Retreats

by Susanna Bair   

Retreats are a transformational instrument on the path of realization.

When I recall the retreats I took in my life, I re-experience feelings of new birth, light, uncontrollable joy, ephemeral bliss, expansions into the timeless and eternal spheres. I remember experiences of the Heart: all forgiving, compassion and grace. I accessed the sphere of the all-intelligible and the all-vulnerable. Traces of the human experience on all levels of the mind, emotion and spirit became available and accessible.

My ever-searching heart found answers and I found myself wishing to pass on what I had learned and experienced. Would people value this experience and where would it lead them?

For ten years I have been guiding the retreats of others, and while guiding a retreat is rather different than taking a retreat, at the same time there is a similarity in the intention: "I follow in Thy footsteps, which lead me to the eternal goal." I remember clearly, when I had taken the vows of my initiation, it was immediately clear to me that I had found my path and my challenge was not to invent the path, but to follow, and follow for a long, long time.

My contribution would be through service: serving the one who comes on retreat, to provide for him or her the space, the practices, attunements, rhythm, prayers, songs, walks, food and atmosphere which will make their soul sing and expand toward the All. I move with them through the invisible membranes of rebirth of the self and celebrate as they are inspired to reenter and recreate this world with joy.

After having lead hundreds of individual retreats, guiding people through healing from cancer, or finding a new career, or a new partner for life, or becoming pregnant with new life, or just refueling themselves to keep going in the trial of life, in retreats lasting one day to thirty days, I looked to pass on this knowledge to a group of people who would hold this sacred work within our institute.

Through an extensive training program, I have passed on the knowledge of this art form to a group of seven inspired, experienced scholars of our institute. They form a crucible for those who look to temporarily retreat from this world to re-engage it with power and insight.

Here they are: http://www.appliedmeditation.org/about_IAM/retreat_guides.php

Our team of retreat guides is ready to serve you in the following areas of the US and UK:

Why would you want to take a retreat with a retreat guide instead of taking a retreat by yourself at home? Because without a guide, you will not likely explore the area outside of your comfort zone, or different from your self-written stories. Even experienced meditators discover practices unknown to them that open doors they didn't know were closed. It is surprising for people to realize that when they're groping in the dark they are still following a path in a labyrinth that is well-known to the retreat guide. A retreat is not just being silent, talking walks, saying prayers and eating healthy. The retreats we lead create a pattern of cycles through peaks and valleys that replicate the twists and turns of the spiritual path behind and before one. An IAM retreat follows the classic template for retreats, customized for the need, archetype and realization of the retreatant, through the intuition of an experienced, certified retreat guide.

We invite you to call Katherine at our office, 1-520-299-2170, to make an appointment with one of the IAM retreat guides in your area.