Open Heart, Peaceful Mind, A Retreat for Rest & Reflection

For more than 15 years, hundreds of people have welcomed the New Year at Pendle Hill with the gift of this retreat designed to rest, reflect, renew, and restore. At these times of high stress and high anxiety, we need now, more than ever, to exhale deeply and feel fully nourished through resilience-building, heart-opening, and peace-making practices. We can’t do this alone. We need a caring and supportive community and space and time to be nurtured and supported.

This retreat includes periods of silence, reflection, group discussion, creative arts, walks in nature, deep relaxation, and mindful movement. Savor guided meditation and extended periods of silence to deepen discernment about how to live your best self as you close the year and enter the New Year.

You will learn how to:

Choose bravely when conditions are uncertain and ambiguous.
Reflect on what matters most with soul-amplifying questions.
Align your values with your work for a greater sense of purpose and meaning.
Cultivate body intelligence and body awareness.
Show yourself real kindness through self-compassion.

Surrounded by a supportive and caring community, you will restore balance and calm, and feel uplifted toward the best version of you. Return home with tools to create greater peace and hope in your life.

This year’s retreat is based on Valerie’s latest book, Hope Leans Forward: Braving Your Way toward Awakening, Simplicity, and Peace (Broadleaf 2022).

The approach of this retreat is based on the work of Parker J. Palmer and the Center for Courage & Renewal. The Circle of Trust® retreat, described in Palmer’s book A Hidden Wholeness, focuses on cultivating our inner capacity to live a more authentic, meaningful, and engaged life.  Informed by Courage & Renewal principles, practices, and touchstones, we can create a trustworthy, brave space with our attention, intention, imagination, and confidential conversations.