Or, Come Help Renée Field-Test her Book
with Renée Silvus
March 8 – 10, 2024
Pay what you can.
Suggested: $450 private / $400 shared
From Henry~
Walking
I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines.
Yoga
I think that we may safely trust a good deal more than we do….All change is a miracle to contemplate; but it is a miracle which is taking place every instant.
Conversations
I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion.
Seeing
This whole earth which we inhabit is but a point in space….Why should I feel lonely? is not our planet in the Milky Way?
Come to beautiful Mavens’ Haven for a unique retreat curated from the pages of Walden by H.D. Thoreau. Receive a late-winter boost of energy and inspiration. We’ll use short, bright passages to do the following~
- Go for walks like Thoreau and his daily saunters.
- Contemplate some yoga philosophy as inspired by Walden.
- Play with provocative passages in guided conversations.
- Explore how we see and respond to the world around us.
Why Thoreau? He’s one of those writers who illuminates—you’ll find a challenge to think differently, a fresh approach to understand the world, or simply a beautiful observation. He points us to live with more intention and awareness.
J
Jayme suggested I offer this retreat to test these activities in my book, have a lovely retreat at the Haven, and raise funds for publishing.
We will also:
- Enjoy delicious home-cooked meals. I saved a jug of fall apple cider to honor Henry.
- Include some optional easy asana and meditation time.
- Melt in the sauna, optional.
- Go home feeling a little more connected to yourself.
We have a special guest chef for our weekend–Ted McManus is bringing his curry skills and warmhearted presence to our meals and gathering.
All participants will also receive a copy of the eventual book—after all, you are helping to finish it.
Why Walking, Yoga, Conversations, and Seeing?
Walking is perhaps the easiest to understand—Thoreau walked every day as his health allowed, in every kind of weather. He used a pencil to take field notes, which back at his desk he developed into journal entries. These became his lectures, essays, the two books he published in his lifetime, and manuscripts others would publish posthumously. My invitation is to reverse the order—read Thoreau and take ourselves walking.
The second theme of Yoga few people have approached. This may be related to misconceptions that yoga is only a physical discipline. As a long-time student of yoga, I see it infused throughout his writing. Thoreau notes in his journal, “To some extent, and at rare intervals, even I am a yogi.”
The Conversations are passages that inspire prompts for lively and intentional discussions.
Seeing is an enduring theme with Thoreau. Consider “What I see is mine,” from the Friday chapter of A Week on the Concord and Merrimack River. From the Journal, “Could a greater miracle take place than if we should look through each other’s eyes for an instant?” From the “Sounds”chapter in Walden—”What is a course of history or philosophy, or poetry, no matter how well selected, or the best society, or the most admirable routine of life, compared with the discipline of looking always at what is to be seen?” That this opens the “Sounds”chapter is telling—we are invited to sensory awareness, to understand seeing as experiencing. Remember the language of seeing and sight is both literal and figurative, especially for a Transcendentalist. This reinforces the idea of owning what we see or experience, also present in Walden, “But I have retained the landscape, and I have since annually carried off what it yielded.”
See–doesn’t this sound interesting?
Itinerary.
All times are MST.
Friday
5:00 – 6:00 Please arrive within this hour.
6:00 Open retreat
Passage from “Reading”
Conversations—The Noble VillagePassage from “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”
Seeing, Walking, and Yoga cosmology—Local Divinity
7:30 Supper
8:30 Review Yoga Philosophy
Passage from “Economy”
Yoga—Faith in Your Way
Guided meditation, relaxation, and shavasana
9:15 Quiet time and bed
Take with you passage from “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”—
Yoga—Morning Waking
Saturday
7:00 Waking bell and warm lemon water
7:30 Upstairs—quiet reading and journaling
Downstairs, join when you’d like:
7:45 Easy asana practice
8:30 Shavasana
8:40 Meditation
9:00 Breakfast
10:00 Engage with Passages
from “Baker Farm”
Yoga—Listen to Your Good Geniusfrom “Higher Laws”
Walking, Seeing, Conversations, and Yoga—Reverencing the Wild
11:30 Walking and Seeing practice
1:00 Mid-day Dinner
2:00 Hike Prep
from “Spring”
Seeing and Walking—Nature in Full Blast
2:30 Depart to hike Cow Creek Trail
4:00 Return. Quiet time—Relax, nap, read, write…
5:30 Engage with passages
from “Sounds”
Yoga — Being Presentfrom “Higher Laws”
Yoga—Keeping the Temple Pure, also sauna prep.
6:30 Supper
7:30 Sauna or reading, journaling, conversations
Sunday— going easy into a time change
7:30 Waking bell and warm lemon water
8:00 Upstairs—quiet reading and journalling
Downstairs—join when you’d like:
8:15 easy asana practice
9:00 shavasana
9:10 meditation
9:30 Breakfast
10:30 Passages from the “Conclusion”—
Seeing and Conversations—-Imagine
Seeing—-Your Final Instructions
12:00 Walking and Seeing practice
1:30 Mid-day Dinner, Appreciations, and Closing
Retreat includes all meals Friday supper through Sunday mid-day dinner, lodging in one of our accommodations, and a copy of the eventual book. You are welcome to stay Sunday night to enjoy the Haven and integrate the weekend.
To hold your space, email [email protected] the following:
Inspired by Walden Retreat Registration
Name:
Phone:
Accommodation first choice:
Second choice:
Dietary requests and restrictions:
Questions and general requests:
Send a $50 deposit to Venmo here or directly to me at CUB or Enliven in McCall.
About Renée
I bring a blend of perspectives as an educator, coach, and facilitator. I offer coaching and classes with Luminaire, community space and events at Community Hub McCall, yoga classes at Enliven, and retreats at Mavens’ Haven. I’ve been working on the Thoreau material for several years following a career as a high school English teacher. 2024 brings my tenth year of offering events at the Haven.
Ted McManus spent 25 years teaching Literature and Economics to high school students. Now, he cooks Asian food and hikes and plays guitar. Maybe one of these days he’ll realize his dream of a food truck in McCall- Ted’s Curry Hut!