We have had a grace-filled spring. This past fall, Duke Hospice visited for a series of wellness retreats to benefit their incredible care providers. Duke Hospice had cared for Jacqueline — who left The Trees as a gift — in her final days, and so when they came, they went up to visit her. When they read her grave stone they found that they had in fact scheduled their retreat on her birthday. They returned to offer Jacqueline and her dogs beautiful heart-shaped stones as a gift. This spring, just a few days after our discernment committee was reflecting that we ought to get more dog-related events out here to honor Jacqueline’s love of dogs — a dog-training group wrote in begging for a place to train! This time, on the anniversary of Jacqueline’s death. We can be sure she had been steadily knocking on God’s door asking and waiting for more dogs to visit her home.
We thank the many groups that have found life and respite here, and are excited to keep hosting you all, opening the door to the many spirit-filled occasions that seem to keep dropping in on this land. We are blessed to walk it and care for it with you in a time so troubling to what is alive and vulnerable… yet still springing forth.
Here are some upcoming opportunities to join us...
Nature Journaling… continues!
Friday mornings: 10 - 11:30am
May 9 - July 25 (no sessions on 6/20 or 6/27)
Continuing by popular demand! Please feel free to drop in, no RSVP required. Link below for questions.
Nature Journaling is just what it sounds like – journaling about nature – a meditative practice that helps us unplug, connect with nature, and find perspective. We'll explore the woods at The Trees, recording observations through pictures, words, and numbers. No experience needed – just bring a journal, favorite art supplies, and a willingness to try. We’ll walk to a new site each week, so pack light! Basic supplies available for borrowing.
Led by Liz Sappenfield, a St. Philippian and mom to three, a nature journaling enthusiast and self-taught watercolorist.
Liz is offering these sessions as a free gift, though any donations to The Trees are welcome.
Refresh & Reconnect Retreat
Saturday, May 21 | 10:30am - 4:00pm
A spring community retreat for tuning in, moving gently, and practicing nourishing rest together.
Led by Lindsey Voorhees
You’re invited to a day retreat at The Trees led by Lindsay Voorhees, an occupational therapist and Kripalu yoga teacher. With a balance of group and individual activities, you'll have space to slow down and reconnect with yourself through:
Gentle seated movement & meditation
Reflective journaling & intention-setting
Solo time for being in nature, yoga, creative/crafty play, etc.
Closing circle for sharing and integrating the experience
Open to anyone desiring time and space for intentional rest and reflection; folks navigating life with health challenges are especially welcome.
Cost: Sliding scale $90-150, which includes vegetarian lunch, tea/coffee, and afternoon snacks
Queer Relationship Workshop
Led by Rev. Phillip Bass, MDiv., ThM, MA, LCMHC, NCC
Saturday, June 7
9:00am - 12:00pm.
Hosted by The Beloved Community in honor of Pride Month, this workshop will explore how hetero- and cis-normative trauma negatively impacts queer relationships. This is open to anyone interested in learning more about queer relationships and trauma, as well as tools to navigate healthy queer relationships. (No sign up required.)
The Beloved Community also importantly hosts two open support groups for those healing from religious trauma and families and friends of queer youth. Please share with anyone you know who might want to check one of them out:
Religious Trauma Recovery Group
1st and 3rd Sundays of each month, 3:00 - 4:30 PM
Led by Rev. Phillip Bass MDiv, ThM, MA, LCMHC, NCC
Religious trauma occurs when a person’s religious experience is stressful, degrading, dangerous, abusive, or damaging. Traumatic religious experiences may harm or threaten to harm someone’s physical, emotional, mental, sexual, or spiritual health and safety. You are invited to join us as we gather weekly to discuss personal experiences of religious trauma and learn together about healing.
Parents, Families & Friends of Queer Youth Support Group
2nd and 4th Sundays of each month, 3:30 - 4:30 PM
This group is offered for anyone who considers themselves family or friends of a queer youth. The purpose of this group is to explore together what the bible actually says about being queer, how to be supportive family, and how to process your own experiences someone who loves a queer youth.
You can access the archive of previous support group discussions and topics here.
Come gather and be led through a coordinated flow of yoga, with soothing meditations, and guidance on making SoulCollage® cards, with plenty of time for journaling; all at a gentle pace to help you rest, reflect, and rejuvenate. We will share in a pot luck lunch midday; you can eat and visit with other attendees or find your own quiet nook inside or out, or perhaps enjoy the walking trails or labyrinth.
This retreat is for women with all levels of Yoga or SoulCollage®, and will also be a wonderful experience for women with previous experience in either/both practice. All card-making supplies and tools will be provided for making SoulCollage® cards as well as retreat journals provided. Please bring your Yoga mats, (extras will be provided). This will be a rich experience.
Saskia and Shannon are delighted to be bringing you this luxuriant and nurturing day! Saskia has been a Yoga and meditation coach for 20 years. Shannon has been a SoulCollage® Facilitator for 10 years.
Please bring a healthy dish/drink to share in our potluck.
Self investment: $193.50
Feel free to email questions:
Shannon - [email protected]
Saskia - [email protected]
Practice Joy: Yoga and Herbal Retreat
Women's retreat
Led by Olynda Smith
Saturday, June 28th
9am-4pm
$160
Joy? Now? Yes! Let's spend this day grounded in gratitude and recharge ourselves on every level.
Ananda is the Sanskrit word I understand to mean "unwavering bliss". The experience of Ananda is said to be a direct outcome of our practice. Cultivating and making space for joy and celebration can help us breathe new life into our lives.
We will use our time on the mat, with each other, in nature and in exploration of herbal allies to help light us up from within. You'll leave with some clear ideas of how to use herbal allies to help you relax, renew, re-connect and en-joy! We will also make some herbal goodies for you to take home with you!
More information here.
Email Olynda to sign up. All experience levels of yoga practice welcome!
More upcoming events...
Retreat to Refuel: Shining in Dark Times
with Mara Bishop, MA
Saturday, July 19th
10:00 - 4:00 ET
A daylong retreat to refuel at The Trees. In increasingly intense and dark times, we come together. We stand (sit, walk, march, talk, pray, commune, etc.) together. We’ll balance learning new tools with quiet reflection and exploring ways to:
REFUEL
Spend time peacefully away from the demands of our ordinary lives, soaking up the healing available to us in nature, from kindred souls, and from spiritual support.
REFOCUS
Consider our unique roles at this extraordinary time.
PREVENT BURNOUT
Using Shining Bright Without Burning Out: Spiritual Tools for Creating Healthy Energetic Boundaries in an Overconnected World as a guide, we will learn tools to keep our light and energy from fading under constant demand.
COMMUNE WITH NATURE
We are healthier and happier when we spend time in nature. We are all stronger when we create reciprocal relationships.
More details sent upon registration
Mara is an instructor in the animal-human bond and nature-based practices at Columbia University Teachers College Spirituality Mind Body Institute. She is the founder of Whole Spirit and Whole Nature, an author, and ecospiritual counselor.
To learn more about Mara visit WholeSpirit.com
Quiet Days
We are continuing to offer Quiet Days on the first Tuesday of the month. This is a low structure opportunity to come out free of charge and spend an hour or several in our space, reading, writing, reflecting, or going on a walk on our trails. Would you like a book recommendation, or guidance for time in prayer or connecting with nature? Email us ahead of your visit and we would love to try and help you find a nourishing plan. This is open to the public and there is no registration required. 9am-5pm
Prayers & Poetry
Every Friday, noon to 2:00 p.m.
One of the pillars of life at The Trees, whose prayers live along the walls and bless all of us who come through this space, this group of predominantly (though not exclusively!) elder ladies prays the noonday prayer from A New Zealand Book of Common Prayer, reads poetry together, and finishes with eating packed lunches. Bring your own lunch, perhaps a poem, and join this amazing community!
Summer Yoga
July (5 classes)
$80 for the session /
$20 drop in.
Thurs. 7-8AM
This summer’s focus will be mindfulness in movement. You do not have to be strong or flexible or coordinated to be filled by the practice!
Email Olynda to sign up/for more information.
Book your group’s next meeting...
Write in to try and grab one of our rare open Saturdays or any of our other open days! Click here to head to our website to get signed up or pass along to a friend!
Please note our public calendar on the website only displays certain public events and does not reflect all of our private bookings. Write to us to find a time.
We have been humbled to receive several quite generous donations so far this year, including a few honoring and celebrating birthdays. One major gift of nearly $15,000 has particularly inspired us. This person has offered such trust, by donating now at the very beginning of our development journey, in that same Spirit which has brought us here and which we aim to serve and heed each week. It renews a delightful clarity in our purpose.
We appreciate all donations to The Trees or gifts in honor or memory of a friend. This is a growing ministry and all resources are used to care for the house and the land. Gifts are tax deductible. Please let us know if you'd like your donation to support a particular project. Link here
And now to close this letter with a few guiding (or inviting) words on contemplative prayer from a beloved author here at The Trees...
Contact us:
Email: [email protected]
The Trees is a community project of St. Philip's Episcopal Church
