers, where they are located in our energy anatomy, what they do for us, and how we can take care of them for our optimal health. Learn that by changing our energy, we change our life. A key reference will be The Energetics of Healing by Caroline Myss. There will be lots of time for quiet reflection, journaling and meditative walks.

Facilitator: Stephanie Lovlien, LMT. Tuition: $150, plus meals and lodging.

Stephanie Lovlien has an extensive background in business sales and management. In 2007 she changed direction and graduated from Windermere Institute of Healing Arts and has been in the healing arts ever since. Visit www.stephanielovlien.massagetherapy.com. You are welcome to call Stephanie for more information at 507.313.4100.

   

Your Essential Self and Essential Oils

August 8-10

Ancient cultures have used the aromatic plant kingdom in various forms for thousands of years for medicinal purposes as well as religious rituals, anointing and spiritual healing.  Today aromatic essential oils are being used and have become widely recognized as part of natural health care.

This week-end we will take a look back and experience some of the precious oils and techniques used by the ancients as well as those referenced in the scriptures.  Did you know the scriptures themselves consider the heart the center of our being?  We will have guided meditations for the heart and other energy centers using essential oils for clearing and purifying as well as learn how to use essential oils for emotional release.

We’ll discuss what essential oils are and explore modern uses for some oils in everyday life and how they work to enhance wellness. Through sensory exercises we will experience precious essential oils with simple healing and purifying techniques for mind, body and and spirit.

Facilitator: Diane Kahler. Tuition: sliding scale of $75-$150, plus meals and lodging.

Diane Kahler has been in the natural health care profession for over 35 years. She is a master herbalist and certified professional of clinical romatherapy. She is also a massge therapist specializing in CranioSacral and intuitive energy work.  She has a daily yoga and meditation practice and is a graduate of the Christine Center’s Spiritual Deepening for Global Transformation Signature Program. For more information call 608.845.5647 or email at softtissuehealth@aol.com.

 

Frequencies of Brilliance, Level One, 14-day Certification Course

August 10-24

The Frequencies of Brilliance is a potent, sacred process with unlimited potential for healing and spiritual expansion. It is an energetic healing technique that​ has assisted many people in clearing physical, mental and emotional issues. This​ course may be one of your most transformational journeys this lifetime. It is an initiation into a way of living—of being—that will continue to expand long after the course has ended. Through daily demonstrations and practicum, encounters with sacred geometry in meditation and group process you will integrate the fourth and fifth dimensional energies into your body. This initiation is deep and intense, involving all aspects of your Self: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. It is a Divinely orchestrated journey back to the heart.

Efren is certified by the founder, Christine Day, and ​has been teaching courses in So. America, Europe and the USA for the past eight years. He is honored to serve as a channel for transformational healing and hold a steady, compassionate platform for each person’s unique, Divine journey back to full union with the Self.

Facilitator: Efrén Solanas. Tuition: please contact Efrén for details.

Efrén is the founder of Senderos de Luz and leads sacred treks in the high Andes of Peru. He is certified to teach many levels of the Frequencies of Brilliance by the founder, Christine Day. He lives in Minneapolis. Contact Efrén for further information or to register at www.efrensolanas.com

“Efrén Solanas is a magician. A poignant healer with clear insight. He has led me to the edges of my deepest pain; helped me to touch the emotion behind the pain, so that I could begin to release years of trauma from my body. I have been able to surrender into my authentic Self. I have made huge strides in my journey towards self love. Efrén has been an invaluable guide on my journey. He anchors a vast energetic field that allows me to unfold in a balanced way. He is honest and perceptive in guiding me towards the root of the blockages that I carry. I am incredibly grateful for his heart and guidance. Efren is a great soul and teacher.”

Anka M. – Los Angeles, CA

 

Broken Open by Love: an Invitation to Sacred Activism plus an afternoon of Rumi with Andrew Harvey

August 15-17

A collaboration between the Christine Center and Holy Wisdom Monastery, the event will be held at Holy Wisdom Monastery in Middleton, WI (Madison).  Read about it and register online at Holy Wisdom Monastery or download a mail-in application here. 

Sacred Activism is a transforming force of compassion in action that marries the fire of the mystic’s passion for God with the activist’s passion for justice. We have entered a critical time in human history. The more people who engage love in action, the greater the hope for the fruits of meditation and for the survival of our planet, its people and all life on earth.

On Sunday afternoon, Andrew Harvey, the author of Rumi, The Way of Passion, will read from the poet’s work and present his vision of Rumi’s mystical journey. You’ll discover how to apply Rumi’s philosophy of revelation, ecstasy, and suffering to your own authentic mystical growth as a Sacred Activist.

Andrew Harvey is the founder of the Institute for Sacred Activism, acclaimed author of over 30 books, mystical scholar, and spiritual teacher. For more information visit www.andrewharvey.net.

 

Holding Center, Seeing True! A Summer Mandala Retreat

August 22-24

As we approach mid-summer, we honor being in the thick of creation, in the midst of nature and the fullness of life. When life is full, we need to hold center more than ever. These days offer opportunity for mandala-making amid the challenges and demands of our lives in these unusual and ever changing times.

Facilitator: Gabriele Uhlein, Ph.D., OSF. Tuition: sliding scale of $125-$250, with $15 art materials fee, plus meals and lodging. Begins on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Gabriele is a member of the Christine Center Leadership Team. Read about her here.

Read about  Why Create a Mandala.

This program is also scheduled for the weekends of November 28, January 9, February 27, March 20, April 17, and May 29. 

   

Silent Retreat with Individual Spiritual Guidance

August 24-30

Enter this silent retreat for listening to your soul in our peaceful, natural sanctuary. Opportunities for deepening include group meditation, Eucharistic liturgy, and the wonders of nature. You may choose to have private sessions daily for spiritual guidance and personal discernment. Individual spiritual guidance invites deep listening to God’s presence and movement in your life. Although the retreat is for six nights, you are welcome to extend your stay.

Spiritual Guidance: Sr. Marge Zulaski and Fr. Tom Borkowski. Cost: $400, includes housing in a modern hermitage or guest house, and spiritual guidance sessions; $300, includes housing in a rustic hermitage and spiritual guidance sessions.  Meals are an additional $32 per day or you may choose to prepare your own meals in a modern hermitage.

 

Wild Brush of Soul: Summer Intuitive Painting Experience

August 29-31

As the sun shifts back into the southern sky here at the Christine Center—what a good time to harvest intuitive riches from summer’s fullness. These days are for honoring soul with brush-strokes free and graceful enough to be any color and any shape, and exactly what each moment calls for.

Facilitator: Gabriele Uhlein, Ph.D., OSF. Tuition: sliding scale of $150-$275, plus meals and lodging. $10 per day studio fee. Retreat begins Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. Gabriele is a member of the Christine Center Leadership Team. Read Gabe’s bio here.

Read Gabriele’s article about Intuitive Painting from the Edge Magazine here.

This program is also scheduled for the weekends of November 21, January 23, February 20, and April 24.

 

Diamond Approach to Inner Work

September 5-7, and December 12-14

The Ridhwan School is accepting new students for the Diamond Approach to Inner Work. The Diamond Approach is a path of spiritual realization characterized by sincere inquiry into one’s experience, fueled by the love of truth. The immediate contact with the truth of our experience allows the unfoldment of our Soul to reach increasingly deeper levels of truth. Our work includes meditations, teachings, movement, and experiential exercises.

Facilitator: Carol Carbon is a senior Ridhwan teacher of the Diamond Approach. She has studied directly with A.H. Almaas, the founder, and she leads groups in Boulder, Colorado and the Upper Mid-West Region. For more information contact Johanna Seubert at the Christine Center at j.seubert@tds.net or call 715.267.7902. Visit www.ridhwan.org.

         

Autumn Yoga and Meditation with Andrea Russell

September 12-14

This 3-day retreat offers an opportunity to deepen your yoga and meditation practice. Learn ways to attune your practice to live in harmony with the seasonal transition from summer to fall as well as ample time for reflection, restoration and enjoyment of nature.

Nature’s cycles are mirrored within our own body and mind. The fall season is an important time to nurture oneself after the high vibrant energy of summer, to ground and settle in order to cultivate inner strength to maintain balance as the autumn winds of change blow.

Included is yoga instruction, seated and walking meditation instruction, mindfulness practices, yoga nidra/guided deep relaxation, pranayama/breathing practices, as well as wisdom teachings based on yoga philosophy, mindfulness and Ayurvedic approaches to living in tune with the season.

Tuition: $225, plus meals and lodging. Register directly through Andrea at info@andrearussell.com. Visit www.andrearussell.com.

 

Sacred Dance and Meditation

September 12-14

Through the combined efforts of singing, music, sacred phrases from many different traditions, and movement, Sacred Dance opens your heart and leads to deeper meditative experience. The dances are a joyous, multicultural way to touch the spiritual essence within ourselves and others. Times of silent meditation will help to deepen the experience. No previous music or dance experience is necessary.

Facilitators: Henrita Frost, SSND; Johanna Seubert, FSPA;. Tuition: sliding scale of $75-$150, plus meals and lodging. Henrita and Johanna are members of the Christine Center Leadership Team. Read about them here.

 

Third Annual Hildegard Fest

September 19-21

Join Hildegard friends in celebrating all things Hildegard, from her recipes to sacred visions, and most importantly, her creativity. Come, feast and nurture your soul through Hildegard’s powerful words and unforgettable images. This year’s festival will feature a glimpse into the over 300 letters of advice and spiritual direction that she wrote: daring and bold letters to Popes, Emperors, Queens, Bishops as well as sensible and sage advice for the simple ordinary folk who sought her counsel. We will explore the creative zest that animated her work and use her inspiration for celebrating our own spiritual experience and personal insight.

Facilitator: S. Gabriele Uhlein. Tuition: sliding scale of $100-$200, plus meals and lodging. Begins Friday, 6:30 p.m. and ends with a celebrative brunch on Sunday. Menus to be prepared by special guest chef and is inspired by Hildegard’s own healing recipes. Gabriele is a member of the Christine Center Leadership Team. Read Gabe’s bio here.

   

Introduction to Christian Meditation

October 4, 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Eleven hours of guidance in the practice of Christian meditation. We begin with introductory work to understand the tradition of Christian meditation as a spiritual practice. We will move into meditating together in the simplicity of silence, deep listening, using a mantra, a biblical text, chanting and the breath. With breaks for walk-ing and eating in silence, the day will renew or introduce you to your inner life. Open to people of all traditions and experience level.

Facilitator: Cecy Corcoran, FSPA, Ph.D. will draw on the roots of Christian con-templation. Tuition: sliding scale of $50-$75 (includes lunch and supper). Open to commuters and private weekend guests who wish to join us on Saturday.  Cecy is a member of the Christine Center Leadership Team. Read Cecy’s bio here.

 

Two Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Retreats with Susan Mickel

The Seven Point Mind Training:  Meditation in Daily Life

October 3-5

The Seven Point Mind Training is a core Tibetan Buddhist teaching on bringing meditation into daily life.  A series of 59 pithy statements about meditation and daily life provides opportunities for reflection and practice.  The retreat will introduce these teachings, also introducing the Pointing Out Way of teaching meditation.

 Mahamudra: Meditation Taught in the Pointing-Out Style

October 5-12

Essence Mahamudra, a series of meditations, helps to clear the veils that keep us from accessing our deepest wisdom and compassion. The meditation begin with initial emphasis on concentration, followed by exploration of the constructed nature of ordinary perception, non-duality meditations, and non-meditation. With clearing of the obscurations, the mind’s true nature is free to shine forth. The format is small group instruction, meditation, and discussion.

Facilitator: Susan Mickel, MD, PhD. For information visit www.pointingoutway.org. To register: susanmickel2@gmail.com.

     

SoulCollage and Yoga

October 31-November 2

The journey toward self discovery and awareness blossoms in the practice of SoulCollage and Yoga. Experience this dynamic combination on a weekend retreat that will include both disciplines in a beautiful setting.

During the SoulCollage portions of the weekend, we will be using the collage process of cutting and gluing images onto 5X8 cards — to create a personal deck of cards. No artistic experience is necessary and all materials will be provided. We will discuss how these cards may be used to journal and also to access our inner wisdom, intuition, and spirituality. More information about SoulCollage may be found at www.soulcollage.com.

The yoga portion of the weekend will be taught in a style that nurtures and supports the creative energy of the SoulCollage journey. Individualized teaching will adapt this gentle yoga to all skill levels. Offerings will include a wake-up and energize morning session. Evening sessions will focus on the nurturing self-care techniques of Ayurveda followed by a deep Yoga Nidra relaxation. Breathing, meditation and stretches will be offered during the day as requested or needed by the group participants.

Facilitators: Lolly Bower and MaryAnne Schoenike. Tuition: $150, plus meals and lodging.

Lolly Bower, B.Sc, CYT. (pictured on the right) Originally trained as a yoga teacher by Swami Paramanda in 1976, Lolly has continued her studies, practice, and teaching in the years since. Interesed in the science end of what she was learning in traditional yoga, she returned to school and is a Phi Kappa Phi graduate in Health Promotion at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. She is trained in meditation, and is a certified Yoga of the Heart (R) therapist.

Mary-Anne Schoenike, BS in psychology and MS in education, along with being a Reiki Master/Teacher and Reflexologist. She has been a SoulCollage facilitator since May of 2011. She enjoys her role as “witness” in the SoulCollage process, as workshop participants discover their “inner selves” and let their hearts and souls sing.

 

Men’s Intro to Yoga and Meditation

October 31-November 1

Come sneak away for a day to try something you may never have done before: Yoga and meditation. Both of these ancient practices are turning up in fresh ways everywhere in the 21st century. Why? To balance and ease our stress; to provide a way to escape to your inner life and to feel healed, renewed and whole.

Facilitator: Bill Miller with Cecy Corcoran, FSPA. Tuition: sliding scale $75-$150 plus meals and lodging. Bill is a retired police officer and criminal justice teacher. He is a Vietnam vet. Bill has a masters degree in sociology and training and experience in sensitive crimes investigations. Bill got into yoga several years ago, mostly on a dare. Cecy is a member of the Christine Center Leadership Team. Read about her here.