14 Comments
User's avatar
Teri Leigh 💜's avatar

I'm still laughing at the idea of charades with people with brain injuries who forget what they are acting out half-way through. The vulnerability there is beautiful.

Expand full comment
Beckett Johnson's avatar

I seriously laugh out loud when I think of it. IT was hysterical. We were broken in small groups and one person from each group had to walk to the center of the room to get your word to act out. Which ever group guessed it first, won that round. I cannot tell you how many times people forgot their word before they even got back to the group to act it out. lol It not only helped our memory issues but allowed us to laugh at ourselves. Some of the best memories!

Expand full comment
Teri Leigh 💜's avatar

those full laugh out loud moments in retreat community is part of the whole experience. I’m so glad you captured that here, cuz TCR will have these kinds of moments. Many of them over 10 months!

Expand full comment
Sam Messersmith's avatar

Legit got so emotional reading this.

As a forest therapy guide, most of the walks feel like mini retreats. They are so powerful and moving.

I used to identify as a lone wolf, but retreat-like-activities (aka forest therapy and my Guide Training Immersion) have changed me, broken me open in the best ways.

We need others to help us heal.

Expand full comment
Beckett Johnson's avatar

Yes we do and I feel that in the forest. I feel like I am among friends when I go and just sit. Words cannot even explain it but it also makes sense why so many in person retreats are held in or around nature, not cities.

Expand full comment
Sam Messersmith's avatar

Oh that makes sense, and I totally get it. Samesies.

Expand full comment
Teri Leigh 💜's avatar

I was one of those pretzel position yogis on retreats. They were called "bootcamps" and we climbed a mountain at 5am, to meditate for an hour at the top, then come down and do a 3-5 hour yoga practice all before breakfast (at 1pm). It was insane! And, what I took away the most wasn't the yoga or the meditating, but the COMMUNITY. I'm still friends with people from that retreat from 20 years ago. some of the greatest people in my life.

Expand full comment
Beckett Johnson's avatar

Wow I applaud you for that! I cannot imagine. I didn't even know what yoga really was until my TBI retreat. It helped us focus our brains and something we did every morning so I to became a semi pretzel position yogi.. My body resists the full pretzel! hahaha

Expand full comment
Teri Leigh 💜's avatar

I think the pretzel positions are just stupid human tricks. Not worth the effort. The real magick comes from the body-mind awareness and the breath. shhh…secret…the creator retreat will be teaching yoga and no one will ever know or think or even believe it is yoga!

Expand full comment
Fanen Chiahemen's avatar

Love this. I did a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat and it was life changing.

Expand full comment
Beckett Johnson's avatar

Who knew going silent could feel so amazing. What was your biggest takeaway from that experience?

Expand full comment
Fanen Chiahemen's avatar

Thanks for asking. Great question, although it’s complicated to answer! I’ll just say in a nutshell I learned to see things as they really are and finally saw myself as simply human. I would highly recommend this experience but it’s not for the weak.

Expand full comment
Beckett Johnson's avatar

I would agree it is not for the faint of heart. What a beautiful take away. Would you do it again? I feel like I may need to immerse in something like that again.

Expand full comment
Fanen Chiahemen's avatar

I would definitely do it again if I can find that 10-day stretch of time to do it in. Unless you keep up with the meditation, you do tend to re-acclimatize to the "real world" which means you might need a refresher.

Expand full comment