SUMMER RETREAT & MIRRORING FOR EMPOWERMENT PEER SUPPORT WORKSHOP
It may not be overdramatic to state that our species survival depends, to a great extent, on our learning to tell and listen to stories. Much of the strife among individuals, families, communities and nations derives from our inability to tell our story clearly and to listen carefully to another’s story. If we cannot tell with expression, our life is mute. If we cannot listen like a mirror, we cannot reflect back the wholeness of the story -- the body, soul, mind and spirit of the teller. The best stories are about human nature -- that is, the human of us which is nature in her basic manifestations as physical, psychical, rational, and spiritual. One of the best ways to create a story is to put people in contact with nature. - Larry Hobbs
Overview: Mirroring for Empowerment is a foundational individual and communal practice in the Veteran Rites wilderness rites of passage, interventions of despair, and daily peer empowerment. This mirror gifts the Veteran with the feeling of being truly seen and heard without being counseled, fixed, or advised. This witnessing from the heart widens the perspective of the story, inviting the storyteller into a deeper understanding of their true nature and the wholeness of the story.
On Friday, August 23rd at 2:00pm we will cross the line into the Mirroring for Empowerment Peer Support Workshop. We will all be spending two nights together in the glorious Rainbow Lodge and its 40 acres of enchanted forest. We will begin our time acquainting and reacquainting ourselves with our Map of Wholeness, the Four Shields of Human Nature. The following two days will be spent in a mixture of teachings, exercises and stories. You will learn to elicit personal “mythos” through the expression of story, to utilize council practice as an tool for self and group empowerment, and to listen and respond to the four personas of human nature, that is, to mirror. There will be times alone in nature that will evoke in you and your fellow attendees the stories and myths of your, and our, collective true nature.
Who Should Attend: The primary purpose for this workshop is to provide rest, recovery, reunion, and renewal to Veterans, Initiates, Survivors, and Peer Supporters seeking to dive deeper into their own and our community’s return to True Identity, Purpose, and Belonging.
This workshop elicits deep self-awareness and emotional response in an intimate setting. Everyone is responsible for co-creating a container that welcomes home the whole diversity of our military family with Love and Honor. Veteran Rites will be contacting all interested attendees to see if this workshop is appropriate for you at this time in your journey.
Space is limited and we are establishing the following priorities. Attendees will be required to attend the entirety of the event.
Space is limited to 25 participants. Participants will be prioritized in the following order.
Priority 1: Rite of Return Initiates and Prospective Initiates that have not attended a Mirroring for Empowerment Workshop.
Priority 2: Veterans, Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, Gold Star Family Members 18+, Survivors of Veteran Suicide Loss, Spouses, Partners, and Providers that serve the military family.
What to Bring: We will be spending a large part of our time outdoors, so bring layers and waterproof clothing (e.g. rain-pants, rain-jackets). The weather is always unpredictable, so prepare for cold, wet, or warm. You may want to take notes or reflect on your experience, so we encourage the use of a notebook or journal. We will have some free time together, so feel free to bring musical instruments that the group might enjoy. As with all of our gatherings, any personal items of significance that bring you strength are always encouraged. You’ll be bringing your own toiletries, extra cozy blankets and pillows to supplement what the Rainbow Lodge provides.
These journeys together can be a wonderful gift to ourselves full of surprising awareness-es and reflections. Begin now to prepare your body, psyche, mind, and soul for our time together.
Meals and Lodging: All meals and lodging will be provided by the Rainbow Lodge and paid for by Veteran Rites. Given that we want to maximize this opportunity to as many individuals as possible, we will request that some be able to share a room. Special accommodations and dietary considerations are available upon request.
Transportation Assistance: It is the goal of Veteran Rites to remove as many barriers as possible for Veterans to get into the land and into the heart. Our financial support to remove those barriers is prioritized for the Rite of Return ceremony. Participants are responsible for their own transportation and lodging to attend this event, but VR will be able to provide limited financial assistance on an individual basis for transportation and will help support the coordination of transportation from Seattle to North Bend on August 23rd and August 25th. Please indicate the financial barriers that exist in the RSVP and we will have a discussion. We expect that many in our initiate community in the Seattle area will open up their homes and vehicles to support everyone getting to and from the gathering.
