My 70-yr. old mother, a retired nurse, was coming along with me for the week. We were both filled with curiosity and anticipation of what lay ahead, and looked forward to being immersed in the natural beauty of the Southern Colorado foothills at a warm and welcoming eco-retreat lodge with other wise women. For my mother, it was an opportunity to gain strength through prayerful meditation and self-care before leaving for a month-long journey across the country to care for her brother who is battling cancer. My heart was deeply glad and grateful she was coming, both to nurture herself and to share my lifework.

For me, this retreat would be an opportunity to grow my skills as a newly Certified Retreat Coach, as well as to look more intently at the “Seasons of Change” training material. I had previously been drawn to it, read about it and wanted to get a sense of clarity about this possibly being the “niche” I was looking for in my own retreat facilitation. There is a rich, visual and metaphorical language with the changing of seasons. It could prove to be a useful model to help Deaf, hard of hearing and deafened people I work with through life transitions and change.

I also wanted to experience a high-end retreat as a participant. While I had given a number of day-long retreats myself, and attended a couple of short overnight retreats in the past, I had never attended one this long. I wanted to know how it felt, how it worked and what it’s like to “walk my talk” as I prepare to give extended retreats in my own new career.

When I was in Grad School studying to become a Counselor back in the late 80′s, our instructors had us become “clients” with our fellow counseling student classmates so we could experience what our clients might feel. I would use this Colorado retreat similarly. I would go to learn from both angles: As a participant and as a Retreat Coach. I would pay special attention to what I loved, what worked, what I wanted to keep in my own Retreat Practice.

I’m glad to say, both as as a participant of this beautiful Colorado mountain retreat and as a blossoming Retreat Coach, I was very impressed! Our Master Retreat Coaches, Helene Van Manen and Karin Marcus, were nothing short of amazing! They were tremendously qualified to lead us, while also being very human and so normal. It was easy to be guided by their joyful stewardship, wise and graceful confidence and simple humility.

I am proud to say I immediately began using what I learned at this Colorado Retreat with the Deaf, hard of hearing and deafened community I serve. The Seasons of Change is a visual, sensual, transition model that works with anyone, anywhere, anytime. My intentions for this retreat and training were not only met, they were exceeded!

Our extended nature retreat was graced with a week of whole-souled-lovliness and one my mother and I will never forget. It was an experience of becoming deeply grounded… being moved by, and flowing with, nature’s visual music… waking up every day with skymindedness. It was a journey of re-connection to our own center — to our Source — and to the rich, changing, mountain environment, while sharing time and space with other kindred spirits.

I highly encourage all people to go on an extended nature retreat and pay special attention to the environment and the season. You will find “your story” there. Extended nature retreats are unforgettable experiences and they will touch your life in many ways. The best thing is that you bring those peek experiences back with you and they become a part of who you are, how you think and sense and feel, and what you do in your life-journey ahead.

“Today, I have grown taller from walking with the trees. “ ~ Karle Wilson Baker