Reunite mind, body, and spirit in the Land of the Midnight Sun by connecting with like-minded individuals as we travel the Ring Road of Iceland.
On this retreat, your days will be filled with a soulful blend of scenic hiking, educational sessions, and deep, meaningful conversations. Each day, you will spend considerable time taking in the Icelandic nature as you hike, admire, and reflect on the spectacular scenery found along the Ring Road of Iceland. You will be accompanied by a community of fellow retreaters led by friendly, supportive, and knowledgeable guides during your retreat.
Each day, expert facilitators will lead educational and contemplative sessions inspired by Parker J. Palmer’s Center for Courage & Renewal, Brené Brown’s The Daring Way™ programs, and other thought leaders in burnout prevention and resilience. Throughout the retreat, we will explore, individually and in community, the thoughts and behaviors that hold us back and inhibit our growth. These sessions will empower you with tools, techniques, and practices to help you make changes that better serve you in your pursuit of living a more authentic and wholehearted life. These retreat sessions are interactive, fun, and insightful. You’ll work hard, be challenged, and leave feeling capable of tackling new opportunities.
We begin each day with an early morning reflective practice, educational sessions, and a hearty breakfast before setting out on the day’s adventures. We will spend the majority of our days admiring and exploring the impressive panoramas of Iceland’s beautiful geysers, waterfalls, glaciers, and typical villages. Following our time hiking and exploring we gather for dinner in the early evening to enjoy some of the best food found in Iceland. Each evening, to further help rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul, you are invited to join in an unstructured social hour with your fellow travelers and guides. No matter your fitness level or resilience experience, you are welcome on this adventure retreat.
In summer, the Arctic midnight sun reigns supreme giving us long days, allowing us to fit a vast amount of sights into our short time in Iceland. During this retreat, you will see everything from the famous Golden Circle to black volcanic beaches, the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. The tour will take you to tiny, charming fishing villages and historical sights, through rugged lava fields and give you the most stunning glacier views you will ever see. The exciting adventures also include whale watching, hiking in beautiful unique Icelandic nature, and stops at extraordinary sightseeing spots. All hikes and activities on this tour are rated as easy, the pace is slow and determined by the participants. For those looking to relax along the way we will make a stop at the beautiful Mývatn Nature Baths ‘The Blue Lagoon of the North’. Your first and last nights are spent in Reykjavík, giving you the chance to explore this amazing city on your own.
Stay in charming small hotels and experience the best of Icelandic hospitality on this rewarding retreat while earning 19 CME/CEUs.
Following this in-person Icelandic retreat, we will also offer four additional retreat-style virtual sessions over six months (worth an additional 6 CME/CEUs). During these post-retreat virtual sessions, expert facilitators will use a small cohort model to help participants continue exploring the intentions they set while on retreat in Iceland. The cost for the additional meetings is $500.
Facilitators:
This program is co-facilitated by Courage & Renewal Facilitators Corey Martin, Kim Schwartz, and Joshua Whitman, alongside Roberta Cassidy, a highly experienced healthcare leader with over 33 years of acute hospital experience, and Mary Messina, a passionate, energetic innovator committed to the idea that business can be a force for good in the world.
7:00am – 7:30am: Breakfast at the hotel
7:30am – 10:30am: Daily reflective practice, check-in, and educational sessions
11:00am – 3:00pm: Hiking and Sightseeing Iceland’s many wonderful trails and natural sights
3:00pm – 5:00pm: More breathtaking adventures, personal reflection, or relaxation time
5:30 pm – 7:30pm: Group Dinner
8:00pm – 9:30pm: More adventures, social hour, hot tub
Our time spent cultivating joy, meaning, and purpose is done through the use of educational sessions, quiet reflection, journaling, daily group reflections, and sightseeing journeys. We use our experiences and the paths we hike as daily metaphors to develop joy, meaning, and purpose in our lives by understanding grief and forgiveness.
We will stay in many quaint hotels throughout Iceland
Reykjavik, Iceland
Hotel Grimsborgir is one of the many locations we will stay during our retreat. It is a five star hotel located 70 km east of Reykjavik in the heart of the Golden Circle, nestled on the bank of river Sogid surrounded by stunning landscape.
Day 1 – Saturday, June 17th 2023
Arrive in Reykjavik and check into your hotel at any time today. Our first educational session will start at 3pm.
Day 2 – Golden Circle
Your first day is all about the true beauty and amazing power of Icelandic nature. We start by visiting the Golden Circle attractions including the historic Þingvellir National Park, home to one of the world’s first democratic parliaments. This place is also a geological wonder, it is here that two great tectonic plates have slowly drifted apart, creating a rift valley. You will see the sensational Gullfoss waterfall, feeling the spray in the air as the great torrent of glacial water powers through the falls, and will have a chance to witness Strokkur, the most active geyser in Iceland, erupting every few minutes.
Tonight we stay at Hótel Grímsborgir.
Day 3 – South Coast
Next on the agenda are the two best-known waterfalls on the south coast. Seljalandsfoss is known as ‘the waterfall you can walk behind’ and Skógafoss is a graceful cascade dropping into the calm river below. Mountain glaciers and famous volcanoes tower above this part of the coastline, on a clear day the views are wonderful. Today we will get a chance to really encounter the full variety of Icelandic nature as we also visit the pitch-black volcanic sand beach of Reynisfara with its forceful waves and the remarkable and stunning basalt columns.
Tonight we stay at Fosshótel Glacier Lagoon.
Day 4 – Vatnajökull National Park
Your glacier adventures continue at Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. This place really is like nothing else you have ever seen. The glittering, and often very large icebergs calve off the receding Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, a tongue of Vatnajökull. These surreal natural ice statues float across the continually growing, and already very large, lagoon. The icebergs head to the Diamond Beach and the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. When you see them shimmering on the coal-black sands you will truly understand why this beach is so named. The memories you take away from today will be totally unforgettable.
Tonight we stay at Fosshótel Glacier Lagoon
Day 5 – Stokksnes & Eastern Fjords
Today we drive a scenic route to Djúpivogur, a charming little fishing village in the wild and unspoiled East Fjords. You get some time to look around, giving you a great picture of traditional Iceland before traveling onwards. Then we take you on a fabulous hike up to the exquisite Hengifoss waterfall, Iceland’s second-highest waterfall, and through varied and highly photogenic scenery. It is in the East that we are most likely to spot reindeer; hopefully, as we are driving along we will get the chance to see some.
Tonight we stay at Hotel 1001 Nótt.
Day 6 – Studlagil Canyon & Dettifoss Waterfall
Today we experience the remarkably powerful Dettifoss waterfall. The next adventure on our list is the geothermal paradise of Námaskarð, get ready for steamy puddles, sulfur scented steam, and moon-like landscapes. The colorful boiling mud pots really are amazing; this place is so otherworldly it is hard to describe!
Tonight we stay at Fosshotel Myvatn.
Day 7: Lake Myvatn, Godafoss & Akureyri
Today we visit Dimmuborgir, a wonderland of stunning lava formations which will leave you feeling mesmerized even before you go to the enchanting and mystical Goðafoss waterfall. Later in the day, we arrive in Akureyri, well-known for its stunning Fjord and mountain landscapes, wonderful downtown area, and great restaurants. The day is capped off with a trip to Dalvík, known for being one of the best places to spot whales in Iceland.
Tonight we stay at Icelandair Hotel Akureyri
Day 8: Northwest Iceland & Reykjavik
On this, our final day, we find ourselves in West Iceland – an area that Lonely Planet voted as one of the best destinations in 2016. Borgarfjörður has many splendid sights and we will focus on these today. We stop at Deildartunguhver Hot Spring, the legendary waterfall, Barnafoss (the Children´s Waterfall), and the Hraunfossar cascade, the atmospheric very low and wide falls where the water emerges, literally straight out of the lava field. We will drive around the scenic fjord, Hvalfjörður (Whale Fjord), on our way to back Reykjavík.
Our final educational session will be tonight when we arrive at our hotel in Reykjavik.
Day 9 – Sunday, June 25th 2023
You can plan your flight home at any time today or plan to stay for another day or two and enjoy all the Reykjavik has to offer.
PLEASE NOTE
This itinerary may change slightly due to accommodation availability, rain, festivals and spontaneous side trips. This is not an endurance race, nor a competition. Please be respectful of all the different paces and walks of life that come together on this group trip.
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ROOM =$3999 per person
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ROOM WITH VIRTUAL FOLLOW UP SESSIONS =$4499 per person
SINGLE OCCUPANCY ROOM = $4999
SINGLE OCCUPANCY ROOM WITH VIRTUAL FOLLOW UP SESSIONS = $5499
RESERVE YOUR SPOT WITH A DEPOSIT=$500
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the Minnesota Medical Association and Innovations in Resilience. The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Minnesota Medical Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 19 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
There is no commercial support for this event.
A commercial interest is any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients. The ACCME defines “‘relevant’ financial relationships” as financial relationships in any amount occurring within the past 12 months that create a conflict of interest.
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