Basic Information

May 7 or 8 - 11, 2008
The Body, the Feminine, Pentecost, and Mothers Day (Silent)
Open to both men and women

Early arrival on Wednesday evening May 7 for a longer retreat is encouraged.

Led by Carolyn Bluemle
Limited to 20 participants

Pentecost and Mothers day are on the same Sunday this year. This calls for dancing with the spirit, celebrating the feminine, and exploring feminine images of the Holy Spirit: wind, wisdom, and the love itself that binds lover and beloved. We will integrate our bodies and spirits in worship: aligning the body through postures and praying the body through posture sequences to sung prayers. Yoga can help us to slow down to the deepest rhythms of breath and body to create a quiet home for the mind in meditation.

You are invited to come on Wednesday, a day early, so as to enter the silence more deeply. On Wednesday evening and Thursday morning we will enjoy gentle yoga and mindful eating. On Thursday afternoon, weather permitting, we will go for a mindful walk at the beautiful lake in the John Burroughs Sanctuary near by. Others will join us on Thursday at supper. We will enter the mystery, power, and rhythm of the body through yoga, chanting with the monks, Taize chant, and walking the labyrinth.

All, men and women, who have ever been or had a mother are welcome to come celebrate with us. Some previous experience with yoga is recommended but not required. The sequences can be modified to accommodate anyone. Discover how opening your body can help to deepen your relationship with God.

Please bring something to place on a prayer table in the practice room. And, if you have them, a sticky mat,
a firm blanket, and a meditation cushion.

Carolyn Bluemle, teaching yoga since 1989 and Iyengar certified, teaches at Unity Woods Yoga Center and in the Sacred Circles program at the Washington National Cathedral. During doctoral studies in philosophy at UC Berkeley, she honed her analytical skills. Years as a dancer inspired her appreciation of the rhythms and poetry of the body. Through the healing practices of yoga, meditation, and Taize chant she has renewed her Christian faith with joy and compassion. Her teaching, precise and enthusiastic, reflects her deep experience of yoga as prayer.

Fee: May 7-11 : $390; May 8-11 : $320; Deposit: $: $80

May 16 - 24
Benedictine Experience

Led by the monastic community

What is monastic life really like? Fanciful answers abound. Some are amusing and some are shocking. The best and perhaps the only way to find out what benedictine living is all about it to try it on. Participants in the
Benedictine Experience will live days that are roughly the same as the days of a person entering the community. There is instruction in monastic history and tradition, work at various tasks, community building and discussion, all anchored by the daily cycle of worship and prayer. The Benedictine experience is always memorable and often life changing.

Fee: $700: Deposit: $100

July 4 - 6
Summer Associates Weekend

This summer weekend is an opportunities for members of the Associates of Holy Cross, and anyone interested in exploring association with Holy Cross, to come together in an atmosphere of community and prayer to share their experiences and build community with other Associates. There will be sessions led by Brothers and time to socialize as well.

Fee: $150, Deposit: $75

Mark your calendar for these future programs

Insight Meditation - Jose Reissig - Jul 11-13

Fall Associates Weekend - Sep 05 - 07

Paint Your Faith - Elizabeth Rundquist - Sep 09 - 11

Retreat for Adults who work with Youth - Sep 30 - Oct 3

It's All Greek to Me - Tony Cayless - Oct 6 - 10

Building Homes, Building Hope - George Masters & Br. Bernard - Oct 14 - 17

Christian Meditation - Nov 14 - 16

Library Volunteers - Nov 18 - 21

Note: All deposits are nonrefundable and nontransferable