The Wisdom of the Body: Contemplative Practices for Deep Listening

Buddhist teacher Reginald Ray describes the body as “the last unexplored wilderness.” For the desert monks of the Christian tradition, the wilderness is the place where we can have a radical and intimate encounter with the divine.

In this experiential retreat we will ask the question of what does it mean to take the incarnation seriously? To live as if our flesh is holy? St. Hildegard of Bingen, the 12^th century Benedictine Abbess believed there was a greening life force, very similar to the eastern concepts of chi or prana, which animates us and brings us fully alive. To tend to the greening of our body and soul is an act of devotion.

We will explore a variety of ancient practices like breath prayer, allowing our senses to become doorways to the holy, living in alignment with the slow rhythms of nature, and sacred movement to drop in and listen for how our bodies long to move and express themselves.

These contemplative ways of deep listening help us to come into a loving relationship with our bodies and find the pulse of the divine presence in our blood and bone. Our retreat time will unfold through teaching, meditation, creative exploration, and small and large group sharing. The practices offered are rooted in the Christian contemplative tradition but everyone is welcome.

Join us for a holy pause to dip into the well of refreshment and find in that stillness, a renewed appreciation for the wisdom our bodies offer to us.