ON THE EDGE OF JOY: BERKSHIRE RETREAT 2023 – 55 South Farm Road, Hillsdale NY

ON THE EDGE OF JOY

To paraphrase Anthony de Mello,

"If you could let go of your conflicts, your anxieties, your tensions, your pressures, your emptiness, your loneliness, your despair, your depression, your heartache, the entanglements--if you could let go of all that, stop haunting the past, and wishing you had different parents, what would you have? Sheer, undiluted, astonishing joy."

"To allow ourselves to be joyful is to have walked through the doorway of fear and claim our place in the living conversation."   David Whyte

Constellations allow us to release family and generational entanglements, guilt, and shame and invite us to step into something new. They invite us to stop, surrender and see what matters, the soul's deepest longing.

Throughout the weekend, via Constellations, rituals, and small group exercises, we will explore what keeps us from moving forward, standing still on the edge of joy.

The Retreat is a private home surrounded by 32 acres of woods, fields, streams, and the Berkshire Mountains. Hillsdale NY-two hours from New Haven, CT, and Manhattan. Click Here to see the house.

Fee $525: The fee includes workshop, lodging, breakfast, lunch, and Dinner on Friday & Saturday; breakfast and lunch on Sunday. On Thursday evening, a light fare and snacks will be available. The food will include vegetarian and non-vegetarian selections. There will be gluten-free selections. However, I will not be able to accommodate strict diets. You are welcome to bring your wine, beer, etc 

Space is limited to 12 participants! A $50 non-refundable deposit is required to guarantee your place. You cannot hold a place via text, email, or phone call. In past years the Retreat sold out in 10 days!

N.B. Accommodations and bathrooms are shared, and meals are family-style.

Schedule:

Thursday, October 12th:

Arrive anytime after 4:00, relax and settle in.

A light fare and snacks will be available.

Gathering, 7:00-10:00 PM

Friday & Saturday, 10/13 & 10/14

7:30-8:45 Breakfast

9:00-12:00 Workshop

12:00-2:00 Lunch and Rest

2:00-5:30 Workshop

5:30-6:30 Relax

6:30 Dinner

Sunday, October 15th

9:00-12:30 Workshop & Closing the Circle

12:30 Lunch and Farewells

Coffee, Tea & Water are available all weekend.

Testimonial:

"Heartfelt thanks for making space for a beautiful memory. I feel complete and filled up from the life-affirming weekend retreat in Hillsdale.

Although terrified, I arrived at the prospect of almost three days and three nights with strangers. I felt quickly at ease in the energy of that beautiful house and its surroundings, my fellow retreaters' openness, warmth, and humor, and Bill's strong and gentle presence and expertise in creating a safe atmosphere.

The movie title for the weekend would be "Cry Eat Laugh": Everyone who wanted to be the subject of a Constellation could flow in with time, space and reverence. We were all touched deeply by the Field and the magical dynamics of Constellating, whether as subject, representative, or witness. Then we ate, family-style, around a beautiful big table: Delicious food, nature's abundance, washed down with laughter. We entertained ourselves in the evening and learned more about each other through fun parlor games. People flowed in and out of these too. The loving, respectful, and welcoming space w held throughout the weekend.

When I tuned in for my morning practice today, I noticed a distinct relaxation in my lower belly. I could access a place that my "less-than," my "votes of no confidence for me"- my neuroses..previously occupied, and find open and spacious for the first time I can remember. I feel I have come home. I am indeed grateful. "KC

CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY:

• You will be entitled to a Full Refund of fees, minus the deposit if you cancel at least 30 calendar days before the event's start date.
• If I cancel the event for whatever reason, you will be entitled to a Full Refund, including the deposit.
• Special consideration is allowed for emergencies and pandemic-related issues.