Roots, Joy and Defiance
July 18 – 20, 2025
with Peggy Rowe Ward, Kristin Johnstad and Marcus Young
Join us for a weekend of embodied spiritual practice and connection as we deepen and expand our experience of beloved community. Through mindful breathing, eating, resting, moving, and celebrating joy together, we root ourselves in presence and resilience.
Inspired by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, this retreat invites us to cultivate inner stability and collective strength in the face of uncertainty and turmoil. Thich Nhat Hanh reminded us that during times of conflict, our task is to return to and deepen our spiritual roots.
As we ground ourselves in these roots, we strengthen our nervous systems, expand our capacity for self-regulation, and create conditions for co-regulation and shared visioning. Our individual and collective solidity becomes an act of spiritual defiance — a radical affirmation of life, connection, and joy.
Together, we will explore the four roots of resilience and connection:
- Body — Our physical presence as a refuge.
- Blood — Our lineage, ancestors, and family connections.
- Land — Our relationship to place and the earth.
- Spiritual Ancestors — Our lineage of teachers, wisdom traditions, and guides.
Program Highlights:
- Embodied practices for grounding and inner stability
- Exploration of the Four Roots: Body, Blood, Land, Spiritual Ancestors
- Practices of mindful breathing, movement, eating, and rest
- Celebrating joy and togetherness as spiritual practice
- Tools for nervous system regulation and collective resilience
- Community reflection and connection in the spirit of beloved community
- Inspired by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh
Your Guiding Teachers
Dr. Peggy Rowe Ward
Peggy Rowe Ward senior dharma teacher in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, trauma and somatic practitioner and educator and author of Love’s Garden. The Lotus Institute
Marcus Young 楊墨
Marcus Young, artist who works with a behavioral and social focus, and offers practices we can use in our daily life to stay solid and free. For 17 years he has led Don’t You Feel it Too, a participatory public dance practice.
Kristin Johnstad
Kristin Johnstad, lay minister in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, dancer, song carrier and network weaver.
