In addition to practices of how we relate to ourselves in silence, the theme of our retreat is a deep contemplation on grieving and dismantling oppression in America. One of our modalities to explore this expansive topic is with large visual images of the erased history of lynching. We want to do this collectively (in community/village) to create a thoughtful interruption to the historical white look-away from culture shaping terror that American racism has perpetuated and still continues today.

Please note that this is not an intro to racism event. If you have not already done a course on racism in America or started looking at your own responses to whiteness, you may want to invest time into those practices first before embarking on our silent container.

There is an incubation in silence that brings surprisingly loud echoes and multi-faceted awareness. This container of silence is offered to provide an uninterrupted 3 days of being with your own material in an undistracted container. In contrast, we usually drop into workshops for a few hours, or perhaps read a book or listen to a podcast for a limited period of time, and then go back to our filtered societal gaze. Whereas sometimes we may be able to (depending on our heritage) pause or opt-out from the reality of Black carnage in America in other settings, our weekend together will offer an extended period of time to just be with what is, what arises, and how we feel. Again, without fixing or doing, just being.

Our Grief to Action Retreat is created to intimately experience what integrated practice is and to feel the inner transformation it can bring when combined with inner and outer silence. We offer trauma-informed practices centered on connecting with the energies that move through and around us. Practices may come from a variety of traditions, some spiritual or therapeutic, but without any dogma or belief or faith. All religious and spiritual backgrounds, faiths and lifestyles are welcome. The atmosphere is one of love and strong spiritual support.

No previous meditation experience is necessary as this silent retreat is designed to be accessible for all.

Every silent meditation retreat is different — even if you attend the same retreat multiple times. The most important attitude to have in a silent retreat is to let go of expectations. A spirit of openness towards what unfolds is essential in any retreat.

Your hosts, Grace & Aaron, have over a decade of experience leading transformation, trauma-informed practices, meditation and silent retreats.

Our silent retreat atmosphere is a safe space for you to try out different practices and somatic unwinding which invite a holistic experience of yourself. There’s no expectation that you do anything “right” or that you can even sit still. We practice together and increase our stamina in the practice with the support of our silent community. Your humanness is welcome — exactly as you are.

We’ll have several hours to share, reflect on and integrate your retreat experience on the last day, and we highly encourage everyone to witness each other's process and share your experience. This is sometimes the most profound session of the whole retreat after being in silence with fellow students.

The container of the Grief to Action Silent Retreat is held with a balance of group sessions, time to connect with the land, eat nourishing meals and snacks, and take personal space—all in silence. Our opening orientation on Friday evening sets the overall container of silence, and participants are asked to not speak to one another until the end of the retreat.

In addition, participants are asked not to read or listen to any media or input during the retreat—no devices, phone calls, books or digital media—and not to look at or otherwise engage with other participants. This is called noble silence, a truly internalized experience.

The option to talk with facilitators is available anytime if participants need personal support or to work through material that arises.

The retreat will be held in a container of silence with opening and closing rituals. We ask all attendees to arrive and depart as one group (times below) to honor this container. You are also welcome to arrive one day early and stay one day later than the retreat container. (Meals will not be provided outside the retreat container.) You will be fully supported as we guide you to re-discover your inner healer in this uniquely created weekend of deep personal connection.

Guided group sessions include movement, meditation and tools to release what is held, stuck and wanting to shift. You’ll leave with a blueprint for integrating a daily practice to continue to support you after the retreat. Come prepared to see and feel yourself, as we engage all systems in a conscious slowing down and reawaken our intuition to inwardly listen and heal.

There will be many different offerings of meditation during our 2-night silent retreat. Some involve movement, some breath awareness, some focused on sound or words, some focus on emotions or thoughts, and some on stillness itself. All meditation sessions will be guided and all activities are optional, with the invitation to try the experiments for yourself.

Participants will be prepared for these sessions with prior knowledge of the session topic and tools to move through everything that arises during and after these contemplations.

Group sessions will be outside (unless very inclement weather) where there are wooden benches and tree stumps to sit on, in addition to the ground. We invite you to bring what you need to sit comfortably for 4 days (blankets, cushions, meditation bench, etc.). A lot of our practice will be moving, too.

All of our practices are designed to be accessible as possible — for diverse bodies, hearts and minds. This silent meditation retreat can be a wonderful place to begin a practice of meditation, as we will learn different practices you can experiment with and take home the ones that fit.

As a more experienced meditator, you’ll have the opportunity to start with a depth of self-awareness and tune in to the practices on an embodied level from the first day. Our orientation in the Grief to Action Silent Retreat is on integration, witnessing and metabolizing the realities of oppression around us while moving through big energies and beliefs. Any previous meditation experience will be supportive in your own inner work.

We will offer daily movement as a meditative practice focused on orienting inward through the energy and movements of the body. It is accessible for most bodies and modifiable for any injuries or conditions. Don’t worry about whether you’re experienced at different movement modalities or flexible.

Our intention is to create a culture of sobriety, as we are sharing this retreat space intersectionally and touching topics of carnage and grief. This culture is intended to cultivate the best conditions for us to free ourselves more than it is a culture of judgment, wrongness, or toxicity.

To support this culture as well as the accompanying digital detox the environment provides, a Silent Retreat team member will have your emergency contact so you have a real-time tether to loved ones should needs arise.

Please talk to us if you are curious about our culture and how you can bring your own support tools.

We're here to help! If you have any additional questions or need more details about the retreat, please email us at retreats@insighttimer.com, and we'll be happy to provide you with all the information you need.