We're fortunate to have Fetzer Institute in my community. I've spent many days/weeks out at their retreat center about a half an hour & a world away!! Beautiful experiences no matter what the season or length of stay, alone or participating in a group.
I organized a stay for a discussion group I am a member of and booked the 8 cottages (ONE IS IN THE PHOTO COLLAGE AT THE TOP IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER of it) and the large building for group work. Each had their own cottage around the laurel and tucked in the woods. A new experience for some, we gathered for food, stretching, walks, and I taught a little tanka lesson. Off everyone went with the little journals I made for each, and sharing followed. Plenty of solitude and labyrinith walks and wanderings about through the woods, in a stone 'chapel', and around the mini gardens (buddhist, hindi, native, english, .... et al).
two of my tanka here~~~expanded haiku....31 syllables, and by line it's 5,7,5,7,7
The mown path skirts
around the acre's bouquet
of wild,long-stemmed,uncut
flowers that seem to be there
just to call us together.
Women arrive, one
at a time to find their
way back to a Breath.
Gathering, then dispersing for
solitude and sweet dreams.
nng
