How do you cultivate an awakened brain? Let’s practice relinquishing our achievement-focused activities, being mindful and tuning into the world to turn down the noise, readying our awareness for fresh insights. This overnight retreat at Prairiewoods (120 East Boyson Road in Hiawatha) will be facilitated by Ann Jackson, PBVM, and Leslie Schwarting. Through chanting, prayer, creative expression, movement, walks in nature, meditation and many other modalities, we will learn how easy it is to step away from the daily buzz of life to re-center and reconnect with each other, our minds, our hearts and Earth. Why does this matter? Because life is beckoning us forward with an invitation to experience it fully. We will spend time with content from the book The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and our Quest for an Inspired Life by Spirituality in the 21st Century speaker Dr. Lisa Miller. With ample time for reflection, tranquility and practice, this retreat will be especially powerful if you attend Spirituality in the 21st Century (May 5 or 6), however, attendance is not required to participate in this retreat. Ann Jackson, PBVM, is Prairiewoods’ coordinator of spiritual services. Blending love of nature, literature, leadership and spirituality, Sister Ann delights in listening with others to the energy of Spirit stirring creativity, passion, discernment and service. Newly certified as a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, she is committed to mindful living and compassion, evolving consciousness, and personal and social transformation by bringing mindfulness to local and global communities. She enjoys offering spiritual direction and facilitation to individuals and groups. Leslie Schwarting serves as a full-time spiritual director and retreat facilitator at Prairiewoods. A wife, mother of three adult women and former hospital executive, she completed her spiritual direction certification with the direct intention to tend to the souls of others. Leslie loves to create space for others and support them as they explore what their hearts crave, identify where opportunities for healing are, contemplate the rich questions of life, and grow closer to God, Earth, oneself and others. The cost of this overnight retreat is $205 and includes sessions, Friday lodging, and Saturday breakfast and lunch. (Or stay until Sunday for an additional $50, which includes Saturday lodging and Sunday breakfast!) The commuter fee is $175 and includes sessions and Saturday lunch. For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700.
