Listening for Within: A Lunar New Year Retreat in Milwaukee
Performance Photo of Sara Zalek, a Chicago Based artist
Join me at Mother Lion on February 24 and 25 for a stunningly mindful retreat featuring Chicago based artist Sara Zalek.
Many of us know it is past time to shake up old ways of being and seeing. It’s worthy work, but of course it is some of the hardest work humans can do. Still, reflecting on what I have learned about the Year of the Wood Dragon, this could be a great year for it. The Wood Dragon brings dynamic energy and the opportunity to change long standing habits. The Wood Dragon energy more specifically should help transform difficult and negative circumstances into a more positive framework. And I am all for that.
I find that paradigm-shifting growth needs to be balanced with time (to absorb learning), bravery (to take different routes in life sometimes), and the curiosity and humor enjoy the ride. Thus our retreat theme combining mindfulness, creative new behaviors and strengthening connections. After all, millions of folks have found meditation and mindfulness to be helpful strategies for life’s challenges such as stress, burnout and illness. This is why I am so excited to to be working with Chicago-based artist Sara Zalek, to bring you a program that brings familiar mindfulness into inspirational and unexpected places.
This two part weekend retreat is going to provide participants with exercises in mindfulness which are not your typical sitting meditations, yoga or even sound bath type environments. While this retreat will include sitting meditation, sound and movement, we will be cultivating our energy in new ways — as informed by Sara’s work in traditional art spaces, spiritual growth, sound and operatic vocalizations, silence, qi gong and Tai Chi, waterbody and Butoh. Along with more familiar guided meditation for people with any level of experience, which I will lead. At the retreat we will provide a couple of meals, silent walking outdoors and then perhaps an opportunity to create our own connected piece of art at the end of the retreat. We will be exploring mindfulness and creative energy in the coolest ways and I hope you can join us. After all, when else in our lives will an accomplished artist bring us their take on living and expression, which they have been working on their entire career?
Listening for Within: A Lunar New Year Retreat has even more to offer, though. Because the retreat location itself brings warmth, comfort and beauty to make our time together even more remarkable. "Uniquely adorned and lovingly tended, Mother Lion extends her arms toward those who are in need of rest, rejuvenation, healing, connection, and celebration." Mother Lion's gorgeous maximalist decor is sustainably curated. Enjoy fireplace nooks, hot tub and sauna, soaking tub, cozy reading corners, luxe couches and beds for napping and journaling, and local art work in every corner.
Don't miss this opportunity! Listening For Within: A Lunar New Year Retreat will provide people with moments of deep silence, active mind and body, and transformative individual and collaborative connection. What are you waiting for?
